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Mid-Missouri |
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P.O. Box 268 |
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Stanley Lingar was sentenced to death for the killing of Scott Allen outside of
Doniphan in southeastern Missouri. Allen, 16 years old, had run out of gas
late one night in January 1985. Lingar, who was driving with one other man,
David Smith, picked up Mr. Allen. However, they found that several gas
stations were closed. There’s no doubt that the two men then did abduct the
young man and one of them later fatally shot him. We, with the Mid-Missouri
FOR, condemn the violence perpetrated upon Scott Allen and we extend our
condolences to his family and support other nonviolent means to assist with
their healing. We don’t believe more killing will make things right. They
will likely continue to grieve his death, all their lives. We oppose we
citizens and our state again being made agents for death.
Other issues worth considering:
* Disproportionate Sentencing. Physical evidence did not specifically
implicate either man. David Smith, however, cut a deal with prosecutors in
exchange for his testimony. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and is
now free.
Smith contended Lingar shot Allen three times, then struck him in the head
several times with a tire iron and ran over his body with the car. The
coroner however, reported finding in his autopsy, gunshot wounds and one
abrasion on the face, but no indications on his body of the other trauma,
Smith claims Lingar inflicted upon Mr. Allen.
*Prosecutorial Misconduct. During the trial’s penalty phase, the
prosecutor called Smith to testify about Lingar’s homosexual relationship
with him. Such information, unconnected to any other evidence, seemed to
have been presented to inflame the rural St. Francoise County jury;
essentially Lingar’s sexuality became an aggravating factor.
*Diminished Mental Capacity. Lingar has been evaluated by mental-health
profession-als as being “borderline” mentally retarded. He had suffered and
was treated for routine “black-out” spells since he was 8-years old and had
a history of heavy alcohol and drug abuse.
*Ineffective Counsel. During the guilt phase of the trial, while the
prosecutor presented 16 witnesses, Lingar’s attorney called just one to
testify. He also employed as his primary defense “voluntary intoxication”
which had been repealed by the state legislature three years earlier.