Republic’s Smith a juror in death penalty case getting national attention

Jason Smith, of Republic is among five other jurors who now believe the Missouri execution of Michael Tisius, which was scheduled for Tuesday, May 6, should not have proceeded. In the summer of 2000, Tisius entered the jail in Randolph County hoping to free one of his friends. Tisius encountered two guards, both of whom he shot and killed. He then fled the scene. The friend who was target of the jailbreak said in a video interview that he coerced Tisius into helping him saying that he was "easily manipulated" in an interview recorded from prison. Tisius said in a statement after his imprisonment that if he could do it over, he would kill himself to save their lives. Tisius has a history of mental illness and was a victim of abuse in his childhood.
The jurors in the now nationally known case, including Smith, listened to the arguments and decided that the death penalty was the fitting punishment. But now some of them are having second thoughts. Six of the jurors who were assigned to the trial in 2010 have said that they would either be supportive of a stay of execution or would not object according to the New York Times. A 56-page petition was sent to the governor containing the statements of the jurors about how their thinking may have changed from the trial in 2010. Many of them, including Smith, cited the rough upbringing and abuse that Tisius faced as a major factor in their reversal. There was also an instance of a juror who was contacted by the legal team of Tisius who claimed he could not read English, this led to an order by a federal judge for the execution to be delayed, but the order was eventually overturned by an appeals court.
Smith thought at the time of the trial that the death penalty was a fair punishment. He has since been interviewed by the New York Times about his experience. In the interview, Smith details that he still supports the death penalty in certain cases and that he now believes a just punishment for Tisius would include life in prison, not execution. Smith said that new information revealed to him by Tisius' legal team swayed his thinking. Until recently, Smith did not know of the mental deficiencies being faced by Tisius at the time, and no longer thinks that he should be executed. Smith said in the interview that he feels remorse for his decision against Tisius and that he feels he wronged him.
Tisius has shown good behavior throughout the entirety of his imprisonment. Documents from his psychiatrist read that Tisius has learned self-control since his young age, he was only 19 at the time of the crime, as well as a greater sense of empathy for others. In his last 23 years in prison, Tisius has pursued art as an escape and form of rehabilitation.