Death Penalty Opponents Turn Up Heat on Legislators

The Wake County Coalition for a Moratorium Now introduced Bud Welch, the father of an Oklahoma City bombing victim. He lost his 23-year-old daughter in the explosion.

Still, he does not support putting Timothy McVeigh to death for the crime. He says death penalty supporters are

Moratorium supporters also heard from Alfred Rivera, a freed North Carolina death row prisoner.

Death penalty supporters say suspending the death penalty for even a short period of time would be damaging, because there would be one less deterrent to commit murder.

The death penalty is under attack in other states. Thirty-eight states allow the death penalty. Of those, 16 are considering a ban on executions. Illinois has already banned its death penalty.