"God is the creator of life and God alone is responsible for taking life," she said. "That is a judgment I would not want on my conscience."

Ms. Wilhelm said Delaware calls itself the First State because it was the 1st to "sign a Constitution guaranteeing human rights." But with a death penalty still on the books, "how do those 2 fit together?" she asked.

Camden attorney Sandra Dean carried a sign reading "Abolish the death penalty." Ms. Dean works as a public defender in Kent County.

"I represented David Lawrie in Family Court the day before the murders, so I've followed this case more closely than some others," Ms. Dean said. "It was a completely unremarkable hearing, like many others. I remember his wife asked for him not to go to jail. She just wanted him to leave her alone."

According to court records, Lawrie and his estranged wife had a confrontation in which he threatened to kill her. She had him arrested for terroristic threatening and offensive touching. He pleaded guilty to terroristic threatening in Family Court on Aug. 5, 1992, and was released with orders to have no contact with his wife.

A day later, Michelle Lawrie and 3 young children were dead.

Ms. Dean said she remains firmly against Delaware's capital punishment law. She also said she's not the only member of the legal community with that view.

"I think there's a sad lack of people from the bar and clergy here today," she said. "Those are the groups that should be out here."

Jonathan Pearson, acting deputy director for Amnesty International's mid-Atlantic region office in Washington, D.C., added his support. He said his organization stands firmly against capital punishment in any form.

"Tonight, the state of Delaware is going to continue the cycle of violence," he said.

"Tonight the state of Delaware is going to continue the cycle of killing, and tonight the state of Delaware is going to continue the cycle of premeditated killing. . . . There are hundreds of thousands of other people who share your beliefs. Keep fighting."

Donald Goldsborough, 28, of Smyrna, stopped his truck with the pro-death penalty sign to talk with a reporter.

"I think it's a good deterrent, for one thing," he said. "It's not full payment, but when somebody is found guilty of murder, it's part of a way to pay. I believe God would have the state penalize people who commit murder that way."

Mr. Goldsborough said he became interested in the Lawrie case because his brother-in-law used to work for the family of one of the victims.

Was he surprised to hear Lawrie stabbed 3 prison guards late Wednesday?"Just a little bit, but then again, no," he said. "Anybody capable of committing the crime he committed could do that too, so I guess it's not too surprising."

David LAWRIE

Dover resident David J. Lawrie, who murdered his wife and three young children during a drug-induced rage in 1992, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection April 23 at the Delaware Correctional Center in Smyrna. 

Lawrie, 37, has been on Delaware's death row since July 1993. He was sentenced to death after a jury voted 9-3 that the aggravating circumstances of his crime far outweighed any mitigating factors.  He was convicted following the Aug. 6, 1992, deaths of his estranged wife, 25-year-old Michelle Lawrie, two of the couple's children and a neighbor's child. 

Testimony and court documents revealed that Lawrie, who lived two blocks away, broke in the front door of his wife's home just south of the Dover city limits. He said he had spent a sleepless night, high on cocaine, and was angry at her because she had filed for divorce. 

The hour was early and Michelle Lawrie was home. So were two of the couple's children - 2-year-old Tabatha and Fawn, 4. Michelle also was babysitting two other children, Charles Humbertson, 3, and Charles' sister, Lisa, who was 7.  A third Lawrie child, Marcus, 7, lived with David Lawrie. 

After kicking in the front door, Lawrie poured gasoline throughout the residence while Michelle and the children were still inside.  He then broke into a bedroom where Michelle, their daughters, and the other 2 children were hiding, stabbed Michelle in the chest, and escaped through a window. 

Only Lisa Humbertson, then 8 years old, survived. She testified that Michelle handed her out the window to her estranged husband, but when Michelle tried to escape, he shoved her back inside.  Her brother, Charles, and two of the Lawries' children, Fawn and 2-year-old Tabitha, died in the fire along with Michelle. 

Lisa was treated at the hospital for minor injuries and released.  Lawrie left the fire scene and ran almost a mile to a stranger's house.  Bloodied and dazed, he told the man he had just hurt his wife and kids and asked him to call police. He surrendered without incident. 

Autopsy reports from the state Medical Examiner's Office reported Michelle died of stab wounds to her chest and smoke inhalation. The three children also died of smoke inhalation.