http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/mental-retardation Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:22:51 -0400 Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:22:51 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/290/the-death-penalty-and-intellectual-disability By A. M. Foerschner - Should convicted criminals who are legally declared as mentally ill be excused from the death penalty? In 1981, Ricky Rector of Conway, Arkansas went on a shooting spree that resulted in the death of one man and the injury of two bystanders. Ricky also shot and killed Officer Bob Martin, who had gone to the home of Rector’s mother after Ricky agreed to surrender. In 1982, the mentally retarded thirty-six-year-old was sentenced to death for his crimes. In a revealing glimpse of his limited mental capacity, Rector set aside the piece of pecan pie that came with his last meal, announcing that... Tue, 21 Sep 2010 06:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/290/the-death-penalty-and-intellectual-disability