Missouri’s 1st transgender inmate execution
One AmericaMAY 2023
Amber McLaughlin endured a horrendously abusive childhood which led to her extremely depressive state as an adult. While there's no excuse for the murder, Gov. Parson should have chosen life in prison over the death penalty, especially given that the jury couldn't even agree on a sentence, coupled with Missouri being known for its overuse of the death penalty, which only serves to compound violence with violence.
Unfortunately, rough childhoods and depression are many people's reality, but this does not justify turning to crime. McLaughlin at the time was a man who raped and murdered his ex-girlfriend, just as many violent men have in the past. The death penalty is reserved for only the most heinous of crimes, and McLaughlin's troubled background does not put her above the law.