# Quandry: Death Row inmate cures cancer. Should he still die? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 30, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587 "2012-11-30T17:47:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587/41 "2012-12-04T19:10:48Z")
Nitpick: The Governor of Texas cannot commute a death sentence. He can issue one 30 day stay, but ultimately it is up to the Board of Pardons to commute a death sentence. Second, isn’t catching a spouse in open adultery THE textbook case of what makes the killing manslaughter instead of murder? (Assuming no intervening circumstances)? The old “killing while done in response to a provocation or in the heat of passion” or the new “done while under extreme emotional distress”? My guess is that while the good doctor would do many years in prison, he would come out with a life to live on the other end… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587/42 "2012-12-04T20:36:11Z")
What if a guy does a Timothy McVeigh by setting off a huge bomb next to a crowded office building and walking away, killing over 5,000 people. While on death row, he finds a drug that puts everyone in perfect physical and mental health with no side effects. What then? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587/43 "2012-12-04T20:40:17Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > What if a guy does a Timothy McVeigh by setting off a huge bomb next to a crowded office building and walking away, killing over 5,000 people. While on death row, he finds a drug that puts everyone in perfect physical and mental health with no side effects. > > What then? In other words, what would we do if we took the hpothetical in the OP and stretched out the premises to unbelievably ridiculous extremes? I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587/44 "2012-12-04T21:02:11Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > In other words, what would we do if we took the hpothetical in the OP and stretched out the premises to unbelievably ridiculous extremes? I don’t know. The OP (a cure for cancer) is already an unbelievable extreme, though. A single “cure”? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587/45 "2012-12-04T21:42:44Z")
The way I see it: - If there’s a mitigating circumstance that prevents someone from being a threat to anyone who hasn’t gone out of their way to fuck him over, he should not be executed and I’m fine with releasing him at some point. - If there is doubt that he is guilty (basically anywhere between what is called “beyond a reasonable doubt” and “we captured him running away with the murder weapon”), he should not be executed, but should not be released until his guilt falls below that “beyond a reasonable doubt” threshold. - If he’s more useful to you alive than dead, he should not be executed, but should not be released. - If none of these apply, go ahead and kill him. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > What if a guy does a Timothy McVeigh by setting off a huge bomb next to a crowded office building and walking away, killing over 5,000 people. While on death row, he finds a drug that puts everyone in perfect physical and mental health with no side effects. > > What then? Either execute him or put him to work in prison. Freedom is unacceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587/46 "2012-12-04T21:52:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The OP (a cure for cancer) is already an unbelievable extreme, though. A single “cure”? You work with the hypothetical you get. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587/47 "2012-12-04T22:05:52Z")
There’s no quandary at all. Capital punishment is wrong, always and everywhere. He lives even if he DOESN’T cure cancer. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587/48 "2012-12-04T22:33:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You work with the hypothetical you get. And dance with the bitch ya brought. (Someone told me that once) ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587/49 "2012-12-05T14:08:36Z")
What would happen? - He would die. Political pressure. What would I do? Pardon him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quandry-death-row-inmate-cures-cancer-should-he-still-die/642587.md?page=2)