Racist killer Mark Asay who brutally murdered two men in the 80s says he’s ‘ready to die’ as he prepares for execution in Florida TONIGHT
The Florida man, Mark Asay, was convicted in 1987 after killing Robert Lee Booker, a black man, and Robert McDowell, a Hispanic cross-dresser
THE racist killer who brutally murdered two men in the 80's says he is "ready to die" as he prepares to be executed TONIGHT.
The Florida man, Mark Asay, was convicted in 1987 after killing Robert Lee Booker, a black man, and Robert McDowell, a Hispanic cross-dresser.
He has spent years waiting to die but last night the tearful 53-year-old spoke out about the deaths and why he thinks he should be executed now or go free.
He spoke with News4Jax and said "I'm sorry and things just got out of control".
Booker's body was found under the porch of an abandoned house in Jacksonville.
McDowell's body was found at a crossroads not far away - both men had been shot.
A red truck with a missing bumper was seen leaving the area where McDowell was killed.
The truck was traced to Asay who admitted killing McDowell - explaining the man took money from him and turned their formerly friendly relationship sour - but denied murdering Booker.
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He said: "I knew Robert McDowell as Rene. I had previous encounters with him, and we were sociable, and he did take money from me one time.
"I had said, in my mind, "When I see him, I'm going to kick his a**." But I never intended to murder him. It just happened."
He has claimed he was drunk when he shot McDowell and doesn't know what happened.
Prosecutors used white supremacist tattoos Asay had to prove he was prejudiced - until recently it was thought that McDowell was a light-skinned black man and so his death, and Booker's was concluded to be a hate crime.
One of his inkings read "supreme white power" but he denies being a white supremacist and says he only got the tattoos to survive in prison after being first convicted when he was 19.
He said: "They are not representative at all of who I am, but they are tattoos, and they're not easily removed.
"I have covered them up. I had a swastika on my elbow; I covered that up. I had an SWP on my arm; I burned it off. I've removed every racial tattoo I had, except for the ones that I can't reach.
"I've had African-American friends all my life. But I've had to live in very hostile environments, and I've had to manage the best I could."
He says the death penalty was imposed when it was a racially motivated and now argues his conviction should be changed to second-degree murder.
FIVE NOTORIOUS FINAL MEALS
- John Wayne Gacy was put to death in Illinois by lethal injection at the age of 52. He was sentenced to death for rape and 33 counts of murder. For his last meal, Gacy requested 12 fried shrimp, a bucket of original recipe KFC, french fries, and a pound of strawberries.
- Ronnie Lee Gardner was put to death in Utah by firing squad at the age of 49. He was sentenced to death for burglary, robbery, and two counts of murder. For his last meal, Gardner requested steak, a lobster tail, apple pie, vanilla ice cream, and to eat it all while watching the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
- Allen Lee "Tiny" Davis was put to death in Florida by electric chair at the age of 54. He was sentenced to death for robbery and three counts of murder. For his last meal, Davis requested lobster tail, fried potatoes, half a pound of fried shrimp, six ounces of fried clams, half a loaf of garlic bread, and 32 ounces of A&W root beer.
- Feguer was hanged in 1963 for kidnapping and murder and was the last person executed in Iowa. For his last meal, he requested a single olive with the pit still in it, with the hopes that it would grow into an olive tree from inside his body.
- J W Ledford Jr was executed by lethal injection in the state of Georgia. He was sentenced to death for murder. For his last meal he asked for a 5,500-calorie final meal before he was executed, including a steak wrapped in bacon and an entire 2,000-calorie "blooming onion" that had been battered and deep fried.
He thinks he should then be released for time served, but said if that is not an option he would rather die.
Asay said: "If the purpose of prison is not accomplished now, it's never going to be accomplished.
"If the purpose is just to protect me from society and protect society from me, OK, I accept that, but I'm saying I'm not a violent person or a threat to society.
"But if the government is like, 'well, we can't be sure,' then I'm prepared to submit to the execution Thursday and go on and be at peace with my Lord."
He is due to die today in Florida at 6pm.
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