Albertan on death row in Montana expects state will end executions

A Canadian man on death rowin MontanaState Prison says he believes he mayget clemency now thatlawmakers in the state legislature are voting next month onwhether to end the death penalty.

"I'm figuring here in the next month,I won't have a death sentence anymore," RonaldAllen Smith told CBC News during an interview in the prison near Deer Lodge, Mt.

The 51-year-old man fromRed Deer, Alta.,is the only Canadianon death rowin the U.S.He was convicted ofkilling two young aboriginal men while hitchhiking in Montana in 1982.

Capital punishment exists in 36 U.S. states, but several,including Montana, are now debating whether to end the practice.

In February, the Montana senate approved a bill that would abolish capital punishment. It's now being debatedby state legislature representatives,who are expected to vote onthe billmid-April.

Smith says he's remorseful

In the interview, Smith told the CBC's Carolyn Dunn that he is a changed man and deserves to live.

"I realize just through interactions with my own family I realize what I've done to the families of the two victims," he said. "So, there's no doubt there's a lot of remorse. I'd give anything to be able go back and change that day. I can't."

On Aug. 4, 1982,Smith shot and killed 20-year-old Thomas Running Rabbit Jr.and 23-year-old Harvey Madman Jr. near Glacier National Park in Montana. He marched the two cousinsinto the woods bythe highway and shot them both in the head with a sawed-off .22-calibre rifle.

Smithinitially pleaded not guilty butwithdrew his not-guilty pleas andpleaded guilty andasked to be executed. The court granted him a death sentence, but he later changed his mind and appealed the decision.

For years, the Canadian government lobbied for his clemency, butunder Stephen Harper's Conservatives, the government changedits mind.

"We will not actively pursue bringing back to Canada murderers who have been tried in a democratic country that supports the rule of law," then public safety minister Stockwell Day told the House of Commons in November 2007.

On March 4,a Federal Court ruledthat the government couldn't suddenly change a policy without adequate explanation and ordered it to resume efforts to win Smith's clemency.

The Canadiangovernment is reviewing theruling to decide whetherto appeal the decision. But that may be mootif Montana votes in favour of abolishing the death penalty. If that happens, Smith's sentence would be reduced tolife imprisonment.

Execution would bring peace to one victim's family

Smith himself seemed conflicted about the possibility of being granted a reprieve.

"It's six-of-one, half-a-dozen of another because in all probability, it means I'll spend the rest of my life sitting in prison," said Smith, whohopestobetransferred to a Canadian prisonto be closer to his family."I'm not real pleased with that thought. So it's a little bit of a relief. But at the same time, I'm stuck here."

For the family of one victim, Smith's executionis the only thing that will bringpeace.

"I wouldn't have to think about it every day," said Thomas Running Rabbit Sr."Every day, I get up, I sit and drink a cup of coffee, and I look at my son's picture and think about it It's just like it happened yesterday. There's no change."