The world would be better off without a killer

Dylann Roof’s sentencing phase is set to resume on Wednesday. The 22-year-old convicted of gunning down nine black parishioners at a Charleston, S.C., church in June 2015 is expected to defend himself as a jury considers whether he should be sentenced to life in prison or face execution.

Left alive Roof would always be a threat, he could escape or try to convert others in prison to his way of thinking. He would have to be in solitary in order to not be attacked by other prisoners, which would also be more expensive.

He took nine lives. The families and friends of the victims should have closure knowing that Roof will never hurt another human being again. When there is irrefutable evidence and they are found competent, then the death penalty is a fair and just sentence. Lanie Williams

Locking him up in a dark hole to rot for decades is a much worse punishment. Death is far too easy. Scott Schinke

Sorry, but how about taking responsibility for his actions? I don’t care how Roof got the way he is. Free will, baby. He deserves the death penalty. Thomas Carper

What does Roof want? Give him the opposite. That might be the best answer. Who cares how he got that way?

Seems like the best way to handle these aberrations of humanity might be spending the rest of our lives studying them. But the world would certainly be a better place without him, that’s for sure. Kali Higgins

No one speaks of this cost: His medical expenses for the rest of his life would be incredibly high. Why should we spend medical resources on a prisoner sentenced to life? Jeff Felix

We have no trouble using a drone to kill terrorists in other countries, but in our own country they get the due process. Anyone who engages in mass public killing, regardless of their motivation or mental state, is a terrorist. Phil Brock