Interviews with the Condemned

Interview no.4

William Van Poyck, author of two best selling books and writer of a monthly column for Death Row Speaks, has answered our request to participate in our Interviews with the Condemned series. William Van Poyck is currently housed at Virginia 's death row, but was sentenced to death in Florida . William has his own website and weekly weblog. We would like to thank William for his honesty and co-operation.  

Personality:

Name: William Van Poyck 
Prison Register: # 274949
Address: 24414 Musselwhite Dr.,Waverly, VA 23891-1111
Age: 50
Race: White
Sex: Male
How long on Death Row: 17 years (since December 1988)

1:      

Question: Where were you born and raised?

Answer: Miami , Florida

2:

Question: Will you share with us what it was like for you growing up? (Did you have a pet, a favorite game, hiding place, or favorite toy? Were you raised by both parents, a single parent or relative?)

Answer: My mother died when I was a baby & I was raised by my Dad & a series of housekeepers until my Dad remarried when I was 6 years old. This was not a good time for me! I had an older brother and sister. I rebelled and got into a lot of trouble as a child. I spent most of my youth (age11-17, for the most part) in reform schools & institutions.

3:                                                                                                                                                             

Question: Do you have a favorite childhood memory? If so, what is it?

Answer: Swimming in the lakes & canals around my house in South Miami , catching turtles and snakes.

4:

Question: Did you like school? If so, share with us your favorite memory from your school years.

Answer: Yes, I enjoyed school, although I don’t have any particular favorite memory from school.

5:

Question: What person or event impacted you most as a child?

Answer: The death of my mother when I was 1 1/2 years old (i.e. not having a mother growing up) impacted my life the most.

6:

Question: What hobbies or activities did you participate in while growing up, e.g. scouting, sports, etc.

Answer: I was a cub scout & a boy scout for a while. I wrestled at school for a while. I did a lot of camping and hiking. I also lifted weights. I did a lot of reading.

7:

Question: What was your first job? Please describe your duties/responsibilities and whether or not you liked the job.

Answer: I worked part time doing maintenance work in a trailer park. Mostly I built and installed the wooden skirting around each trailer. I enjoyed the work (I was 15) and enjoyed earning a paycheck for honest work.

8:

Question: As a child or teenager, what did you want to do when you grew up? Why?

Answer: 1. become an architect (city planner) and/or civil engineer, because I have a powerful love to build (large projects like bridges, dams, skyscrapers). It’s always been in my blood.

9: 

Question: Do you have a favorite movie or book? Please elaborate.

Answer: Movies: Platoon & The Shawshank Redemption are favorites. - Books: Papillon & The Count of Monte Christo are favorites.

10:

Question: Where was the most beautiful or special place that you can remember having visited? Please describe it.

Answer: Florence , Italy . I spent about a month in Italy in 1971 (I was 16) and while I enjoyes Rome and Sicily , Florence was, to me, the most beautiful.

11:

Question: What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you?

Answer: Actually, nothing in particular comes to mind.

12:

Question: What job or occupation did you have prior to your incarceration? Were you employed at the time of your arrest?

Answer: I was doing sheet metal work (installing duct work for air conditioning systems.

13:

Question: Were you involved with drugs or alcohol prior to your incarceration? If so, please share the effects this had on your life.

Answer: Yes, I indulged in drugs & alcohol from about age 12 on up. But, I was not an addict or an alcoholic so I can’t really say that alcohol abuse or drug abuse drove me into my life of crime or sent me to prison.

14:

Question: What do you miss most about the outside world and why?

Answer: Women! (The reason should be self evident.)

15:

Question: What is the one thing you regret most?

Answer: Disappointing my father by squandering my life; hurting innocent people through my actions.

16:

Question: Do you have any strong spiritual or religious beliefs? If so do they influence how you view the future?

Answer: I had a profound and life-changing spiritual experience in 1987, soon after my arrest. I consider myself to be very spiritual, but not so religious. I’ve been disappointed with organized religion. I have 100% faith in our spirits transcending death & I have no real fear of dying.

17:

Question: How important is it for you to have contact with your family, friends and/or the outside world? Please elaborate.

Answer: It is very important to me. I am very people –oriented.

18:

Question: Do you remember your first thoughts when hearing the jury’s verdict of death as your sentence? Will you share this experience with us, e.g. your thoughts, feelings, reactions?

Answer: I had no real reaction because I had fully anticipated both the guilty verdict and the sentence of death. I’d already come to terms with it all long before the fact.

19:

Question: What is a typical day like for you on death row?

Answer: I stay busy all of the time. I’m either doing legal work or writing (letters or stories) or reading or working out. I watch some TV, but not a lot (mostly news and nature programs). I’m into meditating and yoga. I’m always doing something!

20:

Question: Do you feel that capital punishment serves as a deterrent? Yes/No Please elaborate on you answer.

Answer: No. In the majority of cases people have not thought these crimes out. The defendants are driven by emotional things, urges, drugs, & alcohol, and/or mental illness. Most death row guys are not carefully weighing and calculating their crimes and the consequences. If it was a deterrent, the states with the highest execution rates (like Texas, Florida, Virginia, Oklahoma, Louisiana) would have the lowest murder rates, but, ironically, the opposite is true.

21:

Question: If you could change one thing in the world today, what would it be and why?

Answer: END WARS! Then direct the money & energy now dedicated to weapons & wars toward helping the less developed nations.

22:

Question: If you could go back in time, where and to what date would you travel and why?

Answer: Israel/Palestine for the last three years of Jesus Christ’s ministry. I’d want to meet and talk with Jesus.

23:

Question: What has been the most important and life-altering event you have experienced?

Answer: A profound spiritual experience (metaphysical epiphany) that occurred in 1987. It changed my life and the way I think in a way that mere words can hardly express.

24:

Question: What is the most important thing that you want our visitors to know about you?

Answer: That I’m a human being with hopes & dreams, and feelings and emotions just like anyone else.

25:

Question: If you have anything else that you would like included as a part of this interview, please share it with us now.

Answer: If anyone really wants to know about me or try to understand my life and situation, they only need read my published autobiography, A Checkered Past, sold on Amazon.com (all money goes to charity!)

Visit William's profile, columns or the information on his books in our books section. William also has a website and weblog.

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Webmaster’s note: I have tried to type the handwritten answers as complete and correct as possible. There is always a possibility that a typo or so slips in. Please send an e-mail when you come across them. Thank you!