Tanna Kinnaman/DN
Troy Stolp, from Council Bluffs, Iowa, shows his opposition to the death penalty in a peaceful
demonstration outside the Nebraska State Penitentiary Tuesday night.
Anger and anguish
Only hours after John Joubert professed his acceptance of his fate,
demonstrators outside the prison expressed their own feelings
By Mike Kluck
Staff Writer
It was tough for Marianna Ashey to
determine what was more sickening as she
stood outside the Nebraska State Penitentiary
late Tuesday night — the murderer inside or
the crowd outside.
Inside the penitentiary, convicted child
killer John Joubert was being prepared for his
execution set for early Wednesday morning,
while 20 yards away from Ashey, people were
chanting “fry him.”
“They’re celebrating a killing,” said
Ashey, a member of Nebraskans Against the
Death Penalty. “I wanted to be here to show
that not everyone favors the death penalty
and not everyone thinks John Joubert should
be killed.”
As the chants continued, Ashey passed
out songsheets to the crowd of more than 150
people gathered to oppose the death penalty.
On the front side of the sheet were five
songs, while on the back side were sugges
tions for good conduct.
Some of the suggestions included main
taining a respectful, prayerful, dignified
demeanor at all times; avoiding verbal and
physical confrontations; and treating
opponents and police with respect.
But as the group began singing “We Shall
Overcome,” the pro-death penalty side, which
numbered more than 600, also began singing:
“Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, he’ll
fry”
However, Vicki Edwards of Lincoln, who
was one of die first death penalty supporters
to arrive at the penitentiary after 10 p.m.,
wasn’t singing.
Edwards, who was leaning against the
fence facing the penitentiary and away from
the chanting group, said she wanted to be at
the penitentiary to support the death penalty.
I wanted to be here to see justice
served...finally!” Edwards said. “Anytime a
human being dies it’s saddening, but for
justice, the criminals have to know they are
going to pay for the crime they commit.”
But Edwards was drowned out as a roar
went up from the pro-death penalty crowd.
James Protaskey of Bellevue unveiled his
sign on a sheet which won the approval of
the crowd: “Mr. Owl, how many volts does it
take to make the center of Joubert Pop? Let’s
Find Out 1-2-3... 3.”
Protaskey said he nee ded to be at the
penitentiary and be present for the execution
of Joubert.
Joubert was stationed at Offutt Air Force
Base in Bellevue in 1983 when he murdered
two Sarpy County boys.
“A lot of our neighbors lived in fear in
1983 because of Joubert,” Protaskey said.
“This is the beginning to the healing, but we
will never be totally healed. Bellevue will
always have a scar from this episode. This
will not be a finality but at least justice will be
served.”
Protaskey’s friend Lem Lampkins, also of
Bellevue, was a security guard at Offutt in
1983. Lampkins said many of the anti-death
penalty supporters would support the death
penalty if they saw the pictures of the boys
Joubert murdered.
“This has been way too long in coming,”
Lampkins said. “I can’t put into words what
I’m feeling right now.”
Betina Schuchardt of Hanover, Germany,
also had a tough time expressing her feelings
at the execution. Schuchardt, a graduate
student in history at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, said the scene at the
prison was “very strange.”
Schuchardt, an anti-death penalty sup
porter, said it was difficult to understand why
a civilized country like the United States had
such an uncivilized manner of punishment.
Germany doesn’t have a death penalty.
“I owed this to myself to come out here
and stand to my political opinion,”
Schuchardt said. “This is also a part of
history and something I’m interested in.”
As midnight approached, the anti-death
penalty crowd turned from singing to silent
meditation, while the pro-death penalty crowd
became restless and started chanting, “we’ll
dig the grave.”
At least three different times throughout
the night, water cups were thrown into the
anti-death penalty crowd, while smoke-bombs
and fireworks from the pro-death penalty side
were thrown into the area separating the two
groups.
Nebraska State Patrol Captain Arlan
Anderson said Wednesday that two arrests
were made throughout the evening, with one
involving a pro-death penalty supporter who
ran into the anti-death penalty crowd at about
12:15a.m.
After words were exchanged between the
man and the group, state patrol officers
quickly escorted the man into a pickup and
drove him away.
Lisa Pepin, a senior at Lincoln East High
School, said the scene at the prison was
“twisted” and made her sick to her stomach.
“I don’t agree with this,” Pepin said. “This
isn’t any way to have justice.”
Ron Merrill of Lincoln said the actions of
the pro-death penalty side were ironic.
“They (death penalty proponents) say
they are against violence, but here they are
trying to incite it,” Merrill said. “This is a
tough night and we can’t forget the children
John Joubert killed or their families. But I
don’t believe we should judge. It should be
up to God to decide.”
Please see ANGER on 9
Mami Speck/DN
Charlie Blessing wears these specially
made license plates to show his support
for the death of Joubert.