Did Gollum deserve death?

[Mithalwen]

Raynor, I suggest you might like to rephrase your last post .

"The Woodmen said that there was some new terror abroad..a ghost that drank blood..." is not conclusive proof rather circumstantial evidence and it is no slight on Woodmen to say so.

While I think Gollum had few scruples left at that point, there are many things that an unsophisticated community might regard as terrors, and sometimes people jump to hasty conclusions - especially where children are concerned, cf the story of Gelert ....

And as for Gandalf, it takes the wise one seventy years to twig about the significance of the Ring ... which might affect his credibility ... I can imagine the cross-examination...