There are so many facets to this conversation, there are entire sites dedicated to the Death penalty and the issues surrounding it. To me, I find it fascinating ( morbidly so, of course) that on a certain date and time, a person will be killed. I follow a few sites closely that update on upcoming executions throughout the US, details of the crime, etc.

This site-
http://people.smu.edu/rhalperi/pending.html
Keeps an ongoing vigil posted for all execution dates upcoming, and the possibility they will be carried out as scheduled.

This site is also pretty thorough ( although at times poorly written) about case summaries and lists executions and their resolution.
http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/links2.htm
http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/Pending/13/jul13.htm

Ive been stuck on the case of Vaughn Ross, who murdered his girlfriend's sister and an esteemed Dean at Texas Tech. The details of the case make it pretty clear the guy was engaged in some sort of illicit engagement when he was murdered, along with this 18 year old. It was not easy to find any source that would address this though!!
Not to mention, I find it weird and creepy that a college professor would be caught with teenage prostitutes. It opens up so many other issues.
The defense seemed to get slammed shut when they tried to address this guy's proclivities, and how that may have provided an alternative theory for the murder ( though it does seem pretty clear this clown did it).
It is amazing to me that this guy is going to sleep every night knowing he will be dead in 6 days. I cant quite wrap my head around that.