Waiting To Die: Your Questions Answered (Alia Blackburn)

News 10's Alia Blackburn was one of four media witnesses to see the federal executions on behalf of WTHI-TV.

"it makes you a stronger storyteller... and a stronger journalist... to see something like that... and i feel like if you can see that, you can see, or cover, anything."

It's been a month since the last in a string of federal executions was carried out at the prison here in terre haute.

4 news 10 journalists, all women, served as media witnesses to document 13-executions.

You'll remember... the government resumed federal executions this summer after a 17-year hiatus.

These were the inmates put to death.

Many of them were convicted of horrific crimes against children.

Federal executions could be halted once again.

The biden administration is publically anti-death penalty.

News 10's alia blackburn served as a media witness to 2-federal executions.

I sat down with alia to learn more about her experience.

Jon: alongside news 10's alia blackburn, i'm jon swaner... and we're talking with our media witnesses from the federal executions that were held late last year and early this year... and alia, you got to see two of those executions.

Alia: the first execution was of keith nelson.

He was convicted for kidnapping and murdering a young girl from kansas city, kansas.

The second was christopher vialva.

That one was a little bit more "high profile", i guess, in comparison to keith nelson, but that crime happened in texas... and he was convicted for the deaths of two youth ministers.

So that was also a very tragic story as well.

Jon: the invitation was sent out to everybody in the newsroom to be a media witness.

Four women answered the call, all women, answered the call in this case.

Why did you choose to be a part of this group?

Alia: i think as a journalist, and even as someone living in the terre haute area, you have that curiosity about what goes on behind prison walls at the federal prison.

There's just so much unknowns that a lot of people don't know... but as a taxpayer, you also want to know what's going on behind those prison walls as well.

So for me, i think it was just out of a lot of curiosity and i just really wanted to see it for myself.

Jon: how has it changed you as a journalist?

You talk about how it's made you a better storyteller, what else do you think in how its impacted you?

Alia: our job is to always be impartial, but you know, this really does allow you to see both sides of a horrific situation.

The victim's families, you see that hurt and that pain from the crime that put everybody in this situation.... and then you see the other side of the inmate, and they have a family too.

You know, and they're hurting because someone they love is also no longer here.

Jon: would you do this again, if given the opportunity?

Alia: you know, i ask myself that a lot.

If it really came down to it and i was absolutely needed to be there for my job, on behalf of our station, i would do it... but would i be first in line to do this again?

No."

Sto this is just a portion of my conversation with alia.

You can also hear from 2-other media witnesses.

News 10's rondrell moore sat down with moore sat rondrell news 10's rondrell moore sat down with heather good and patrece dayton spoke with sarah lehman.

You can hear a portion of both interviews tonight at 5, 6, 10, and 11.

You can find the full conversations with heather, alia,