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About a dozen people gathered in the rotunda of the state capitol at noon today to call for an end to executions. Yesterday, Richard Henyard became the 65th person executed by the state since executions resumed in 1979. Henyard was convicted of kidnaping and killing two young girls after raping their mother and leaving her for dead. Sheila Hopkins of the Florida Catholic Conference says modern penal facilities offer an alternative to death.

“What we are hoping is that people will understand is that this execution is not going to solve the problem…as the victims husband testified. This does not bring her daughters back. What we are saying is lets get rid of executions, have a moratorium, keep people in prison for the rest of their lives. That is punishment, and that is justice”, says Hopkins.

After yesterday’s execution, there are still 387 people on Florida’s death row.