eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Twitter He worked for Holland Construction in Forest City and later drove a semi for Schmidt Trucking of Britt. While the rest of the prison put everything on hold, officials prepped Leesentenced to death for killing Muellers father, his wife and her daughterfor the lethal injection, using some specially purchased medical supplies. Upon learning that she had been tricked, Johnson attempted to hang herself. A $6,300 Bus. A $33 Last Meal. What New Documents Tell Us About Trump's After several minutes his breathing became more labored. However, the plot was discovered and stopped by guards. [6][10] Honken's defense presented testimony from his family, and pointed to his age and lack of prior violent convictions as mitigating factors. He claimed he had nothing to do with the 1993 disappearances. Nearly three decades after Honken coldly ended the lives of five people all in an effort to protect himself and his criminal enterprise, he has finally faced justice, Kupec said. After inadvertently learning that Nicholson had turned states witness, Honken and Johnson set out to find him and force him to recant his statements. Dustin Honken was convicted of killing a family . The spending records from July and August offer glimpses of not only the cost but the logistics of how the government puts prisoners to death. The drapes were drawn, and cars near the house were parked chaotically, which was uncharacteristic of her daughter. Other security measures included fitting Honken with a stun belt under his clothes to prevent him from trying to escape. [3] His father, Jim Honken, was an alcoholic schemer who was allegedly neglectful. [8], Cutkomp decided to become an informant. She said goodbye to her friends in the evening. However, Cobeen became a police informant. At the time of his death, Honken had served more than 22 years in an Indiana prison. ", "The reason for us being present today was not to watch a man die. But he soon startedselling marijuana and cocaine anddecided to become both a drug manufacturer and a dealer with his knowledge of chemistry. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The EKG would probably be to tell when hes died. He later said that he had initially planned to become a pharmaceutical lawyer. Two others were also put to death during the week after a hiatus of nearly 20 years, including Wesley Purkey. As the investigation into Honken continued, he killed another drug dealer working with him, Terry DeGeus, beating him with a bat and shooting him. As part of an agreement, she agreed to drop all of her appeals. ET Friday. [7] Johnson told Honken that DeGeus was personally using too much meth which was supposed to be sold, and that they should deal with each other instead. Yet Donoghue, of the Sisters of Providence just outside Terre Haute, said she was startled by how calm Honken sounded over the phone. Referring to the 1993 disappearances, Bennett said that while the government had made a compelling case for Honken likely being responsible, his view was that if the government believed Honken was a murderer, they should charge him with murder. Honken was involved in the manufacturing of methamphetamine, and one of his dealers was set to testify against him, so Honken and Johnson murdered him . [25][26], Ron McIntosh said Honken told him he killed the children since they "wouldn't be quiet, or wouldn't shut up." And there are some potentially larger expenses, like whatever might be included in the 28 pages of records officials admitted to withholding. Iowa killer Dustin Lee Honken faces execution | The Gazette Their primary target that day was Lori Duncans then-boyfriend, Greg Nicholson, who also lived at the home and was also killed. After finishing a year of community college chemistry classes with an A-minus, Honken, decided to become both a drug manufacturer and a dealer using what he had learned. While he did not offer an apology to his victims' families, his attorney, Shawn Nolan, said the former drug ring leader had repented for his crimes. In 1963, Victor Feguer, who kidnapped and killed a Dubuque doctor, was executed by hanging at the Iowa State Penitentiary. ga('ads.send', { eventAction: 'click_ads' His lawyers pointed to the lack of physical evidence linking him to the murders. She and Dustin were charged with the murders in 2001, with the latter being convicted of all 17 counts against him, including five counts of murder, on October 14, 2004. While studying legal documents, Dustin learned Greg had become an informant after being caught with almost 150 grams of pure meth inside his apartment. Dustin Honken, 52, would become the first defendant in an Iowa case to be put to death since 1963 if he is executed as scheduled on Friday. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. On July 17, 2020, Honken was executed by lethal injection. I deeply regret the pain I caused to my daughter, who I love so very much. No state would commit the resources I did to the defense of a death It further cemented the idea that Lori and her children might have planned for a hasty getaway. is a staff writer whose book, "Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty," won the 2019 J. Anthony Lukas Work-In-Progress Book Award. [27], During cross-examination, a defense attorney questioned why someone like Honken would confide in "a couple of crackheads who steal hogs" for a living. More: Timeline of events in the infamous 1993 Iowa murders. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. He compared the feeling of killing someone to a football game, saying, "Once you go a certain distance, there ain't no turning back. DeGeus body was found a few miles from the wooded area. Honken took the adults out of the car, walked them into the woods, and executed them in front of a pre-dug shallow grave. let gads_event; [5] On November 20, 2019, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan issued a preliminary injunction preventing the resumption of federal executions. Daniel Lewis Lee, a white supremacist who killed a three-person family that includedan 8-year-old girl, and Wesley Ira Purkey, who raped, murdered, dismembered and dumped the body of a 16-year-old girl in a septic pond, were put to death Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. Department of Justice spokesperson Kerri Kupec said ending Honken's life was the culmination of "just punishment" being carried out. Prosecutors said she deserved to die since she willingly participated in the murder of children and lacked remorse. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), His execution is fast approaching and he is scheduled to die on July 17th at a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. 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On October 27, 2004, jurors recommended life sentences for Honken for killing the adult victims and death sentences for killing the children. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of [] Never dream about it. Her memoir, "Corrections in Ink", came out in June 2022. The agency refused to answer any questions about the money, procedures or details of what happened. Honken had physically and verbally abused his sister, Alyssa. [7], During Honken's capital murder trial, his mitigation expert, Lisa Rickert, wrote to his lawyers that not only had she struggled to find any possible mitigation, what she discovered only further cast Honken in a negative light. Meth didnt enter the picture until 1991, after he had completed a year of community college chemistry, earning an A- average. Reach her at [email protected] or 515-284-8360. Dustin Lee Honken (1968-2020) - Find a Grave Memorial Upon appeal, Angela Johnson's death sentence was reduced to life in prison. Terry Scott DeGeus was born to Edward and JoAnn DeGeus in Charles City in Floyd County, Iowa, on November 19, 1960. [7], Honken said he planned to plead guilty, and a hearing was scheduled for July 30, 1993. [7] During Johnson's trial, it was revealed that she had been molested as a child. "Their mother never got to see them having a first dance, first date or walk down the aisle at their wedding," the statement read. [7][19], Honken was charged with the murders in 2001. pg.acq.push(function() { Honkens mother, brother and college-age daughter visited him in prison in recent days, she said. Using this evidence, and testimony from a collection of prisoners Honken told in not-so-subtle terms that he killed a handful of people in 1993, prosecutors brought murder charges against the former underworld honcho. Dustin Lee Honken was born in Britt, Iowa, on March 22, 1968, and suffered from an abusive childhood. His time of death was marked at 3:36 p.m.Central Daylight Time. Dustin Lee Honken was born in Britt, Iowa, on March 22, 1968, and suffered from an abusive childhood. While awaiting trial, she met Robert Gene McNeese, a career criminal and informant who was serving a life sentence. Dustin Honken is up for execution for the murder of five . When I get out, he's still dead." Iowa meth kingpin is 3rd executed by US government this week - WUSA In 1986, Honken schemed to kill one of his accomplices after stealing a car. He turned increasingly ashen as blood drained from his face and hands. In Lewis Lees case, his victims family had requested his sentencebe reduced to life in prison; in Purkeys, his lawyers asserted that dementia and schizophrenia meant he was not competent to be executed. Investigators were sure Honken was involved with the earlier missing people;the coincidences were too great, but they were no closer to finding the bodies. Honken would become the first defendant from Iowa to die from capital punishment since 1963 if his lethal injection takes place as scheduled on Friday, July 17, 2020 in Terre Haute, Ind. I will be in touch shortly. He had worn a wire, recorded him making drug deals, and handed the recordings to the authorities in exchange for a lenient prison term. An Iowa drug kingpin was executed in Indiana on Friday, marking the third person to be killed on the death penalty in the United States this week. A review of the expenses for five executions in July and Augustincluding at least $9,376 for plane tickets and rental vans, more than $25,000 for kosher food and roughly $6,590 for tentspaints a stark and intimate picture of the practicalities of death, shedding light on a secretive process typically hidden from the public and shielded under law. These are the stories that you need to know about capital punishment's past, as well as its uncertain future. hide caption. Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty. Circuit vacated District Judge Chutkan's injunction in a per curiam decision. I realize I am here because of my own actions. Purkey, a 68-year-old on death row for rape and murders in 1998, was executed on Thursday, July 16, by lethal injection as the Trump administration carried out its second federal execution. Upon learning that Nicholson had disappeared, the government turned to Honken's former dealer, DeGeus. Alyssa was unable to breathe and was scared that her brother would kill her, but he stopped, apologized, and started crying when he realized what he had done. In recent days, prison authorities permitted Honken to make his last calls to family and friends, according to Sister Betty Donoghue, a Catholic nun whom he called Wednesday. [3] Johnson was also sentenced to death, the first woman sentenced to death by a United States federal jury since the 1950s, but the sentence was overturned in 2012,[5] and she was resentenced to life without parole in 2014. Dustin Honken third person executed by federal government this week On another occasion, Honken tried to drown Alyssa in a hotel pool. Dustin Lee Honken | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers [7], In March 1993, Honken and Cutkomp were arrested on federal drug trafficking charges. After a court found that Honken posed an extreme security risk due to his history of escape attempts and threatening witnesses, he was ordered to wear a stun belt and be shackled and bolted to the floor during his trial. During that first execution and those that followed, the prisoners ate sack lunches and box meals after the mess hall closed for the lockdown. Here's why it probably isn't coming back. [21], While in prison, Honken made plans to escape, and then murder witnesses, law enforcement officers, and the federal prosecutor. Dustin Honken, an Iowa meth kingpin who kidnapped and killed five people to thwart his prosecution for drug trafficking in . [19], In 2000, Johnson's friend, Christi Gaubatz, decided to talk to the police. In addition, they discovered a note addressed to the neighbor, stating, Phyllis, we had to leave on short notice. They sentenced him to death specifically for the brutality and senselessness of the childrens killings. Since many of the other witnesses didnt live close enough to drive, they flew in, and the bureau spent more than $4,310 on plane tickets for July and August. Dustin Honken, 52, who prosecutors said killed key witnesses to stop them from testifying in his drugs case, received a lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. However, under federal law, he was bound to the jury's verdict. [24] Tokars testified that Honken described strangling Lori Duncan and Greg Nicholson, and killed the children since "they could have been witnesses." },false) [35], On July 25, 2019, United States Attorney General William Barr announced that the moratorium on federal executions would be lifted after approving the use of the single drug pentobarbital for federal executions. "[8] When Cutkomp asked Honken if killing people bothered him, he replied "Nope. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Dustin Honken, 52, who prosecutors said killed key witnesses to stop them from testifying in his drugs case, received a lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Terry was lying face down in a shallow hole with a severely fragmented skull, having been shot one or more times. As a result, Honken and Johnson were federally charged with all five murders. Authorities had found almost 150 grams of pure meth in Nicholson's house, and he'd agreed to become an informant in exchange for leniency. In 1990, Honken raped and threatened his girlfriend. Without any witnesses, the government was forced to drop its case against Honken. Donations from readers like you are essential to sustaining this work. Dustin Honken, 52, who prosecutors said killed key witnesses to stop them from testifying in his drugs case, received a lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. The government paid for snacks, drinks and pizza. The two-night hotel stay cost around $200, and the tab was picked up by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Later, after learning DeGeus also agreed to cooperate with authorities, Johnson tricked him into taking her to a vacant farm where Honken beat and killed him. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. is a former staff writer whose work focuses on prisons and jails. The man they killed today could have spent the rest of his days helping others and further redeeming himself., In a statement, Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec said just punishment has been carried out.. Honken had earlier informed the judge in his drug case that he would plead guilty at the end of July. Her lawyer said she was extremely relieved and grateful upon hearing of the decision. Dustin switched to methamphetamine, enlisting the help of his best friend, Tim Cutkomp, and moved to Arizona to set up his drug empire. Honken an Iowa meth kingpin who kidnapped and killed five people, including two young girls, to thwart his prosecution for drug trafficking in 1993 is set to become the third federal inmate to be executed this week. Prisoner Keith Nelson's execution is set to take place on August 28.] A second bank robbery would land himin prison, where he would regale his frequently visiting sons with tales of his criminal exploits. Inmate on death row may know secrets about Jodi Huisentruit case - WXOW window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { But his lawyer, Shawn Nolan, countered, saying that Honken had been "redeemed" and that he "recognized and repented for the crimes he had committed. And there are some potentially larger expenses, like whatever might be included in the 28 pages of records officials admitted to withholding. [1], In April 2020, a divided panel of the D.C. Iowa meth kingpin is 3rd executed by US government this week "He recognized and repented for the crimes he had committed, and spent his time in prison atoning for them," Nolan said in a statement. Over the years he grew incredibly close to his family, becoming a true father, son, brother and friend. Honken had a notably healthy relationship with his mother, who he described as perfect. gads_event = event; During the summer of 2020, Dustin Honken eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Honken conspired with another inmate to escape from jail by breaking a hole in the wall of his cell and having Johnson deliver a hacksaw and a rope. [28], In 2005, Johnson was found guilty of five counts of murder in furtherance of a continuing criminal enterprise. With no witnesses, the government dropped their drug case in 1995 and Honken went back to making meth. [8] On July 24, 1993, Johnson pretended to be a lost saleswoman to get into Nicholson's home, where she and Honken bound him and forced him to record a statement claiming that Honken was innocent. The execution of Dustin Lee Honken proceeded without any last-minute delays, unlike those of the two other federal inmates who had been put to death in previous days. Around seven years later, the police found the Duncan family and Gregs bodies buried in a single hole, which was located in a wooded area outside Mason City in 2000. I had just returned to my cell from a hospital stay when I first learned that Lee, and three othersWesley Purkey, Dustin Honken and Keith Nelson had been given execution dates. Investigation Discoverys Murder in the Heartland: Invitation To Be Killed chronicles how a meth kingpin, Dustin Lee Honken, killed two informants and their loved ones to prevent them from testifying against him in his federal drug trial.