Alan Jeffrey Bannister was executed October 22, 1997 by lethal injection despite support for him from around the world. He will be missed.

Click Here to Read Arresting Officer's letter to Governor Carnahan

Alan J. Bannister had been on Death Row in Missouri since March 10, 1983. He has never denied killing Darrell Reustman during a struggle. Alan was initially offered a life term,but rejected this because he was not guilty of a first degree offense. The prosecuting attorney portrayed this as a contract killing in order to get special circumstances for the death penalty. There was never any evidence of this- only an arresting officer's testimony of an alleged confession that he did not even write down. It is very suspicious that this was enough to warrant the death penalty, but not enough to charge another person with the hiring. They know there is no evidence of a contract killing. This is why nobody else was ever charged in connection to this crime. Alan was never paid by anyone. Ray Gordon, Alan's appointed "public defender" now serves as judge in Missouri. His conduct in Alan's trial contradicts the Constitution of the United States. He offered no defense and spent less than an hour with Alan before the trial took place. Alan had a hearing to determine if he had adequate counsel, his counsel was a good friend of Ray Gordon!!

O: Friends of A.J. Bannister
FROM: A.J.'s Legal Team
DATE: October 22, 1997

I am deeply saddened to inform you that early this morning the State of
Missouri killed A.J. Bannister by lethal injection. This action was
taken in spite of the hard work of many people who exposed A.J.'s trial
as a farce and a mockery of justice, and in spite of the pleas of many
people from around the world on A.J.'s behalf. In A.J.'s last moments
he asked that we convey his sincere gratitude to everyone who helped try
to stop his execution.

We urge you to take more action on A.J.'s behalf. Although we
are powerless to change the excessive and irreversible punishment that
was carried out last night, many of A.J.'s friends remain alive and
under a sentence of death in Potosi, Missouri. As with A.J., the legal
system in Missouri stands poised to kill each of them because of its
perception that no adverse political consequences follow an execution.

The remarkable outpouring of compassion and concern for A.J.
Bannister presents us with an opportunity to change that perception. We
urge each of you to write, call and fax every elected official in
Missouri Government to express your outrage at the travesty of justice
that we have just witnessed. Join the call of the American Bar
Association--the largest organization of lawyers in the United
States--in calling for a
moratorium on executions and for the eventual abolition of the death
penalty. Demand an end to government sponsored killing. If you are a
communications or corporate official and can initiate formal
communications or other appropriate, measured responses through official
channels, please do so. if you are an individual, make your voice
heard. This week and the next few are critical in order to keep up the
pressure.

Please call or e-mail us with your fax number so we can send the
list of elected officials in Missouri Government who need to hear from
you soon. If in the wake of A.J. Bannister's unjust execution every
official telephone and fax machine burns up with your expressions of
moral outrage, perhaps Missouri will think twice before it kills again.