European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 16, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes wednesday March in 1988 pcs Den executed in Florida after vowing his innocence Starke. Fla. A convicted murderer Willie Jasper Darden who maintained his innocence through 14 years on death Row and became the focus of a International debate on capital punishment was executed Tuc Day in Florida s elect no chair. Darden 54, Wai convicted of fatally shooting Lake land businessman James c. Turman while robbing hit wife of $15 in september 1973. "1 was not guilty for the charge for which 1 was arrested and thu morning 1 Tell you i am not guilty of the charge for which i am about to be executed Dar Den said in a final statement to 30 witnesses in the death chamber. I go this morning with a Clear conscience. I Bear no guilt. I m it peace with myself with the world with each of you. God Bleu you. Darden winked and nodded at one of hit attorney sin the from raw just before the Hood was put Over his head. He was declared dead at 7 12 . After 2,000volts of electricity rowed through his body for two minutes. Two puffs of smoke Rose from Hli right leg where one of the electrodes was attached. Darden s Case had attracted worldwide attention including pleas for clemency from soviet human rights activist and Nobel peace prize Winner Andrei Sasha Rov. Activists said Darden was railroaded because he was Black and the victim was White. Earlier tuesday Wayne Robert Feodr was execute Din Louisiana s electric chair for the 1978 murder of a policeman. It was the first time to inmates have been execute the same Day in the United slates since aug. 28, when three murderers were put to death in Florida Ala Bama and Utah. Darden refused his last meal tuesday morning said prison spokesman Bob mama scr by 6 ., Darden had showered and his Bead and lower right leg were shaved to facilitate he flow of electricity the spokes Man said. On monday the u a. Supreme court the 11 the  court of appeals a Federal judge and the state supreme court rejected Darden s an Erik his last Hope was a reprieve from gov Bob Marti Nez who signed Darden s seventh Black bordered death warrant last week and said monday he had no plans to Issue a stay. I think of the victim at a moment like this and the archly which was destroyed Martinez said. A hideous murder took place and that s what i keep i mind. Just because it s is years later that does t re Duce a crime thai was committed at the  Early tuesday about 40 people gathered in a co pasture across from tie Florida state prison to protest inc execution. The opponents maintained silence after 7 . While inc execution took place then began singing we shall  i think it s Long overdue. He did ii to himself. I just thinking right now t want some peace of mind it s been a Long time and i m glad it s finally Over said Turman s widow Helen Turman Baum minutes after the execution. Bum who has remarried since the shooting earlier told us Clamp radio station Vyonne she had no doubts Willie Darden a interviewed on Abc to Monavis. About pan Len guilt. " think it was All very fair and Darden was the on who did it. I was in the More alone with him for a Long time before Jim came in and was shot the said. His Darden Al face is still impressed in the Back of my memory. I can t get it out a neighbor Philip Arnold also identified Dar enduring the trial. Arnold then 16, entered the store after apparently hearing the shooting and the woman Schnei. He was shot three limn but survived. Darden s 14 year on Florida death Row is the second longest of such imprisonment and he became he i blah person executed in the stale and inc 96thexecuted in the nation since the supreme court re stored capital punishment in 1976.death Penally opponent led by amnesty International have said Darden had an Alibi to prove his innocence. They claim there is evidence statements from a minister and a woman that Darden  have committed the murder. In Sweden about a dozen people demonstrate monday outside the . Embassy in Stockholm urging Florida to commute Darden t death  rejected appeals on etude its behalf by Sakharov democratic presidential candidate Jess Jackson and actress Saijol Kidder. Ray m Cdaniel who prosecuted Darden for the tur Man killing said Friday there ii no question he is  than gov. Bab Graham signed Darden t first death warrant in 1979 on the same Day he signed a warrant for John spin Clink the isl Man electrocuted in Flor Ida after the state returned the death Penally. Darden was Bora in Snow Hill ., the second of four children. He graduated from High school in Green county , i conviction record dated to 1964 an included breaking and entering and attempted rape. Stateside . Crime Levels stable for third straight year Washington a some 34.4 million crimes were committed in the United slates in 1987, the third straight year or stable crime level according to a government Survey since 1980, violent Crim i have fallen front33 per 1,000 us residents id 28, theft from 113 to 61 per 1,000. And household crime from 227to 168, the Bureau of Justice statistics uld in i report. Crime level Overall Rose a statistically insignificant 0.9 percent Uit year from 34.1 million in 1986. Total crime has remained stable during thelast three Yean and remain at a 14-year Low according to bus director Stephen Schlesinger. Kangaroo has surgery to remove a Cataract los Angeles