Prisoners on Death Row Should Be Accepted as Organ Donors

Abstract

Ten years ago, Christian Longo had been deeply enmeshed in a career of minor crimes and crushing financial burdens that had led to bankruptcy. He saw only one way out: relieving his family, his wife Mary Jane and their three children, of their dependency on him. He strangled Mary Jane and 2-year old daughter Madison, put them into suitcases and threw them into Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon. He stuffed his 3-year old daughter Sadie and 4-year old son Zachery into pillow cases, weighted them down with rocks, and threw them, still alive, into a nearby pond where they drowned. His crime was discovered when Zachery's body floated to the surface of the pond. He was placed on the FBI's 10 most wanted list, was found two years later living with his girlfriend in Cancun, Mexico, and was arrested, brought back to Oregon, put on trial, found guilty on four counts of murder, and sentenced to death. Several months ago, he wrote an editorial that was published in the New York Times: “Giving life after death row.”1 The editorial began with these words: “Eight years ago I was sentenced to death for the murders of my wife and three children. I am guilty. I once thought that I could fool others into believing this was not true. Failing that, I tried to convince myself that it didn't matter. But gradually, the enormity of what I did seeped in; that was followed by remorse and then a wish to make amends.” He continued: “There is no way to atone for my crimes, but I believe that a profound benefit to society can come from my circumstances. I have asked to end my remaining appeals, and then donate my organs after my execution to those who need them.” He went on to say, “And yet, the prison authority's response to my latest appeal to donate was this: `The interests of the public and condemned inmates are best served by denying the petition.'” Longo claimed that half of the other inmates on death row wanted to do the same and that there was no valid reason to prohibit them from donating. The question of who was right, the condemned prisoner or the prison parole board., was debated at the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association Annual Meeting in November 2011. by Dr. Shu Lin, who sided with the prisoner, and Dr. Jay Pal on the side of the parole Board.