BIOGRAPHY (S08,E06) - Gary Gilmore: A Fight to Die (1996)

DVD-209

Program 1: BIOGRAPHY (S08,E06) - Gary Gilmore: A Fight to Die (1996).

Overview: He came to fame not for who he was, or even what he did, but what happened to him. His death by firing squad marked the return of capital punishment to the American justice system. Gary Gilmore was never any good. An abused child, he was in trouble for most of his life, in and out of correctional facilities for a string of ever more serious crimes. But he made history when he was sentenced to death for a pair of murders he committed in 1976. BIOGRAPHY interviews friends, family and corrections and law enforcement officials to create a comprehensive chronicle of Gilmore's life. Former girlfriend Nicole Henry talks about their short, sordid affair that ended immediately before his spree. Prosecutors recall the trial, while wardens revisit Gilmore's fight to die. Through extensive archival footage and news coverage, the debate over capital punishment that Gilmore's case brought on is examined, as well as the legacy of his execution. This is the compelling story of the born loser who ended up lobbying for his own death.