1st 3 answers are correct if you can chose multiple :)
Because it was done that way to spread fear and send a message.
It wasn't simply murder, it was a statement.
Explanation: Opinion, if it was a fact, it would have some statistical information
The loyalists believed that the patriots were in fact traitors to the Crown since they were rebelling against Great Britain. The loyalists saw no problem with the way Britain was treating the colonies.