Please do the right thing . . .

This story sickens me. It has touched me on a very personal level. Even if you do not have the same personal connection that I do, I encourage you to contact Governor McDonnell in Virginia. I cannot sit by silently and hope that you cannot either.

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Governor McDonnell,

I am writing you today to plead with you to not go through with the execution of Teresa Lewis.

My younger brother has Prader-Willi and has an I.Q. that is around the same level of Ms. Lewis. He is what was considered to be "educable" mentally retarded. Jon has been able to live a somewhat independent life with the loving support of his family. However, we are simply unable to be with him 24 hours a day and are not able to monitor everyone who comes into his life on a daily basis.

It does not seem unfathomable to me that a sophisticated con man or woman could come into his life and get him to do something that he would not normally do. People who take advantage of other people routinely get away with conning people with a regular level intelligence every single day in the United States.

Ms. Lewis did not pull the trigger, nor does it appear that she was the mastermind behind this horrific tragedy. If the State is truly looking out for the best interest of the People, then holding Ms. Lewis in jail for the rest of her natural life seems to be the more humane route. What purpose really is being served by executing Ms. Lewis? It makes no sense to most reasonable people.

I am not an opponent of the death-penalty. However, I cannot support the state-sanctioned death sentence of a woman who has already lost so much. Please do the right thing.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, ms_teacher