In the Executioner's Shadow

In the Executioner’s Shadow explores justice, injustice and the death penalty. The film interweaves three compelling personal narratives. One is the story of a couple who lost their young, adult daughter to a violent rape and murder. Motivated by their deep religious convictions, Vicki and Sylvester fight to spare the life of their daughter’s killer. Karen, a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing, agonizes to define justice. In the aftermath of the tragedy, she’s torn between the fatal punishment that could be imposed upon a terrorist and the protective instincts of a mother whose son is the same age as the bomber. The fulcrum between these stories is the rarely heard perspective of a former chief executioner. The discovery that an inmate he was scheduled to execute was ultimately exonerated, gives Jerry a profound epiphany that few will ever know.

Opening the minds of viewers to the apprehensions and aspirations of others is the engagement this documentary aims to achieve. By presenting both sides of the controversy the film invites viewers to set aside preconceptions, reserve judgment and reflect on the sort of society we want to be.