Washington killed three people. He readily admitted his full responsibility to the police and to the courts and never used his ghetto background as an excuse for his crimes. Instead, he turned himself in to the police, fully cooperated with their investigations, pleaded guilty, waived his right to a jury trial, and threw himself on the mercy of the court. In 1976 he was sentenced to three consecutive death sentences. During his visits with Washington over the years, the minister found a deeply troubled soul, sometimes sitting in a nearly catatonic condition and refusing any outside contacts. Like most other death row prisoners the minister had known, Washington felt remorse and pain in living with the responsibility for his crime. His last days and hours were filled with uncertainties regarding potential stays of executions and emotionally distressing visits with his close relatives. His main concern was for his young daughter, and he agonized over her having to endure the horror of his execution. After saying the final good-byes, the family left, wailing, grief-stricken, and inconsolable. Society's retribution had produced a family that was bereaved, a wounded child, and another mourning mother. Case citation and 8 references.