CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The Kentucky State Supreme Court is going to hear a case that would send chills down anyone's spine.
A convicted murderer isn't fighting for his life. Instead he's involved in the fight for his death.
Marco Chapman wants the high court to move up his execution date.
He's from Kanawha County, but is on death row in Kentucky for raping and stabbing a young mother and killing her two small children.
Chapman is on Death Row. He's a man who wants to die sooner, rather than later.
Chapman said, “You'd have to be surely screwed up to kill a child.”
With his hands held tight, and a face that showed little emotion, March Chapman talked about life and death decisions. In a controversial twist, this death row inmate isn't appealing his execution, he's fighting to make it happen faster.
He said, “Me living, their children dead. I'm ready to accept my fate."
Back in 2002, at a home in Warsaw, Kentucky, Chapman, in a drunken rage, brutally raped and stabbed a young mother Carolyn Marksberry. Then he stabbed all three of her children. 7 year old Chelbi Sharon and 6 year old Cody Sharon died. Carolyn and her ten year old daughter Courtney survived.
Chapman was from Cabin Creek in West Virginia.
Within hours of the murders, he was back in Kanawha County, caught and arrested after being spotted at a convenience store.
He never denied his guilt and instead has been fighting to be put to death ever since, “I took 2 lives, they should be able to take mine."
The case is unprecedented in Kentucky. The battle is built on the argument that moving up Chapman's execution date is court assisted suicide. Chapman readily admits that he's begging for death because life in prison is not worth the wait.
Chapman said, “A life sentence here would be death. There's no life here, you're just existing and death is just something they're going to do eventually."
He says he can see clearly now and realizes the true impact of what he's done. In Marco's mind, death is the only answer, “Like I said I can't ask for forgiveness, but I'd like them to know how sorry I truly am."
He also knows that sorry won't bring back Cody and Chelbi. It can never erase the pain their mother and sister still feel today, “I'm ready to have closure on this thing and give the family closure."
Now, the high court must decide if he should be forced to live longer with what he's done, or if his mind and life can be put to rest. It’s a fight to the death that might never bring peace for anyone involved.
Other inmates have asked for voluntary executions. But Chapman's case is groundbreaking because he waived his right to a trial, sentencing by jury and is begging to be sentenced to death.
The Kentucky Supreme Court will soon rule on his request to stop all appeals and issue the death warrant.
If the court approves, Chapman could be put to death as early as late June.