An eyewitness account of Utah's firing-squad execution

By Ron Franscell

Nate Carlisle, a Salt Lake Tribune reporter, was one of the witnesses to the firing-squad execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner in Utah early this morning. His clear, unadorned account of the condemned killer's last moments is not just a piece of good reporting, but also a historic record. His story is neither lurid nor graphic, although he is describing a man's death.

Journalist Ron Franscell is the author of the upcoming DELIVERED FROM EVIL, an extraordinary study of 10 survivors of American mass murderers and serial killers. It will be released in January.