Comment: This is a canard.  Most murders committed in rage are covered by the hot-blood exception to the murder rule.  Second-degree murder or even manslaughter are appropriate.

You say the "The death penalty does not act as a deterrent because most capital offenses are committed in a state of rage."  But murder committed in a state of rage is not a 1st degree case, not punishable by death penalty.    Right, for the vast majority of such offenders, the death penalty is not an option, because they don;t have the cool reflection required for 1st degree murder/