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President Biden Commutes Death Penalty for Aquila Marcivicci Barnette

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President Biden Commutes Death Penalty for Aquila Marcivicci Barnette 2

Aquila Marcivicci Barnette, a 50-year-old death row inmate, had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment by President Biden on December 23, 2024, as part of a series of pardon actions before leaving office.

Crimes

Barnetteโ€™s criminal activities in the 1990s included the murder of his ex-girlfriend and another individual during a carjacking. He was indicted on 11 charges, with three potentially leading to the death penalty, including carjacking resulting in death and using a firearm in a violent crime. After being found guilty on all counts, he was sentenced to death, though this was temporarily vacated on appeal before being reinstated.

  • Arson and Attempted Murder: Barnette initially attacked his ex-girlfriend, Robin Williams, by firebombing her apartment in Roanoke, Virginia, on April 30, 1996, after she ended their relationship. Williams survived but was injured.
  • Carjacking and Murder: On June 22, 1996, Barnette carjacked Donald Lee Allen near Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, killed him, and then used Allenโ€™s car to travel to Virginia, where he killed Williams in front of her motherโ€™s home.
  • Arrest and Additional Charges: Barnette was apprehended at his motherโ€™s home in Charlotte, facing additional charges for illegally possessing and modifying a firearm.

Pardon

President Bidenโ€™s commutation on December 23, 2024, changed Barnetteโ€™s sentence from death to life imprisonment without parole, part of a broader initiative where the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates were similarly altered. This action reflects Bidenโ€™s stance against the death penalty at the federal level, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.

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