Hausner sends handwritten letter asking to be executed - New York News | NYC Breaking News

Death row inmate Dale Shawn Hausner has sent a handwritten letter to the Arizona Supreme Court, asking that no more appeals be filed and to be executed immediately.

Dale Shawn Hausner was convicted in 2009 of murdering six people and wounding 18 others in random nighttime shootings in 2006. Pedestrians, bicyclists and animals were targeted. He was dubbed the Serial Shooter and terrorized Phoenix residents for more than a year.

"I want to be served with my death warrant and to be executed as soon as possible," Hausner wrote.

In the letter, Hausner thanked his lawyers and stated he was going against their advice. "I appreciate their efforts, but it is my choice and I want to waive all the rest of my appeals," he said.

He also noted that he has had two psychiatric evaluations and was determined to be of sound mind and capable of making his own decisions.

It can take as long as 20 years for death sentences to make their way through all the appeals processes.

One week ago, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously upheld his death sentences and all of his 80 convictions except one count of animal cruelty. That appeal was mandatory -- all others are voluntary.

A legal expert we talked to says it's very rare for death row inmates to do this. He suspects Hausner will be ordered to have a competency hearing. A judge will likely decide what happens from there. He says the process could take months, possibly as long as a couple years.

The attorney general's office says the bottom line is this letter really doesn't change much. Hausner is still looking at a long legal battle.

The average amount of time an inmate spends on death row is 18 years.