http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070707/NEWSREC0101/70707004/1005/NEWSREC0101

James Donald King is calling for a new trial, arguing in part that his lawyers provided ineffective assistance during the penalty phase of his 1998 trial. He also argues that the FBI provided faulty forensic evidence. In 1998, he was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1988 murder of his second wife, Gloria Underwood King.

Gloria's murder took place five years after James Donald King was paroled after serving time for the 1967 murder of his first wife, Shirley King. He had served a total of six and a half years in prison for that crime. That was because he escaped in 1971, and was re-captured in 1980. Then, he was paroled in 1983.

James Donald King was profiled on both UM and America's Most Wanted, and the article that I came across (which is at the link above) briefly mentions that fact. He was captured in 1997.

Here's another guy that doesn't deserve to see the light of day.

I actually had a dream not too long ago that he was living next door to me, and I turned him in. this would also fit under a thread crystaldawn started that asked 'have you ever dreamed about UM?' And the fact that I had this dream would probably fit under the thread "you know you're a UM fan if..."

What a total scumbag...he should have been executed long ago.

Well if there were problems with the case, the guy deserves a fair and impartial look and deserves a new trial if there were problems, regardless if he is a scumbag or not. Sounds like he is in poor health and will probably die before he is executed anyway.

In terms of execution, North Carolina has had problems with the death penalty which should be done away with, it eventually it will be. In terms of due process, everyone is entitled to it, especially on death row unless they choose to voluntarily end their appeals. However the guy has apperantly killed twice, so even if he gets a new trial, he will probably be convicted again.

If there were technical problems in his first trial in terms of bad lawyers, etc, the man deserves a new trial. 99 percent chance he would be convicted again. If an FBI expert lied, if that can be proven, a new trial is deserved, that is how our criminal justice system works in this country, everyone deserves a fair and impartial trial, scumbag or not. This point will not be popular but I am used to it.

Still alive according to this

http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi/viewoffendersummary.do?method=view&offenderID=0226428

Disappointing that this guy is still alive after all he has done.

Well if there were problems with the case, the guy deserves a fair and impartial look and deserves a new trial if there were problems, regardless if he is a scumbag or not. Sounds like he is in poor health and will probably die before he is executed anyway.

In terms of execution, North Carolina has had problems with the death penalty which should be done away with, it eventually it will be. In terms of due process, everyone is entitled to it, especially on death row unless they choose to voluntarily end their appeals. However the guy has apperantly killed twice, so even if he gets a new trial, he will probably be convicted again.

If there were technical problems in his first trial in terms of bad lawyers, etc, the man deserves a new trial. 99 percent chance he would be convicted again. If an FBI expert lied, if that can be proven, a new trial is deserved, that is how our criminal justice system works in this country, everyone deserves a fair and impartial trial, scumbag or not. This point will not be popular but I am used to it.

I agree w/ you Kadrmas. Our opinion is not a popular, but at least we belong to a group that respects our views. Everyone needs a fair trial, even the scumbags of the US bc if we start to pick and choose, our system breaks down. What is god forbid it's us on trial? When I bring up that point, most either stammer or shut up.

Did any of you get spooked when you saw his picture in that link a couple of posts ago? I sure did :)

Hey, nice to see you agree with me Mphs! Well, like I said, King would almost certainly be convicted again if he received a new trial. Executions have been halted in North Carolina now for over two years. The last execution there was in August of 2006. Executions have been halted due to botched executions, innocent people being executed and problems with the lethal injection procedure in North Carolina. King is a scumbag, he killed once, escaped, was on the run for 9 years, was paroled just 3 years after he was re-captured and had served a grand total of 7 years of a life sentence. Than he kills again and goes on the run for 10 years. King is in poor health and as I have said before, chances are more likely he will pass away from natural causes before he is executed.

Hey, nice to see you agree with me Mphs! Well, like I said, King would almost certainly be convicted again if he received a new trial. Executions have been halted in North Carolina now for over two years. The last execution there was in August of 2006. Executions have been halted due to botched executions, innocent people being executed and problems with the lethal injection procedure in North Carolina. King is a scumbag, he killed once, escaped, was on the run for 9 years, was paroled just 3 years after he was re-captured and had served a grand total of 7 years of a life sentence. Than he kills again and goes on the run for 10 years. King is in poor health and as I have said before, chances are more likely he will pass away from natural causes before he is executed.

I fully agree that all people deserve a fair trial, but this man clearly and convincingly killed three women, and he does NOT need to continue wasting tax dollars. I am sorry, but as much as I am against the death penalty, this is the LAST case that deserves to be reconsidered. In fact, King somehow got incredible luck when it came to the legal system: Paroled, escaped from prison, sentenced to six years for murder, and then killed again. Why in the hell would anyone argue that he deserves another trial???? In fact, I think that the treatment of King should prompt the NC legal system to reconsider their parole system entirely. Two women's lives could have been saved were it not for that stupid board. I am very surprised that UM posters would argue that he deserves another trial! :( Let's not forget that "new" trials only confirm what we already know (in this case) and cause the families to relive the horror and terror that he created for them. The fact that there is any time spent arguing this is mind boggling. I tend not to be argumentative on this forum, because I highly respect it, but this is absurd.

What, so let's give him a new trial, bring up the wounds of the family members, give King further publicity and a podium to speak, only so that he can be sentenced again (as you say he most def. will be)????? I don't pay income tax for this, I'm sorry.

In fact, I think that the treatment of King should prompt the NC legal system to reconsider their parole system entirely. Two women's lives could have been saved were it not for that stupid board.

I remember that one of King's former friends, who was interview on the show, said he believed the parole board was the main culprit in the death of King's second wife. Another interviewee acknowledged that he unsuccessfully tried to talk the parole board out of granting King parole because he knew that six and a half years in prison for first-degree murder wasn't enough.

Because the parole occurred back in 1983, this was obviously under the sentencing guidelines at the time. I would hope that North Carolina has since made changes to its parole system, so that paroling someone like King would be less likely to happen today.

By the way, this is old news, but James Donald King's request for a new trial was denied last year.

http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/08/01/article/judge_denies_new_trial_request_from_convicted_killer

Okay Matt, I will have to set you straight because you either misunderstood or took out of context what I was saying. First off, I was not saying King should automatically get a new trial nor was I rooting for him to get a new trial. I did say if the court system determined that he should get a new trial, I would not oppose it. For the courts to reverse this case, I would think there would have to be substantial legal issues. However do I want King to get a new trial? No. But if he was given one again would I be all put out? No. It is because court systems, despite what the general public tends to believe, in fact rarely overturns verdicts.

Basically all I was arguing was that IF there were legal problems, he deserved a new trial. I did not say that he should automatically get a new trial just for the sake of getting a new trial nor did I say I wanted him to get a new trial. However we do have an appeals process much to the dismay of many, we do have a system of laws, it is not perfect but it is all we got. So that is why I support the appeals system, is King innocent? No. I think everyone acknowledges that. However, the appeals system is based more on appellate issues from a legal standpoint and not from a guilt/innocence standpoint.

King was not sentenced to 6 years in prison. He was given a life sentence for the first murder. King actually pled guilty to the first degree murder of his first wife to avoid a death sentence, although I doubt he would have been executed anyway even if he had got death as the death sentences across the country were wiped out in 1972. Yes King did get incredibly lucky for some reason. Escaping from prison in 1971 and being on the run for 9 years and then getting re-captured only to be paroled two and a half years later. That was a mistake on the North Carolina Parole Board's part and if this case had happened today, I think the escape itself would have basically made it impossible to get him paroled or at least would have prevented his parole for a long time no matter how well he was behaved. But yes I am sure the North Carolina Parole Board was reformed dramatically after the whole King fiasco. But again, King was sentenced to life in prison but at that time you became eligible for parole after serving 5 or 6 years. So basically King got paroled on his first try which even back then was unusual for a life sentence inmate to get paroled on the first try.

Well Matt, all I will say is, your tax dollars go towards lots of stuff you do not like. So why pick out this one issue? Your tax dollars go towards running corrupt prosecutors office, paying corrupt prosecutors salaries, paying for inmates incarceration in addition to their appeals. Your tax dollars also go towards paying for their execution. It never ceases to amaze me how people on the one hand complain about their tax dollars but then on the other hand are all too eager to support cops and prosecutors who are supposed to do justice for ALL but in the end bungle cases and get tunnel vision. Mike Nifong anyone?

Basically, this is not meant to be personally mean against you. I get what you are trying to say but I think you misunderstood in some ways what I actually meant. I was just basically arguing that you cannot pick and choose who gets appeals and who does not. That is what I was arguing. No one was arguing that they wanted King to get a new trial. I was merely saying if there were legal issues and a court found them to be true than he is legally owed a new trial.

Kardarmas: I appreciated your reply. I did not mean to misunderstand what you said, and I def. didn't read you to mean that you were rooting for King to get a new trial. I am also a lawyer (I think you are based on your previous posts, but forgive me if I'm wrong). I understand the notion of the appeals process, and I agree that over-zealous prosecutors and cops bungle cases all the time. I had just watched the segment, and I am from Greensboro NC, where he killed the three women. I took an emotional stance in my posting, and I do apologize.

I recognize the need for trials to be fair and appeals processes to be exhausted. It just bothers me that the appeals process is often abused, for a variety of reasons (delaying tactic, etc), all of which I'm sure you're aware. More than anything, I worried that if King had gotten a new trial, he would have been given a platform to speak (something I'm sure a sociopath craves), and it makes victim's families relive the nightmare all over again.

I also agree that our tax dollars go to many things we don't agree with. I guess this whole case just pisses me off, because the parole board really screwed this one up (reminds me of Kenneth Duff), in that this two-time murderer should never have been given parole after a couple of years.

I was glad to find out that King's appeal was denied, and I absolutely realize that convictions are rarely overturned.

Thanks for your post, and I didn't take it personally... That's what this is all about: Good discussion.

Did any of you get spooked when you saw his picture in that link a couple of posts ago? I sure did :)

Most of the photos of JDK chill me to the bone. The first one shown looks like a man who would kill you and not think twice about it. The last one--the close-up where he's wearing a blue shirt--scares the hell out of me for some reason. I always look away.

Most of the photos of JDK chill me to the bone. The first one shown looks like a man who would kill you and not think twice about it. The last one--the close-up where he's wearing a blue shirt--scares the hell out of me for some reason. I always look away.

The funny thing about JDK is that he started as such a well studied and descent kid. A model teenager!:eek:

It's amazing how hanging with the wrong crowd will change a person!! Makes me worried as a parent sometimes!!:(

The funny thing about JDK is that he started as such a well studied and descent kid. A model teenager!:eek:

It's amazing how hanging with the wrong crowd will change a person!! Makes me worried as a parent sometimes!!:(

Yeah I agree, it's so important for our kids to relate to good people at school.

On another topic, I think the actor who protrayed King did a great job, certainly one of the better UM acting performances.

King is a violent man, a very scary man. Everytime I saw his case profiled on UM, I was afraid he was still out there and might shoot me with a gun in public but then I read the update on UM about him being captured and it made me feel safer. I am not a big fan of the death penalty and not very often do I wish for people to be executed but because I feel he is so violent, I feel he should be executed.