WATERBURY, Conn. — Another pair of bodies. Another round of police tape, flashing lights, and unanswered questions. Double homicides are becoming a grim part of our local headlines. Communities mourn. Politicians issue statements. And then… silence.

Waterbury Double Homicide

Meanwhile, families are left broken, and neighborhoods are left wondering whether justice is truly being served.

Connecticut abolished the death penalty in 2012, joining a wave of states that declared it outdated, expensive, and prone to error. The last execution in the state was in 2005. Since then, some argue that the state has grown more humane. Others believe we’ve grown softer — and criminals know it.

Hard questions need to be asked.
When murder becomes routine, what message is the justice system sending? Are our current sentencing laws truly deterring the worst kinds of violence? Or have we tied our own hands in the name of political correctness while families bury their loved ones?

Reinstating capital punishment would be a monumental legal and moral step. It would ignite fierce debate in the legislature, in courtrooms, and in churches. But is it time for that conversation to return to the table?

Opinion & Editorials | Waterbury Times – Local Perspectives and Analysis

Connecticut’s leaders owe the public a candid discussion. If the death penalty isn’t the answer, then what is? How do we respond to brutal, calculated killings with a justice system that feels toothless?

We cannot allow “business as usual” to follow each new tragedy. Whether through harsher sentencing, smarter policing, or yes — reconsidering the death penalty — the state must confront rising violence with more than condolences.

It’s time to ask the hard question: What kind of justice does Connecticut truly believe in?