{"id":472,"date":"2013-11-15T12:24:31","date_gmt":"2013-11-15T16:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.law.duq.edu\/juris\/?p=472"},"modified":"2013-11-15T16:05:00","modified_gmt":"2013-11-15T20:05:00","slug":"should-a-death-row-inmate-be-allowed-to-donate-his-organs-after-execution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.law.duq.edu\/juris\/2013\/11\/15\/should-a-death-row-inmate-be-allowed-to-donate-his-organs-after-execution\/","title":{"rendered":"Should a Death Row Inmate be Allowed to Donate His Organs After Execution?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Untitled\"<\/a><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

By: Amy Coleman, Staff Writer<\/p>\n

Organ donor sign-up and organ donations as a whole have generally carried a \u2018the more the merrier\u2019 tone.\u00a0 If all the checks of compatibility and health check out, and the donor agrees, all lights are a go.\u00a0 Because, when it comes to medicine and possibly saving someone\u2019s life, who would want to discriminate?\u00a0 But what if the donor committed a crime so heinous, so repulsive that even the details make you cringe?<\/p>\n

Meet Ronald Ray Phillips (CCI #A279-109) in 1993.\u00a0\u00a0 He had no prior convictions or arrests.\u00a0 But, was found guilty and sentenced to death for the aggravated murder of three year old Sheila Marie Evans in connection with her beating and rape on January 18, 1993.\u00a0 He recently petitioned to be an organ donor after his death.<\/p>\n

Read the details of his crimes (Full Crime Details in his Clemency Decision<\/a>) and you be the judge.<\/p>\n

**WARNING THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE VERY GRAPHIC AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL.***<\/b><\/p>\n

The Crime<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Ronald Ray Phillips was 19.\u00a0 His girlfriend, Fae Amanda Evans lived in an apartment above his grandparents\u2019 apartment.\u00a0 Fae Evans had three children, the youngest was the son of Phillips.\u00a0 Phillips did not know it at the time, but he also had a daughter with Evans\u2019 sister, Mary, who was just 15 at the time (Read what he did to Mary<\/a>).\u00a0 Both children were born within a month of each other.<\/p>\n

On January 18, 1993, Phillips was at Fae Evans\u2019 home babysitting two of Fae Evans\u2019 children, Sheila Marie included.\u00a0 When Evans returned home, Phillips went into a children\u2019s bedroom and found Sheila pale, cold, and motionless on her bed.\u00a0 Phillips took the child to his grandmother\u2019s apartment and the grandmother called for an ambulance.\u00a0 At Children\u2019s Hospital of Akron, Sheila was not breathing and had no pulse.\u00a0 Further, Dr. Eugene Izsak noted multiple bruises on Sheila\u2019s torso, a distended stomach, a stretched anus.\u00a0 After continued resuscitation, Sheila had a pulse.\u00a0 She then went into emergency surgery.\u00a0 Dr. Robert Klein, the surgeon, found her abdominal cavity was filled with a lot of free air and blood and that part of her intestine was perforated and gangrene.\u00a0 It was Dr. Klein\u2019s professional opinion that the injuries to the intestine were inflicted at least 2 days prior to her admission into the hospital.\u00a0 Sheila died that day.<\/p>\n

The subsequent autopsy performed by Dr. William Cox, the Summit County Coroner, found more than 125 bruises believed to have been inflicted within a few hours of death.\u00a0 Sheila had been beaten about her head, face, upper and lower torso, arms, legs and genitalia.\u00a0 The blows to the abdomen had resulted in hemorrhaging in the stomach, intestine and other internal organs.\u00a0 The autopsy confirmed that the damage to Sheila\u2019s intestine occurred approximately 2 days prior to death.\u00a0 Dr. Cox believed that Sheila\u2019s injuries would have been very apparent as during the last 48 hours of her life, she would have felt intense abdominal pain, an inability to eat, vomiting, a high temperature, and listlessness.\u00a0 Then, when compounded with the beating from the morning of her death, her intestine ruptured.<\/p>\n

But, Dr. Cox found evidence that Sheila sustained repetitive anal penetrations over time, including the very morning of her death.\u00a0 Based on the degree and type of injuries, Dr. Cox concluded that Sheila had been anally penetrated by a penis, rather than a finger or foreign object.<\/p>\n

\"Untitled<\/a>Sheila Marie Evans died of cardiovascular collapse stemming from the severe, blunt force trauma to her abdomen, and the numerous related complications.<\/p>\n

Phillips confessed to his crimes.\u00a0 On the morning of Sheila\u2019s death, he \u201clost it\u201d and repeatedly hit her because he called her three times and she did not respond.\u00a0 When he noticed she was in her bed, he pulled the covers off of her, hit her, threw her against the walls, and dragged her by her hair.\u00a0 When Phillips noticed that this 3 year old child was not wearing any underwear, he became sexually aroused.\u00a0 Phillips did not admit to penetrating the child, even though he admitted he had thought about it that morning.\u00a0 And although he admitted he did so on prior occasions, he stated he did so because her mother had paid him to do that.<\/p>\n

The Summit County Grand Jury indicted Ronald Ray Phillips on the following charges:<\/p>\n

Count 1: Aggravated Murder with Capital Offense Specification<\/p>\n

Count 2: Felonious Sexual Penetration<\/p>\n

Count 3: Endangering Children with Physical<\/p>\n

Harm Specification<\/p>\n

Count 4: Felonious Assault<\/p>\n

Count 5: Rape<\/p>\n

Count 6: Rape<\/p>\n

Count 7: Rape<\/p>\n

Phillips pleaded not guilty to all charges.\u00a0 During trial, charges 3 and 4 were dismissed.\u00a0 And, the jury found him guilty of counts 1, 2, 5, 6, 7.\u00a0 The jury recommended death for Count 1\/Aggravated Murder.\u00a0 And the trial court agreed.\u00a0 (Read the Appeal Decision<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Ronald Ray Phillips was ordered to be executed on November 14, 2013.\u00a0\u00a0 Sheila\u2019s mother was also imprisoned for her role in the crimes.\u00a0 (Read Fae\u2019s Appeal after Conviction<\/a> & What Happened to Fae Amanda Evans?<\/a>)\"Untitled<\/a><\/p>\n

Now look at Ronald Ray Phillips in 2013.\u00a0 He requested to donate his organs.\u00a0 So, Ohio Governor John Kasich stayed his execution for 7 months investigate if that is even possible (Read the Warrant of Reprieve<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Is this a ploy to get more time?\u00a0 Perhaps.\u00a0 Phillips filed for a writ of habeas corpus because the lethal injection procedure to be used in Ohio has not been used on a human before; but that was denied.\u00a0 (Read that Opinion<\/a>) Further, Phillips has petitioned the Governor of Ohio for clemency.\u00a0 (Read the Clemency Report<\/a>) But, so what if it is?\u00a0 An organ is an organ, right?<\/p>\n

The problems are many.\u00a0 How to kill him without poisoning his organs?\u00a0 How to be able to get his organs into the donee before 5 minutes is up and the organ is no longer viable?\u00a0\u00a0 Is he really capable of giving consent that is not coerced? Does opening this flood gate encourage juries to recommend the death penalty?\u00a0\u00a0 Is it morally correct to do this? (Read NBC News’ Investigation of the Challenges<\/a>)<\/p>\n

But, before you make any snap decision, consider this:<\/b><\/p>\n

As of November 8, 2013, more than 130, 000 people are the UNOS transplant list with hardly any time to give.\u00a0 (Look at the UNOS Statistics for Yourself<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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By: Amy Coleman, Staff Writer Organ donor sign-up and organ donations as a whole have generally carried a \u2018the more the merrier\u2019 tone.\u00a0 If all the checks of compatibility and health check out, and the donor agrees, all lights are a go.\u00a0 Because, when it comes to medicine and possibly [\u2026] <\/p>\n

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