Brian Steckel
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Brian David Steckel | |
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| Born | December 14, 1968 U.S. |
| Died | November 4, 2005 (aged 36) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
Brian David Steckel (December 14, 1968 – November 4, 2005) was an American convicted killer in the 1994 rape and murder of 29-year-old Sandra Lee Long near Wilmington, Delaware.
Crime
On September 2, 1994, Steckel knocked on Long's door and asked to use her telephone. Once inside, he disconnected the phone and demanded sex from her. When she refused, he threw her onto a couch and attempted to strangle her with some pantyhose. The pantyhose broke, so he continued his attack with a sock. After she was unconscious he sexually assaulted her. He then dragged Long to a bedroom, where he set her and the curtains on fire. Long died of smoke inhalation and burns to 60 percent of her body.
Steckel then went to the home of a former co-worker, where he drank several beers. After the co-worker left, Steckel asked the co-worker's wife to drive him to a liquor store. This led them past Long's apartment, now on fire. The co-worker's wife later said that Steckel became agitated and angry when she jokingly said, "You look like you've killed someone."
Within hours of the fire, a man called The News Journal saying he was the "Driftwood Killer" and named his next victim. This woman was put into protective custody by police, where she told them that she had been receiving phone calls that were, "Very lurid. Very sexual." The calls to the newspaper and the woman were traced to Steckel, and he was arrested on an outstanding harassment warrant. Steckel was drunk at the time of the arrest and so allowed to sleep the night. The next morning, after waiving his Miranda rights, he confessed to the attack on Long. A forensic dentist determined that a bite wound on Steckel's finger was made by Long.
Trial and imprisonment
He was convicted in
Steckel was otherwise unrepentant for his crime. During his trial he sent Long's mother a copy of the autopsy report attached to a note that read: "Read it and weep. She's gone forever. Don't cry over burnt flesh."[1]
The sentence and conviction were affirmed by a Delaware Superior Court on May 22, 1998. Throughout 1998 and 1999, Steckel continued to
Death
At his execution Steckel said:
I want to say I'm sorry for the cruel things I did. I'm not the same man I was when I came to jail. I changed. I'm a better man. … I walked in here without a fight, and I accept my punishment. It is time to go. I love you people. … I'm at peace."
He was pronounced dead at 12:21 a.m.
See also
- Capital punishment in Delaware
- Capital punishment in the United States
- List of people executed in Delaware
- List of people executed in the United States in 2005
References
- ^ a b c "Brian D. "Red" Steckel". www.clarkprosecutor.org. Office of the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
External links
- Brian Steckel v. State of Delaware, Delaware Supreme Court decision
- "Execution date set for convicted killer". The News Journal. October 12, 2005. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved November 2, 2005.
- "Convicted killer executed in Delaware". Associated Press. November 4, 2005. Archived from the original on November 6, 2005.
- "Steckel's execution didn't go quickly". The News Journal. November 5, 2005. Archived from the original on June 14, 2006.