Louisiana Attorney General Seeks to Reinstate Death Sentence for Teenage Killer

Strategic Insights -

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has announced her intention to reinstate the death sentence for Dale Dwayne Craig, a convicted killer who murdered an 18-year-old student at Louisiana State University in 1992. Craig was one week shy of his 18th birthday at the time of the crime. The case is notable for its connection to the landmark Supreme Court decision Roper v. Simmons, which prohibited the execution of individuals who were under the age of 18 at the time of their crime.

Key Takeaways:

  • Dale Dwayne Craig murdered Kipp E. Gullett, an 18-year-old freshman at Louisiana State University, in 1992, when Craig was one week shy of his 18th birthday.
  • The jury found Craig guilty of first-degree murder and unanimously recommended the death sentence, which was imposed by the district judge in 1994.
  • The Supreme Court decision in Roper v. Simmons prohibits the execution of individuals who were under the age of 18 at the time of their crime, which Attorney General Liz Murrill has called "egregiously wrong."
  • Murrill will seek to overturn Roper at the United States Supreme Court in order to reinstate Craig's death sentence.
  • The motion to reinstate the death sentence notes that current Supreme Court precedent requires the court to deny the motion, but the state is submitting it "for preservation purposes only."
  • The crime involved carjacking, kidnapping, terrorizing, pistol-whipping, and shooting the victim in the head.

Statistics:

  • 1992: The year in which Dale Dwayne Craig murdered Kipp E. Gullett.
  • 18: The age of Kipp E. Gullett at the time of his murder.
  • 18: The age at which Dale Dwayne Craig was, one week shy of, at the time of the crime.
  • 1994: The year in which Craig was found guilty of first-degree murder and received the death sentence.

Sources:

  • "Attorney General Liz Murrill moves to reinstate death sentence for convicted killer who was one week shy of 18th birthday when crime took place" (LA Attorney General's Office)
  • Original text: "https://www.ag.state.la.us/Article/330"