It was a blood clot in his lung, not the electric chair, that ultimately killed Joseph M. Giarratano, who spent years on Virginia’s death row and became a well-regarded legal scholar and advocate for prisoners’ rights.
Giarratano died on Oct. 6 at his home in Charlottesville. He was 67.
Joe Giarratano became a household name in Virginia after being found guilty of murder and rape. Speculation around the integrity of his conviction, which was pinned to his own hazy confession, fueled activism for his release.
Giarratano was convicted of the Feb. 4, 1979, rape and capital murder of Michelle Kline and the murder of her mother, Toni Kline, in Norfolk. Giarratano was living with the family…