Board denies Honie request to commute death sentence

After two days of hearings, the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole has denied the request made by convicted murderer Taberon Honie to commute his death sentence.

Honie now faces execution by lethal injection on August 8 .

Earlier this week, Honie plead for his life in front of the board , saying he is no longer the same man who murdered his girlfriend's mother in 1998.

"I can’t take anything back. I don’t remember some of it, but the fact is she’s gone and I did it," he said. "I can’t change that fact no matter how much I want to.

Honie was convicted of killing Claudia Benn after breaking in her Cedar City home and repeatedly slashing her throat and genital area .

Benn's family was also given a chance to speak on the first day of the hearing, telling the board they wanted Honie to be shown no mercy .

"The way he killed her, that's just sick... An eye for an eye, as God says it. It's a sad day today," testified Benn's niece, Sarah China Azule.

On Friday, the Board officially denied Honie's request.

"After carefully reviewing all submitted information and considering all
arguments from the parties, the Board does not find sufficient cause to commute Mr. Honie’s death sentence," a statement read. "The Board hereby denies Mr. Honie’s Commutation Petition and makes no change to the sentence imposed."

Earlier this week, Honie dropped a challenge to the drug that will be used to conduct his execution. The move came after the state said it will use pentobarbital instead of the original plan to use an experimental drug cocktail .

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