A man on death row for a 1998 murder asks Utah's parole board for mercy

Utah officials are hearing testimony about whether a man facing execution should be spared the death penalty and remain imprisoned for life. The two-day commutation hearing began Monday for Taberon Dave Honie, who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend's mother in 1998. His execution is scheduled for Aug. 8 and would be Utah’s first since 2010. His attorneys blame poor legal advice for allowing him to be sentenced by a judge instead of a jury that might have been more sympathetic to him and spared him death. A decision on the commutation request is expected at a later date.