Nevada puts killer to death

Friday, Aug. 13, 2004 | 10:50 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Quietly and without showing any emotion, convicted killer Terry Dennis was put to death by lethal injection Thursday at the Nevada State Prison for the 1999 murder of a woman in Reno.

Dennis, 57, was pronounced dead at 9:08 p.m. by Dr. Ted D'Amico, the prison physician.

Jackie Crawford, director of the state Department of Corrections, said Dennis had no last words. He met with his brother Thursday morning but declined to take a phone call from his second wife.

He spent his final hours sitting in the "last night cell" and declined to watch the television that was available.

He had his last meal of two cheeseburgers and a Coke with ice. Before the execution, he received an injection of 10 milligrams of Valium.

Dennis had pleaded guilty to the March 1999 strangulation of Ilona Strumanis, 51, an immigrant from Russia who had been with him on a drinking bout for several days in a Reno motel.

He declined to make further court appeals and said he would rather die than spend the rest of his life in prison.

Daniel J. Greco, chief deputy district attorney in Washoe County, was one of the eight witnesses at the execution and he called the Strumanis murder a "horrific crime." Greco said he doesn't take pleasure in executions, but "justice was served."

Greco recounted the case that led to Dennis' execution: Three weeks before the killing, Dennis had fantasies of killing a woman. Then, during their drinking binge, Strumanis had questioned whether Dennis was able to kill anybody during his service in the Air Force in Vietnam. Dennis put a belt around her neck and started tightening it. He strangled Strumanis while they were having sex.

Michael Pescetta, a deputy federal public defender who made a last ditch effort to get a stay of execution, had no comment after the execution. He was a witness and would be available in case Dennis wanted to call off his date with death.

Pescetta had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court this week to stop the execution on grounds Dennis was mentally incompetent to give up his appeals. But on Thursday morning the court had denied the petition.

Dennis had a history of alcoholism and drug use and had been convicted twice previously for assault in Oregon

Fritz Schlottman, acting administrator of the offender management program at the prison, said attempts to reach the victim's relatives were unsuccessful.

Among the witnesses at the execution was state Treasurer Brian Krolicki. Asked why he was there, he said, "It's important." As the lethal drugs were being pumped into Dennis' arms, Krolicki made the sign of the cross.

It was the 11th execution since Nevada reinstated the death penalty in 1977 and 10 of those inmates have given up their court appeals, voluntarily going to their death. All have been white except Alvaro Calambro, who was Asian.

This also was the 52nd execution at the century-old state prison, about one mile from downtown Carson City. Earlier the death penalties were carried out in the counties.

Dennis' execution was the second execution in Nevada this year. Lawrence Colwell Jr., 36, was put to death in March for the murder of a Las Vegas tourist.

A group of about 30 death penalty opponents gathered across the street from the prison, praying and signing. They carried signs that read "No more killing," "Christians stand for all life" and "Killing is not the answer."

The candlelight vigil was sponsored by the Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty, whose goal is to abolish capital punishment. It was led by the Rev. Father Chuck Durante, who is co-chairman of the Life, Peace and Justice Commission of the Reno Catholic Diocese of Reno.

"We stand opposed to all violence that is unnecessary to protect others," he said. "The death penalty is a direct act of violence against human life."

Dennis, dressed in newly pressed prison denims and recently cleaned white tennis shoes, was led into the death chamber by five correctional officers, who secured him to the gurney. The bald-headed Dennis with glasses, a gray mustache and goatee, was laid on the gurney with his eyes facing the ceiling.

He did not look at the witnesses or the seven representatives of the press who were watching the execution. The shades were drawn and the needles were placed in his arms. The shades were lifted and Dennis had his eyes closed.

He didn't move as the drugs were injected into his veins. Sodium thiopental is administered first to put the man to sleep; then 20 milligrams of Pavulon goes into the veins to stop the lungs and finally potassium chloride stops the heart.

D'Amico then entered the chamber, lifted the eyeglasses off Dennis to check his eyes, and then his throat and his chest before pronouncing him dead.

Schlottman said he did not know what the funeral arrangements were for Dennis.

Dennis had declined requests for interviews and said he did not want to meet with any religious clergy.

There are 83 men and one woman on Nevada's death row, the longest being Edward Wilson who was sentenced in 1979 for the murder of a Reno police undercover agent.