I agree with you, bobbins, and more than anything else I agree with your Reason 1. In the present case, after 26 years what can it be but revenge? Revenge is a seductive notion, one you can fall for without realizing it.
Why should justice for a victim be a consideration when deciding whether someone should live or die? A person should be convicted and punished based on the evidence alone, not considerations of justice for victims. It sounds harsh to say it, but "justice" in this sense is pure revenge.