Even debating the death penalty is a complete waste of time, and worse, a distraction from reality. The real issue to be dealt with before you get anywhere near debating appropriate punishment is the completely dysfunctional criminal justice system. First you have to be able to investigate a crime, then you have to identify and charge a perpetrator, then you have to prosecute and find him (her) guilty. Then go through multiple appeals and maybe, finally, eventually, apply a suitable punishment. With our completely dysfunctional criminal justice system, talking about the death penalty is meaningless, and worse, a diversion of attention from the real issue. It's a useless "feel good" thing. Kill the bastards, until you are mistakenly identified as the bastard.
The death penalty is the last thing you think about, not the first.
If you think about truck drivers being killed by rocks flung at their vehicles, at cash-in-transit heists, at grand corruption, all the examples of colluding criminal malice for mutual enrichment that is engulfing us, it all points to a total collapse and capture of crime intelligence. Crime intelligence is the heart of crime PREVENTION, so crimes do not have to be solved. And when they cannot be prevented they can be solved and the perpetrators punished.