The Death Penalty

I'm a moderately pro-life libertarian.  I don't really know much about the death penalty yet, and haven't formulated a position on it yet.  My initial inclination is to be against it, but I'm not sure yet.  If anyone has some strong views on this from a libertarian perspective, and would like to influence me, speak up, now is the time. 

>>1 The death penalty is a last, cowardly resort, a sweeping under the rug to gain some kind of contended closure. States with the DP have higher murder rates anyway, and I don't think the penalty curbs jack. If you use your liberty of owning/using a gun to kill someone innocent, you've voided your right to the gun and your liberty to walk on the streets, not your life. The DP is a direct reflection of the perverted, vindictive, hang-'em-high morality of fundamentalist American protestants.