> Ironic part is the same group that says "life is sacred" are also more likely to be pro-capital punishment.

Probably true in the US, but far from reality in Europe.

There is nothing ironic here: capital punishment is supposed to protect life of those who are potential future victims of a crime. It also lifts imbalance between the criminal and the victim. In a country without capital punishment criminals know that their live is protected, while victim does not have such guarantee - even if criminals torture, rape and kill a victim they know that in the worst case they will spend live in prison.

Capital punishment is driven by vengeance. If we are talking about protecting potential future victims, it does absolutely nothing that life in prison doesn't do.

I sincerely doubt that in the moments before committing a crime that could lead to life imprisonment or the death penalty, many perpetrators say to themselves "well I'm going to go ahead and do it because while I might end up in prison for the rest of my life, I won't have to worry about the death penalty." In many, many places, the death penalty would be the easier way out.

Some people, including myself, see life in prison as a fate worse than death.