10 brutal killers on California death row who have been saved by execution moratorium

Some of America's most notorious killers have been spared the death penalty by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday halting the death penalty in his state, providing reprieve for 737 death row inmates.

“The intentional killing of another person is wrong and as governor, I will not oversee the execution of any individual,” the Democrat said Wednesday. “Our death penalty system has been, by all measures, a failure.”

Newsom's executive order will not permanently abolish the death penalty in the Golden State. The moratorium on executions will last while Newsom remains governor of California, and his successor could reverse course. Abolishing the death penalty in California can only be done through the state legislature or voter initiative. The state has not executed anyone since 2006.

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