Iowa’s four Catholic bishops are asking President Trump to cancel the July 17th execution of an Iowan found guilty of killing five people, including two children.
Dustin Honken, who was originally from Britt, was convicted in 2004 of murdering a family in a rural area outside of Mason City in 1993. Authorities say Honken was a meth kingpin at the time and the man he murdered was another drug dealer who had become an informant.
Honken shot the man, his wife, and two children in the head.
The state’s four Catholic bishops are asking President Trump to commute Honken’s sentence to life in prison.
The bishops say they believe capital punishment perpetuates a cycle of violence and contributes to a growing disrespect for the sacredness of all human life.