Congressman Biggs’ Statement on DOJ’s Announcement on Capital Punishment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced that the federal government would resume capital punishment at the end of this year, directing five death penalty sentences to be carried out for certain rare and heinous crimes. In one case, Lezmond Mitchell murdered and then beheaded a grandmother and her granddaughter. He was convicted by a jury and was sentenced to death in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Congressman Biggs issued the following statement:

"Government has a solemn responsibility to administer justice for the most loathsome crimes, committed by some of our most hardened criminals. My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of the victims of these five horrific cases, who are forced to relive their nightmares every day. I applaud Attorney General Barr for his staunch commitment to the rule of law and providing justice for these victims' families."

Congressman Andy Biggs is a second-term Representative from Arizona's Fifth Congressional District, representing parts of Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, and Queen Creek. Congressman Biggs is a member of the House Judiciary and Science, Space, and Technology committees. He lives with his wife, Cindy, in Gilbert.