Flynt Shooter Set To Be Executed
COOPER: Crime and Punishment tonight, on Wednesday, a convicted murderer is scheduled to die by lethal injection in Missouri. Now you may not be familiar with his name, Joseph Paul Franklin, you may not know the names of the 20-something people he killed, in the name of hate, of White Supremacy. You may have heard the name of one of the victims, Hustler's magazine founder, Larry Flint, who is actually now fighting to stop his execution. CNN's Kyung Lah spoke with Franklin on death row.</s>JOSEPH PAUL FRANKLIN, DEATH ROW INMATE: I threw the magazine down on the coffee table, I said I'm going to kill that guy.</s>KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The single unwavering drive in Joseph Paul Franklin, murder. His target, Larry Flint, infamous pornographer, founder and publisher of "Hustler" magazine, which in 1977 featured this controversial photo spread.</s>FRANKLIN: I saw this photo of an inter racial couple having sex. It just made me sick.</s>LAH: Franklin, his hair wild, his gaze unwavering, unblinkingly recalled from death row his murderous spree driven by a hate for Jews, blacks, any whites associated with them. He was a sniper, carrying his rifle and scope in guitar cases. In St. Louis, he gunned down Gerald Gordon. In Madison, Wisconsin, a young interracial couple. In Salt Lake City, Franklin killed two young black men who were jogging with white female friends. In Cincinnati, Ohio, children were not spared, 13 and 14-year-old cousins. Even civil rights leader, Vernon Jordan, shot with Franklin's sniper rifle, but survived. Larry Flint was a target for the white supremacist. (on camera): So you hunted him down?</s>FRANKLIN: Yes, I hunted him down.</s>LAH: You remember the shots ringing out?</s>LARRY FLYNT, PUBLISHER, "HUSTLER" MAGAZINE: Yes, well, just sort of like a hot poker hitting me in my stomach.</s>LAH (voice-over): Flint will never forget March 6, 1978, as he walked to a courthouse where he was facing obscenity charges. The shots like most of Franklin's targets came from a distance. Flynt would barely survive the two bullets that struck him. He would never walk again. By the time the police finally arrested Franklin in September, 1980, at least 22 people were dead. Days away from his execution, Franklin spoke to me from death row about his three-year killing spree.</s>FRANKLIN: Three years, the time Jesus was on his mission from the time he was 30 to 33.</s>LAH (on camera): And what was your mission?</s>FRANKLIN: Well, to try to get a race war started.</s>LAH (voice-over): Franklin showed me a tattoo, dated with time. You can still make out that it is a Grim Reaper. (on camera): Do you think you're a hero to those hate groups?</s>FRANKLIN: Well, that is what they tell me, you know. I would rather people like me than not like me. I would rather be loved than hated.</s>LAH: Even though they're the Nazi parties, and other hate groups.</s>FRANKLIN: Yes, and they are not the only ones who love me though.</s>LAH: Do you feel any hate looking at me?</s>FRANKLIN: Looking at you?</s>LAH: I'm not white.</s>FRANKLIN: Yes, but I have no feeling whatsoever, hatred toward you, especially not a female. You know what I mean.</s>LAH: You shot plenty of women?</s>FRANKLIN: Yes, I know, I know, that is true. You have got a point.</s>LAH (voice-over): Franklin says he is no longer a racist, that he was wrong and sorry for his crimes. He now wants mercy, fighting his upcoming execution any way he can. There is almost no one in his corner, except? (on camera): If you could stop it would you stop it?</s>FLYNT: Yes, I would say put him in prison for the rest of his life.</s>LAH (voice-over): Why? Principle, he is against the death penalty. Amazingly, Flynt has filed a lawsuit trying to stop his own shooter's death, but don't mistake all of this for mercy. (on camera): Is that how you see this? That you're forgiving him at all?</s>FLYNT: I'm not showing him anything, if it was not Joseph Paul Franklin and some other person that shot me my feelings would be the same.</s>LAH (voice-over): And what does Franklin think about the man who he tried to kill but has never met and is now fighting for his life?</s>FRANKLIN: My old pal, Larry.</s>LAH (on camera): I'm pretty sure he wouldn't refer to you as "your old pal."</s>FRANKLIN: I like Larry.</s>LAH (voice-over): But it appears even Flynt's efforts won't stop what awaits Franklin.</s>FRANKLIN: Most people out there are heading for a burning hell and they don't know it.</s>LAH (on camera): Do you think something lies for you on the other side after November 20th?</s>FRANKLIN: Yes, it is not a burning hell. I'm serving the Lord.</s>LAH: I think we're about out of time.</s>FRANKLIN: Well, let's not say that. You just --</s>LAH: Time is important to you now, isn't it?</s>FRANKLIN: Yes, yes, it has been for a long time. And maybe we'll meet again sometime.</s>LAH: Kyung Kah joins me now. This is really fascinating that you were there. Did he seem sorry about the killings because he didn't seem to be during the interview?</s>LAH: Yes, it was really apparent, he would say the words, but certainly he didn't show it. Now, he has had 30 years to think about it. But certainly that apparent sadness was not visible on his face.</s>COOPER: And I know you have news out of the governor's office regarding the execution. What have you heard?</s>LAH: What we have heard out of the governor's office this evening, in fact, is request for clemency out of the governor's office has officially been denied. The court, he has filed with the district security, but as of this airing right now nothing is stopping November 20th. He is scheduled to be executed at 12:01.</s>COOPER: Kyung, appreciate the update. Thank you very much. Up next, confusion over new statin guidelines that could affect millions of people, Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us next.