Manuel Pina "Manny" Babbitt (May 3, 1949 – May 4, 1999) was a U.S. Marine veteran of the Vietnam War who was convicted of the murder of a 78-year-old woman, Leah Schendel, during a burglary in Sacramento, California in 1980.[1] He was executed by the state of California by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison, one day after his 50th birthday.[1] The murder was committed during a string of robberies and burglaries and the day after the murder Babbitt committed at least one sexual assault.[1] Schendel died from a heart attack after Babbitt beat her and attempted to rape her.[2]
Babbitt had been wounded at the bloody 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh in Quảng Trị Province, South Vietnam. As part of his defense, he claimed he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder which he said caused him to commit his crimes and to later lose all memories of the crimes.[3]
One year before his execution, while on death row, Babbitt was awarded a Purple Heart medal for the wounds he had received at the Battle of Khe Sanh.[4]
Babbitt refused his last meal and asked that the $50 allotted be given to homeless Vietnam veterans. His last words were: "I forgive all of you."[1] He was buried in his native Wareham, Massachusetts, on May 10, 1999, with full military honors.[5]
The movie Last Day of Freedom, nominated for an Oscar in 2016, depicts his brother's narrative of the events that led to Babbitt's execution.
See also
- Capital punishment in California
- Capital punishment in the United States
- List of people executed in California
References
- ^ a b c d Manuel Babbitt. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Retrieved on June 4, 2022.
- ^ "People v. Babbitt (1988)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ Doyle, Jim (29 March 1999). "Dramatic Plea to Save Killer / Ex-cop says death row inmate rescued him in '68". SFGate. Hearst Communications Inc. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
- ^ White, Jerry. California executes mentally ill Vietnam veteran, World Socialist Web Site (May 5, 1999); retrieved November 11, 2007.
- ^ Da Costa-Fernandes, Manuela. Manny Babbitt laid to rest. The Standard-Times (May 11, 1999); retrieved November 16, 2007.
External links
- Bill Babbitt, California - Brother of Manny Babbitt, executed in California in 1999[permanent dead link]. Murder Victims' Families For Human Rights. Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
- Glantz, Aaron. Remembering Manny Babbitt. Truthdig (2007-07-17). Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
- King, Rachel. Pages 66-70. Capital Consequences: Families Of The Condemned Tell Their Stories. Rutgers University Press (2005). ISBN 0-8135-3504-2. Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
- Washington, Glynn. Snap Judgement 726 Brother's Keeper. Retrieved on 2017-12-16.
| Preceded by Jaturun Siripongs |
Executions carried out in California | Succeeded by Darrell Keith Rich |