Westley Dodd was a serial killer who would be executed by the State of Washington for the murders of three young boys
According to court documents Westley Dodd was arrested repeatedly for exposing himself to young children, attempting to abduct two boys and for sexual molestation
The last time Westley Dodd was released from custody he would take his sexual behaviors to the next level when he would convince two brothers: Cole and William Neer, to go with him into the woods. The ten and eleven year old boys would be tied to a tree, molested than repeatedly stabbed.
A month later Westley Dodd would bring a four year old boy, Lee Iseli, to Oregon where the little boy would be molested for days before he was murdered
Westley Dodd would attempt to abduct a six year old boy however the child would scream and soon after Dodd would be arrested
Westley Dodd would be convicted and sentenced to death
Westley Dodd would refuse to appeal his death sentence saying that he could never be cured. On January 5, 1993 Dodd was executed by hanging
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Westley Dodd FAQ
When Was Westley Dodd Executed
Westley Allen Dodd was executed on January 5, 1993
How Was Westley Dodd Executed
Westley Allen Dodd was executed by hanging
Westley Dodd Case
In the fall of 1989, in Vancouver, Washington, a short, 29-year-old man named Westley Dodd raped and murdered three young boys. The boys were brothers Cole and William Neer, ages 10 and 11, and 4-year-old Lee Iseli.
A few weeks later, police arrested Westley at a movie theater after he tried and failed to abduct another boy. He quickly confessed to the three murders. The prosecution sought the death penalty, and Dodd pled guilty.
Death penalty cases take a long time due to all the appeals built into the process. These appeals are designed to make sure the state hasn’t made any mistakes in the death sentence. They check for things such as juror misconduct, incompetent defense lawyers, new evidence. Death penalty cases take years, sometimes decades.
Westley Allan Dodd did not want that. Instead, he wanted to be executed as quickly as possible.
In letters to the Supreme Court of Washington, Dodd urged the court to allow him to waive his right to appeal his death sentence. He believed he deserved to die for what he did, and wanted it done as soon as possible.
Dodd was what’s known as a “volunteer” — someone who gives up their rights in order to hasten their own execution. The Death Penalty Information Center cites about 150 cases of “volunteers” in the United States
Dodd’s case sparked debate both among people who supported and opposed the death penalty. Some argued he had the right to choose whether the court would review the validity of his death sentence. Others argued that the law ensures that all defendants have due process whether they want it or not.
In the meantime, Westley Allen Dodd continued to advocate for his own execution in interviews and in exchanges with his pen pals. He said he felt remorseful, and even wrote a self-defense booklet for kids to learn how to stay safe from men like him. The booklet was called “When You Meet A Stranger.”
The debate made its way to the Washington Supreme Court. In a 7-2 ruling, they decided that Dodd did, in fact, have the right to waive his remaining appeals. After just three years on death row (five years shorter than the national average at that time), the State of Washington hanged Westley Dodd.
In this story, Bethany Denton interviews Dodd’s former attorney Gilbert Levy and defense attorney Jeff Ellis, who was a young lawyer during the time of the Dodd trial. Bethany also talks to Becky Price, who was one of the recipients of Dodd’s pamphlet “When You Meet A Stranger.”
https://www.knkx.org/post/man-admitted-murder-and-volunteered-die-executing-him-wasnt-simple
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