Two Missouri Democrats urged his state’s governor, Mike Parson (R), to stop the execution of a convicted veteran in a letter dated Friday.
“We write today to urgently ask that you halt the execution of David Hosier scheduled for June 11, 2024,” says the letter from Missouri Democratic Reps. Cori Bush and Emanuel Cleaver.
“As legislators, we are committed to building a Missouri that is a beacon of justice, and we strive daily to represent the needs and demands of Missourians across the state,” the letter continues. “We strongly urge that Mr. Hosier’s request for clemency be granted immediately.”
According to the Associated Press, Hosier will be sentenced to death next week for the 2009 murder of Angela and Rodney Gilpin. His lawyer also said he was recently diagnosed with heart failure, and his sister said he lives with atrial fibrillation, resulting in irregular heartbeats.
“Mr. Hosier is a 69-year-old veteran of the United States Navy and a former paramedic and firefighter with the Jefferson City Fire Department,” the letter from the two representatives reads. “When he was just 16 years old, his father, Sgt. -Detective Glen Hosier, was shot in the line of duty. This tragic loss left an indelible mark on Mr. Hosier, who never had the opportunity to say goodbye to his father.”
“After this, he was repeatedly failed by the lack of institutionalized support for mental health resources for those who lost loved ones in the line of duty,” Bush and Cleaver continued. “He was diagnosed by clinical psychologists with Major Depressive Disorder, which doctors linked to his impaired ability to cope with adverse situations. All of these symptoms are consistent with someone who suffered trauma at a young age and was not treated appropriately.”
Hosier has always maintained his innocence, but there is significant circumstantial evidence that suggests his guilt, the AP notes.
The Hill reached out to Parson’s office.
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