Congresswoman Bush Statement Following Missouri’s Execution of David Hosier
Washington, D.C. (June 12, 2024) — Last night, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released the following statement after the State of Missouri executed David Hosier, a 69-year old United States Navy veteran. Governor Parson refused to halt Mr. Hosier’s execution despite medical experts’ findings that Mr. Hosier committed his offense whilst suffering significant brain damage due to a stroke. Jurors stated that their deliberations would have gone differently had this information been properly presented at the time of his trial.
“Last night, the state of Missouri shamefully chose violence over mercy when they executed David Hosier despite concerns from medical experts about his state of mind at the time of his offense. We are so much more than our worst mistakes and not a single person deserves to die because of them. The same is true for Mr. Hosier. He is another life lost to an institution of violence, that not only fails to prevent violence but also greenlights violence itself. The death penalty must be abolished, and our legal system must be reformed.
“Our calls for the abolition of the death penalty do not prevent our calls for accountability. I mourn the precious lives of Angela and Rodney Gilpin that were heartbreakingly taken and my thoughts are with their families and loved ones.
“It’s imperative for our state and country to seek ways to address the root causes of crime and invest in restorative justice, rehabilitation, and a legal system that truly values human dignity. It is through compassion and a commitment to human dignity that we can create a safer and more humane society for all.”
Last week, Congresswoman Bush and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-05) sent a letter urging Governor Mike Parson to halt Mr. Hosier’s execution. Mr. Hosier marks the seventh person executed in the U.S. and the second in Missouri in 2024.
Representatives Bush and Cleaver have written similar letters to Governor Parson ahead of the state-sanctioned executions of Brian Dorsey, Johnny Johnson, Amber McLaughlin, Kevin Johnson and Ernest Johnson.
Since first coming to Congress, Congresswoman Bush has been a national leader in the push for clemency reform and the need to end the death penalty. In February 2021, the Congresswoman urged President Biden to use his pardon power to correct legacies of injustice in the clemency process, including a call to commute the sentences of all on federal death row. In December 2021, Congresswoman Bush, alongside Representatives Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), introduced the Fair and Independent Experts in Clemency (FIX Clemency) Act, historic legislation that works to transform our nation’s broken clemency system and address the growing mass incarceration crisis. She is a proud cosponsor of the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, which would end the use of the death penalty by the federal government.
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