Reno Seeks Death Penalty For Unabomber

Washington, D.C.: Attorney General Janet Reno instructed prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Unabomber defendant Theodore Kaczynski. Prosecutors told federal courts in California and New Jersey that Kaczynski acted with "planning and premeditation" in 16 letter bombings that killed 3 people and injured 23 others. Evidence from diaries found in Kaczynski's cabin, they say, show that the attacks were specifically designed to kill his victims, and that he chided himself when they didn't. The court papers also argue that Kaczynski lacks remorse, shows little potential for rehabilitation, and still poses a danger to society. Attornies for the Kaczynksi family had argued for leniency based on their belief that the defendant is mentally ill and in consideration of the assistance the family provided in capturing him. The requests for the death penalty came in two separate federal trials, the first scheduled to begin in Sacramento in November, the second later on in Newark. Thursday's filings mark the fifty-eighth time that Reno has granted a prosecution request to seek an execution, even though she says she personally is opposed to the death penalty.