[Gutter Monkey]

Condemned man to tell joke at execution

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By MICHAEL GRACZYK, Associated Press Writer Tue Jun 26, 6:37 PM ET

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - A condemned prisoner planned to tell a joke Tuesday as part of his final statement before being executed for the abduction and killing of a couple who lived next door to him.

Patrick Knight has been soliciting jokes in the mail and on a Web site, sometimes receiving as many as 20 a day. He said his humor is intended to raise the spirits of other inmates.

"A little bit of levity is needed," Knight said of the mood on death row. "And it seems to be working. I just want to go out laughing. I'm not trying to disrespect anyone. I know I'm not innocent."

District Attorney James Farren, whose office prosecuted Knight at his 1993 trial, said Knight's plans were another example of his recklessness.

"It just shows he has no respect for human life, including his own," Farren said.

Knight told prison officials Tuesday afternoon when he arrived at the death house that he had as many as 1,300 jokes delivered to his cell on death row. He said he narrowed the list to seven, then to five, and ran those finalists past his condemned buddies to pick which one they liked the best.

And the follow up:

Texas inmate executed; doesn't tell joke

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By MICHAEL GRACZYK, Associated Press Writer Tue Jun 26, 9:09 PM ET

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Condemned prisoner Patrick Knight was executed Tuesday evening for the deaths of an Amarillo-area couple without delivering on a promise to tell a joke in his final statement.

Patrick Knight has been soliciting jokes in the mail and on a Web site, sometimes receiving as many as 20 a day, saying his humor was intended to raise the spirits of other inmates. He said he received as many as 1,300 proposals.

But when the moment came, Knight thanked God for his friends and asked for help for innocent men on death row. He named several he said were innocent. His voice shaking and nearly in tears, he said, "Not all of us are innocent, but those are."

After expressing love to some friends, he said, "I said I was going to tell a joke. Death has set me free. That's the biggest joke. I deserve this."

"And the other joke is that I am not Patrick Bryan Knight and y'all can't stop this execution now. Go ahead, I'm finished."

Nine minutes later at 6:21 p.m. CDT, he was pronounced dead.

Prison spokeswoman Michelle Lyons disputed Knight's mistaken identity claim.

"We fingerprint them when they come over," she said.

Whoa, tough gig.