In his book Shall Suffer Death AJ described the rat and cockroach infested cell in the unventilated basement of a 100 year old jail where he spent his first years on death row:

'There was no escaping the sweltering heat of July and August, and to further compound the misery, the smell was...like no other: urine, sweat, backed-up toilets, dirty clothes and, worst of all, the stench of human misery. The winters weren't much better. The basement became an icebox... It was important to tuck in our blankets snugly because, on several occasions, rats also seeking heat would try to get under the blankets. In the morning, the first order of business was to flush the toilet as during the night a sheet of ice would form in the bowl.'

It is a wonder anyone could remain sane in such conditions, much less emerge, as AJ did, as an articulate spokesperson against the death penalty. His voice touched people around the world. At funeral services in Chilicothe, Illinois, a small town just north of Peoria, dozens of AJ's family members, friends and neighbours turned out to pay their respects. And for every one of them there were literally hundreds of strangers who learned about AJ through documentaries like The Execution Protocol and Raising Hell: The Life of AJ Bannister, who visited the world wide web site dedicated to AJ or who heard about him at meetings organised to protest at the death penalty.

For all these people when they think about the death penalty they will think about AJ Bannister and the cruel injustice of his execution. 'Do not underestimate the magnitude of what we have accomplished,' AJ wrote before his scheduled execution in 1994. 'We've stood fast in the face of a well established system, which exists to serve the interests of a privileged few at the expense of others. A system which uses innuendo and scare tactics to dupe the population into supporting capital punishment.

Shall Suffer Death

Bannister's case is examined in detail, his life in prison, and the realities of a death sentence upon the mental and emotional makeup of the condemned, their family and friends is explored. It is a touching book--a book which if read with an open heart and mind--can bring a reader to the realization of the humanity of all.

AJ Bannister was executed in October, 1997. It was, in my opinion, the vengeful killing of a dear brother in our human family. Had AJ been permitted to live, I believe his life would have continued to bless many. He was a good man.