The Countertop Chronicles

Seriously

Before he died Wednesday evening, death row inmate Dale Leo Bishop apologized to his victim’s family, thanked America and urged people to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

“For those who oppose the death penalty and want to see it end, our best bet is to vote for Barack Obama because his supporters have been working behind the scenes to end this practice,” Bishop said.

Nice guy, huh??

A Lee County jury convicted Bishop in 2000 of participating in the murder of Marcus Gentry, who was beaten to death in December 1998 with a claw hammer. His body was found along a logging road near Saltillo.

Gentry’s mother, Kathy Gentry, and uncle, Gerald Gentry, witnessed the execution. They did not speak to the media, but a victim’s advocate read a written statement from them.

“We had to relive all the memories and emotions from that December,” part of the statement said. “The pain and loss that this man helped put on us will never be forgotten. We lost Mark not by chance but by the choice of two ungodly men.”

On the night Gentry was killed, he, Johnson, Bishop and Ricky Myhand had been riding around and drinking beer. An argument began after Johnson accused Gentry of getting Johnson’s brother in trouble with the law.

Johnson hit Gentry over the head with a hammer, and Bishop grabbed him in a headlock and hit him, according to testimony. When Gentry jumped from the car and fled, Bishop ran after him and took him back to the car, where he was hit and kicked numerous times. Bishop acknowledged holding Gentry while Johnson struck him.

Myhand reported the killing to police. He was not charge