Death Row Inmate's Life Of 'Leisure': Danny Robbie Hembree Writes Shocking Letter
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A North Carolina community is outraged by a death row inmate's public note outlining his life of "leisure" and mocking the families of his victims.
In an open letter to the The Gaston Gazette, convicted murderer Danny Robbie Hembree Jr.taunts a "cowardly" justice system and lists the luxuries he enjoys while locked up behind bars at Central Prison in Raleigh.
Is the public aware that I am a gentleman of lesiure, watching color TV in the A.C., reading, takeing naps at will, eating three well balanced hot meals a day. I'm housed in a building that connects to the new 55 million dollar hospital with round the clock free medical care 24/7.
In 2009, Hembree was found guilty of murdering 17-year-old Heather Catterton. He is also suspected of killing two other women -- 30 year old Randi dean Saldana and 30 year old Deborah Ratchford -- according to ABC News.
Despite the conviction and accusations, Hembree believes that he's unlikely to actually meet his maker anytime soon.
He ends the letter, "Kill me if you can, suckers... Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Gaston County District Attorney Locke Bell told the Gazzette that he received a call from Catterton's father, who says the letter has caused his family further suffering.
"I got a call from the father of the 17-year-old that he murdered, in tears. He said that this is tearing the family to shreds. This is ripping the wound open," Locke told ABCNews.com. "[The father] said, 'He murdered our daughter, got the death penalty and now he's just sitting in jail laughing at us.'"
In addition to causing pain, the letter also raises difficult questions about the criminal justice system, Bell said.
"There's a part of me that wants everybody to read that letter because it tells a lot of truth about death row," the district attorney added.
