This is sad to me because, above and beyond hating the death penalty, it highlights how American justice just doesn't have anything to do with a person who wrongs the people making up for it.... Ugh. And it isn't even like he is asking for a permanent stay of execution or anything like that, in this case.... Depressing.
If they really want to execute him, let him donate his entire liver -- at least they won't have to pay for a execution. But that is also unethical... I guess they don't want death row to become an organ strip mining business, even though it would probably be quite cost-effective.
Who cares if he's remembered as a hero? He's been imprisioned for his crime and will be put to death for it. He has a chance to save an innocent life and give some meaning to his own, and all it gets him is a little (painful) clemency time for his trouble. You're sentencing 2 people to death for the crime committed by one of them. This is what's known as redemption, and it's nice that in the current political atmosphere all of that is so quickly just thrown out the window all in the name of revenge. Guess we skipped the whole Jesus part of the Bible now, didn't we kids.