DELAWARE- Representatives Timothy Dukes and Danny Short have announced that they plan to introduce legislation in the new year that would reinstate the death penalty for anyone convicted of the murder of a person of law enforcement or a public safety officer.
The bill "Law Enforcement and First Responders Protection Act" follows this week's conviction of Randon Wilkerson to life-in-prison for having murdered Corporal Keith Heacook in April 2021.
This legislation would be focused on addressing the constitutional issues cited by the High Court in order to restore the current capital punishment law and to reserve the death penalty for only murders committed under the following aggravating circumstance: killing a police officer or public safety official.
Rep. Dukes said, "Corporal Heacook didn't die in vain, and we continue to address this issue, hoping to bring it to the House floor for legislators to make that decision."
In 2016, the Delaware Supreme Court struck down Delaware’s capital punishment statute. Legislative session begins again in January.
