A Montana parole board has recommended against clemency for a Canadian on death row, putting his fate in the hands of the state's governor.
Ronald Smith, convicted of killing two men 30 years ago, apologized to the families of his victims at a clemency hearing earlier this month.
But in a statement Monday to Gov. Brian Schweitzer, the Montana Board of Pardons and Parole said its unanimous decision was to not recommend clemency.
"Whatever final decision is made by you in this matter will result in continued grief and anguish for some, albeit solely as a result of Mr. Smith's actions," the board told Schweitzer.
Smith pleaded guilty to killing Thomas Running Rabbit and Harvey Mad Man Jr. in 1982. After rejecting a plea deal that would have saved his life, he opted for the death penalty.
However, Smith changed his mind before his scheduled execution in 1983, and has been fighting to have his sentence commuted ever since.
"The testimony presented by witnesses both supporting and opposing clemency for Mr. Smith was compelling and heartfelt," the board said in its letter to Schweitzer.
"The level of intensity of emotional testimony from both members of Mr. Smith's family and the extended family and friends of his victims, Mr. Mad Man Jr. and Mr. Running Rabbit, was unprecedented in the experience of the Board."
During the clemency hearing, the son of Thomas Running Rabbit told the board that Smith should pay for killing his father and Mad Man because he never showed his victims mercy.
He said he would fight for justice until "Ronald Smith's last breath."
Smith said he understood the pain and suffering he had caused his victims' families.
"I wish there was some way I could take it back. I can't," he said.
Smith's sister, Rita Duncan, also spoke at the hearing.
"I honestly do not know what I would do without my brother by my side. I can't bear the thought of losing another brother and I'm sorry if this sounds selfish. I don't know what I would do without him," said Duncan, asking for mercy.
The Red Deer, Alta., native was 24 when he and accomplice Rodney Munro murdered Running Rabbit and Mad Man near East Glacier, Mont.
Munro was returned to Canada under an extradition treaty in 1983. He is currently serving a 60-year sentence for his role in the crimes at a federal prison in Abbotsford, B.C.
