Utah judge signs execution warrant for Cedar City man convicted in 1998 murder
Jun 11, 2024, 6:30 AM
A 5th District Court judge signed an execution warrant for Taberon Dave Honie, a man who was sentenced to death in 1999-setting his date for lethal injection on Aug. 8. (Utah State Prison)
(Utah State Prison)
CEDAR CITY — A Utah judge signed an execution warrant Monday for Taberon Dave Honie, a man who was sentenced to death in 1999 — setting his date for lethal injection on Aug. 8.
Honie, convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend’s mother Claudia Benn in front of her three grandchildren, appeared in a Cedar City courtroom on Monday as 5th District Judge Jeffrey Wilcox considered signing his execution warrant.
On July 9, 1998, Honie broke into Benn’s home in Cedar City by smashing a rock into a glass door, then sexually assaulted the woman with a large knife and cut her throat, causing her to bleed to death.
At sentencing, the judge said the death sentence was earned by Honie, not given. “If this isn’t a death penalty case, I don’t know what is,” he said.
After multiple appeals and rulings upholding Honie’s sentence in 2002 and 2014 by the Utah Supreme Court, prosecutors filed an application for an execution warrant on May 1 asking for it to move forward.
When given one more chance to choose whether he wanted to die by firing squad or lethal injection, Honie’s attorney said he does not have the information needed to make an informed choice.
Read the full story and more from Emily Ashcraft on KSL.com.
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