By Joel Langton
The federal prison in Terre Haute Indiana executed 3 prisoners in four days this past week.
The state of Texas has executed two cop killers in the last 18 months.
Rafael Calderon Velasquez, who killed Richard Latham, a federal law enforcement officer, after kidnapping him from Del Rio’s Port of Entry here, will be freed from prison Aug. 25. Calderon-Velasquez has been receiving his mail at the Terre Haute federal prison for many years, receiving a life sentence after pleading guilty to Latham’s murder.
We are not advocating for the death penalty. However, we do think Latham’s killer needs to spend his earthly days behind bars, as agreed upon.
Through the years, Latham has missed out on his daughter’s weddings, grandchildren’s births and just the wonderful moments of life, as well as the not so wonderful. However, they are all part of life, a life he hasn’t had for nearly 40 years due to Calderon-Velasquez.
Our community has missed out on having Latham a part of it as well. His family has missed out on having his guiding hand, missed out on Grandpa Richard teaching their children how to horseback ride and so many more memories.
We merely ask that the federal government do what they agreed to do. Keep Calderon-Velasquez behind bars until he breathes his last breath. That’s what life in prison means when you kill a law enforcement officer, at a minimum.
To our federal prisons, we are sorry that the prisons are full. We are sorry there is a pandemic sweeping our planet. However, this murderer killed one of ours who was protecting all of us. He was a sentinel on our border.
Please, stand with the Lathams, Del Rio and and all of our agents who answer the nation’s call and stand on our border and simply do what the judge told you to do a long time ago, keep this murderer behind bars. Otherwise, you’re slapping them and us in the face.
If Calderon-Velasquez had shot his girlfriend in a fit of rage, that would be sad, but may not equate life in prison. That is called manslaughter.
But when he and three friends are trying to feed a heroin addiction by robbing a Ciudad Acuna jewelry store, decide to kidnap a federal officer and then drive him 55 miles away to Eagle Pass where they shot him in the back twice and left him in a ditch to rot, that equals life in prison, not early release.
Around 55 miles is a lot of time to premeditate what you are going to do, it’s not a knee jerk reaction.
If the federal government refuses to take appropriate action. We ask that the state of Texas take custody and allow him to spend the rest of his days in a Huntsville State Prison jail cell. It’s a much better end than he left for Latham.
