Crossing the River Styx: The Memoir of a Death Row Chaplain

by Professor Russell Allen Ford, Todd C. Peppers, Charles Peppers

The Reverend Russ Ford, who served as the head chaplain on Virginia’s death row for eighteen years, raged against the inequities of the death penalty—now outlawed in Virginia—while ministering to the men condemned to die in the 1980s and 1990s. Ford stood watch with twenty-eight men, sitting with them in the squalid death house during the final days and hours of their lives. In July 1990 he accidentally almost became the 245th person killed by Virginia’s electric chair as he comforted Ricky Boggs in his last moments, a vivid episode that opens this haunting book.

Many chaplains get to know the condemned men only in these final moments. Ford, however, spent years working with the men of Virginia’s death row, forging close bonds with the condemned and developing a nuanced understanding of their crimes, their early struggles, and their challenges behind bars. His unusual ministry makes this memoir a unique and compelling read, a moving and unflinching portrait of Virginia’s death row inmates. Revealing the cruelties of the state-sanctioned violence that has until recently prevailed in our backyard, Crossing the River Styx serves as a cautionary tale for those who still support capital punishment.

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2023

Reviews

[G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Love is the safest way to bring darkness to light... Love reaches to the core of our beings and begins unraveling the Gordian knot. Love releases primordial energies, conquers fear, and leads the way through the labyrinth of death even for the dying."

This is a deeply moving read that forced me to confront my own beliefs around faith, justice and the nature of good and evil. I appreciate that Reverend Ford, a fierce opponent of the death penalty, did not hide the horrible nature of the crimes committed by those on death row. He put those crimes into context with information on the condemned's background, as well as how they have (or have not) changed since their time on death row. There was no defense of their crime, though there was discussion of how factors such as mental health and substance abuse impacted the situation. Likewise, the conditions on death row and the grisly reality of "old sparky" and lethal injection were not shied away from.

This book was equal parts fascinating and horrifying. State sanctioned murder is a very strange concept I had not thought much about, much less had I considered the logistics. This book included details such as the death row inmates hearing the electric chair being tested in the days proceeding their execution and how the timing of state executions was changed in response to concerns for overtime. What a uniquely cruel concept judicial homicide is.

For me, I struggle to accept that the men who committed these horrific crimes deserve an ounce of peace or comfort, especially some of the men in this book who committed purely evil offenses against children. This book doesn't necessarily tell me I'm wrong to feel that way - but it does make me question what that says about me and the kind of person I want to be. This book will stick with me for a long time.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to rate and difficult to review. Chaplain Ford definitely revealed the horrors of death row and the uncaring system that used it for too long. Virginia was not the only state to utilize this form of punishment. Although Virginia no longer does, many other states still do put people to death for their crimes. As he told the stories of some of the various men who were executed because of their heinous crimes, he shared that there were those whose lives were changed before their execution. The reader has to wonder how much more they might have accomplished had their execution been stayed and instead, they had served a life sentence. Many of the people on death row never stood a chance in society. They slipped through cracks because of abuse, neglect, poverty and an uncaring society. At some point, the comment is made that the criminal and the crime might not have happened if the system addressed the root cause at the beginning of their lives rather than at the end. Most of the executions described in the book took place in the 80s and 90s. I wonder why the author waited so long to tell his story. Perhaps sharing this story sooner would have raised an awareness earlier of the inhumanity of the system using the death sentence as punishment for crimes.

[Rob McClintock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, you knew going in that this would be a tough book to read. There were some gruesome descriptions of absolutely heinous crimes committed by the inmates on death row, and Chaplain Ford certainly gives those adequate coverage. Likewise, the conditions within the prisons, the often cavalier, and in some cases, deviant behavior of corrections officials is also covered. We get a detailed description of the uneven legal representation afforded to most of the offenders, a broad understanding of the depth and breadth of mental illness of the incarcerated, and the barbaric procedures used for decades to inflict capital punishment in Virginia. We get a strong dose of what it was like to be a spiritual advisor to these especially bad inmates, and how it inflicted a toll on the chaplains and administrators, and families of victims and the inmates alike. I did not realize how much more it cost in dollar terms to execute a person versus keeping them locked up for life. Virginia abolished the death penalty in 2020, but 27 states still have it in place, plus there is no guarantee that given certain political outcomes that it could not be reinstated. Mr. Ford has built a strong case against capital punishment based on his up front and very personal experiences as a chaplain to the worst of humanity; his story is a powerful testimony for those who care about exacting appropriate justice. He also highlights a few cases, where through ongoing counseling, the condemned inmates truly came to express remorse for their actions and came to a place of peace with their maker before their executions. Tough sledding overall, and I appreciate Ford getting his notes down in book form, well after his retirement from chaplain service.

[Darren Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

For transparency, I know Charles and Todd Peppers personally, but attempt to give my honest reelections on the book here.

This memoir carries tremendous weight. Through Professor Russell Allen Ford stories as a chaplain on Virginia's death row, it reveals the harsh realities inmates faced, including the prevalence of untreated mental illness and impact of drugs outside and inside the prison system. What surprised me most was the spiritual awaking that occurred for many of these men. Many of whom, under Ford's spiritual care, went to the electric chair with a sense of peace, many even telling Ford "I love you" in their final moments.

It's not an easy book to read, but it's an important one. Crossing the River Styx: The Memoir of a Death Row Chaplain challenges assumptions, exposes injustice, and ultimately affirms the humanity of us all, even the most condemned.

[Cheryl Smith]

Death Row Chaplain

Told through the eyes and heart of a chaplain who journeyed with many men to their execution. The narrative makes clear the cost, not only to the executed, but to those who try to provide compassion and guidance along the way. The cost is extreme and too much as made clear by the real-time stories in the book. Those who agree or disagree with the death penalty would benefit by reading this testimony.

[Tracy Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book. It was interesting to read about the relationships that Reverend Ford had with people. He made them seem very human. Having been through the experiences he had weighed heavily on Reverend Ford. I was really moved by some of the stories and even the struggles he went through as chaplain.

[Julie Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a moving memoir of Chaplain Ford and his experience with dozens of death row inmates. He had a calling from God and beautifully honored the Lord by treating the inmates with love and compassion during their journey, even bringing many of them to repentance for their crimes.
Needed to hear these stories of grace and forgiveness, especially in the current state of the world; a reminder to treat our fellow man as we would like to be treated. How loved are we that Jesus Christ paid for our sins by laying down His life….God is so good!

[Cheryl Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up close look into the experiences of convicted killers as they approach their state sanctioned killings along with the experience of the chaplain who walked with them. The story is told with an eye toward the suffering caused to both sides.

[Sinem Sarsilmaz Muhtaroğlu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of inspiration

[Bethany]

It was interesting getting an inside look into Virginia's death row and prison system. It's definitely not a book I would have read if it wasn't for book club.

[Jessica Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but I didn’t feel like there was closure to any of the stories.

[Morgan Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is obviously a heavier read. It felt really important to read about this subject, though the storytelling-style sort of bored me at times.

[Kerie Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

bought this from a little bookshop on Vancouver Island, a fascinating read !

[Patrick Weseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Such an amazing book. Russ Ford does such a great job in his reflection of the men and more importantly their spirits. A must read.