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Commutation Sought for Convicted Killer in Delaware

creative commons

DOVER, Del. (AP) - A convicted killer serving six life terms behind bars is asking for commutation of his sentence.

Robert H. Saunders was sentenced as a habitual offender after being convicted of murder conspiracy and other crimes in 1976.

Saunders is asking the state Board of Pardons, which meets Thursday, to recommend that Gov. Jack Markell commute his sentence.

According to court records, Saunders shot and killed Joseph L. Johnson in May 1975 after they and three other men burglarized a Delaware City bank. Court records indicate that Saunders, who planned the killing before the burglary, then ordered the other accomplices to fire bullets into Johnson's body.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.