The following is a list of people executed in the U.S. state of Arkansas before 1972, when capital punishment was briefly abolished by the Supreme Court's ruling in Furman v. Georgia . For people executed after the restoration of capital punishment by the Supreme Court's ruling in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), see List of people executed in Arkansas. [1] [2]
Historically, all executions in Arkansas were carried out locally by hanging. In May 1913, [3] hanging was officially replaced by electrocution, and executions were moved to a single execution chamber at the state penitentiary. A test electrocution was carried out on a steer and its first execution that September cost the state $702. [4] State law also prohibited newspapers from publishing details of the executions. [5] A few more hangings were carried out by exception for convictions prior to the change. In 1933, the electric chair, nicknamed "Old Sparky", was moved from the state penitentiary to Tucker Prison Farm. [6]
Name | Race | Age | Date of execution | County | Crime | Victim(s) | Governor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lee Simms | Black | September 5, 1913 | Prairie | Rape | Female, white [7] | George Washington Hays | |
Omer Davis | White | 18 | September 11, 1913 | Logan | Murder | Nellie Moneyhun, 25, white [8] | |
Ed King | Black | December 12, 1913 | Ashley | Murder | Will Woods, white (deputy sheriff) [5] | ||
Will King | Black | March 14, 1914 | Poinsett | Murder | James Chandler, white (deputy sheriff) [9] [a] | ||
Fred Pelton | Black | March 28, 1914 | Lincoln | Murder | Melvina Hatton, black [10] | ||
Arthur Tillman | White | 23 | July 15, 1914 | Logan | Murder | Amanda Stephens, 19, white (lover) [11] | |
Will Neeley | Black | December 8, 1914 | Union | Murder | |||
Arthur Hodges | White | 21 | December 18, 1914 | Clark | Murder | Morgan Garner, white (constable) [12] | |
Clay Simms | Black | March 19, 1915 | Desha | Murder | |||
Walter Owens | Black | April 2, 1915 | Craighead | Murder | Laura Cogsdale, white [13] | ||
John Hall | Black | Murder | Walter Robinson, black [14] | ||||
Sam Derrick | White | July 28, 1915 | Monroe | Murder | John Verdun, white [15] | ||
John Hawkins | Black | March 13, 1917 | Little River | Murder-Robbery | Mrs. Diles and her child, white [16] | Charles Hillman Brough | |
Henry Smith | Black | March 31, 1917 | Crittenden | Murder | |||
Aaron Johnson | Black | June 22, 1917 | Desha [b] | Murder | R. L. Rutherford, white [17] | ||
Tom Diggs | Black | 39 | Conway | Murder | Mrs. R. L. Hoggard, 78, white [18] | ||
Solomon Daffron [19] | Black | July 26, 1918 | Polk | Murder | |||
Ben Caughron | White | August 23, 1918 | Polk | Murder | Charles Kirkland, white (deputy sheriff) [20] | ||
Vick Tobay | Native American | 24 | August 14, 1920 | Washington | Murder-Robbery | C. C. Smith, white [21] | |
Charlie Cooper | Black | November 19, 1920 | Ouachita | Murder | Ollie Pickett, white [22] | ||
Revertia Reynolds | Black | April 29, 1921 | Lincoln | Murder | Thomas Chipman McRae | ||
Virgil Clarke | Black | June 17, 1921 | Chicot | Murder | |||
Amos Ratcliff | White | 24 | October 14, 1921 | Carroll | Murder | Winford Frazier, white [23] | |
John Price | Black | December 30, 1921 | Phillips | Murder | |||
James Wells | Black | 18 | March 10, 1922 | Drew | Murder | Peter Trene, white [24] | |
E. G. Bullen | White | 50 | February 2, 1923 | Ashley | Murder | Ira N. Culp, white [25] | |
Ben Richardson | White | 19 | |||||
Duncan Richardson | White | 29 | |||||
Will Debord | White | Stone | Murder | Mr. and Mrs. William Silsby, white [26] | |||
Herbert Sease | White | 40 | July 27, 1923 | Baxter | Murder | R. H. Davidson, white [27] | |
John Owens | White | August 24, 1923 | Little River | Murder | Hugh Throckmorton, white [28] | ||
Joe Sullivan | White | 34 | April 18, 1924 | Pulaski | Murder | George W. Moore, white (sergeant detective) [29] | |
Will Bettis | Black | June 27, 1924 | Crawford | Murder-Rape | Female, white [30] | ||
Spurgeon Ruck | Black | ||||||
Park Flowers | Black | June 26, 1925 | Columbia | Murder | Ed Shirley, white [31] | Tom Terral | |
Jack Buster | Black | Jefferson | Murder | Grover C. Payne, white [32] | |||
J. C. Kelley | White | 30 | November 13, 1925 | Pulaski | Murder-Robbery | James Harrod Fretwell, 19, white [33] | |
Tyrus Clark | White | January 8, 1926 | Benton | Murder-Robbery | L. M. Stout, white [34] | ||
Aaron Harris | Black | Ashley | Murder | Scott Struter, white (deputy sheriff) [35] | |||
Lee Walker | Black | February 5, 1926 | Union | Murder-Robbery | Ira M. Hudson, 45, white [36] | ||
Roy Edmons | Black | ||||||
Clint Mason | Black | February 12, 1926 | Ouachita | Murder | J. M. Moore, white [37] | ||
Ishman Jones | Black | ||||||
Cephus Johnson | Black | ||||||
John Canady | Black | ||||||
Albert Jones | Black | June 9, 1926 | Mississippi | Murder | Female, black [38] | ||
Willie Martin | Black | 36 | Pulaski | Murder | Lena Blevins, 28, white [39] [c] | ||
Lonnie Dixon | Mixed [d] | 17 | June 24, 1927 | Pulaski | Murder-Rape | Floella McDonald, 12, white [40] | John Ellis Martineau |
Horace Cathey | Black | September 2, 1927 | Monroe | Murder | |||
Booker Martin | Black | ||||||
Will McKenzie | Black | March 30, 1928 | Ouachita | Murder | Harvey Parnell | ||
Willie Eutsey | Black | ||||||
Sinner Brown | Black | July 10, 1928 | Hempstead | Murder | |||
Pete Robinson | Black | September 10, 1928 | Union | Murder-Robbery | J. H. Brock, white [41] | ||
Ben Evers | Black | January 24, 1930 | Arkansas | Murder | Perry Miller, white (DeWitt city marshal) [42] | ||
John Green | Black | 28 | March 21, 1930 | Little River | Murder-Robbery | Ed Dubley and Bud Morgan, 25 and 50, white [43] | |
Mack Brown | Black | 27 | |||||
Ambrosia Alford | Black | June 20, 1930 | Ouachita | Murder-Robbery | Sam Katz, white [44] | ||
Bud Nolan | Black | July 25, 1930 | Little River | Murder-Robbery | Ed Dubley and Bud Morgan, 25 and 50, white [45] | ||
W. H. Howell | White | 62 | August 15, 1930 | Crawford | Murder | Three people, white [46] [e] | |
George Washington | Black | 30 | November 14, 1930 | Pulaski | Murder-Robbery | W. H. Roberts, white [47] | |
James Turnage | Black | 29 | |||||
Eddie Long | Black | Murder-Robbery | J. W. Reed, white (alderman) [48] | ||||
Willie Davis | Black | ||||||
James Lawson | Black | July 31, 1931 | Bradley | Murder | |||
Louie McBryde | Black | July 8, 1932 | Clark | Murder | William McClain, white [49] | ||
Freeling Daniels | Black | 34 | November 25, 1932 | Miller | Rape | Female, 13, white [50] | |
George Hill | Black | 19 | June 30, 1933 [f] | Phillips | Rape | Female, white [6] | Junius Marion Futrell |
Woodie Williams | Black | 40 | July 14, 1933 | Pulaski | Murder-Robbery | Carthel H. Atwood, 20, white [51] | |
Len McDaniels | Black | December 8, 1933 | Lonoke | Murder | |||
J. C. Banks | Black | 24 | Pulaski | Murder | Mark M. Goodson, 44, white [52] | ||
Benjamin Butler | Black | February 9, 1934 | Craighead | Murder | Mildred Temple, black [53] | ||
Luther Jackson | Black | 25 | May 11, 1934 | Pulaski | Murder-Robbery | Phillip Windecker, 72, white [54] | |
Purcell Mitchell | Black | 21 | November 2, 1934 | Union | Murder-Robbery | Lee L. Ward, 69, white [55] | |
Robert Rose | White | 27 | February 23, 1935 | Independence | Murder | Everett Wheeler, white (deputy sheriff) [56] | |
Frank Barnes | White | 50 | March 1, 1935 | Mississippi | Murder-Robbery | C. A. Martin, white [57] | |
Mark Shank | White | 43 | March 8, 1935 | Saline | Murder | Four people, white [58] [g] | |
Tom Freeman | Black | 28 | August 23, 1935 | Chicot | Murder | Armanda Brown, black (common-law wife) [59] | |
Paul Nelson | White | 23 | September 28, 1935 | Jackson | Murder-Robbery | B. F. Mitchell, white [60] | |
Bill Barnes | White | 22 | Mississippi | Murder-Robbery | C. A. Martin, white [57] | ||
Frank Dobbs | White | 40 | November 11, 1935 | Saline | Murder-Robbery | Fannie Orr, white [61] | |
Mack Nelson | Black | 23 | December 13, 1935 | Mississippi | Murder | ||
Ben Hawkins | Black | ||||||
Roy House | White | 22 | October 23, 1936 | Garland | Murder-Robbery | Tom Menser, white [62] | |
Dennis Turner | White | 47 | November 6, 1936 | Calhoun | Murder | Female, 32, white (ex-wife) [63] | |
Farlander McCormick | Black | December 11, 1936 | Drew | Murder-Robbery | Emaline Lee, black [64] | ||
Beverley White | Black | ||||||
Willie Smith | Black | 19 | |||||
Clinton Medlock | Black | 29 | April 23, 1937 | Calhoun | Murder | Roy Speer, white [65] | Carl E. Bailey |
James Austin Jr. | Black | 22 | May 14, 1937 | Garland | Murder-Robbery | John McTigrit, 55, white (Hot Springs police officer) [66] | |
Tom M. Hutto | White | September 3, 1937 | Union | Murder | |||
Sandy Edwards | Black | 65 [67] | September 24, 1937 | Hempstead | Murder | ||
Jessie Amos | Black | October 15, 1937 | Lonoke | Rape | |||
Duncan Pigue | Black | February 4, 1938 | Lonoke | Murder | |||
Leroy Ware | Black | February 25, 1938 | Ashley | Murder | |||
Willie Noble | Black | 25 | March 11, 1938 | Miller | Murder-Robbery | Joseph Hawkes, 61, white [68] | |
Lester Brockelhurst | White | 23 | March 18, 1938 | Lonoke | Murder-Robbery | Victor Gates, 57, white [69] [h] | |
Joe Sims | White | 30 | Saline | Murder | Female, white (wife) [70] | ||
Frank Carter | Black | 26 | June 24, 1938 | Crittenden | Rape | Female, white [71] | |
Theo Thomas | Black | 28 | |||||
Joe Anderson | White | March 10, 1939 | Garland | Murder-Robbery | Eldon Cooley, white [72] [i] | ||
Fred Dickerson | White | May 19, 1939 | |||||
Fred Arnell | Black | 18 | Miller | Rape | Female, white [73] | ||
Sylvester Williams | Black | 20 | June 30, 1939 | Jefferson | Murder-Rape | Irene Taylor, 17, white [74] | |
Bubbles Clayton | Black | Mississippi | Rape | Female, white [75] | |||
James Caruthers | Black | ||||||
Milton Williams | Black | 27 | August 18, 1939 | Pulaski | Murder-Rape | Ruthie Mae Brooks, 5, black [76] | |
James Charles Jr. | Black | 24 | January 19, 1940 | Pulaski | Murder-Robbery | Fred Angeles, 57, white [77] | |
Otis Manning | Black | April 12, 1940 | Union | Murder | |||
Jack Gulley | Black | November 15, 1940 | Nevada | Murder | |||
James Dillard | Black | December 13, 1940 | Desha | Murder | |||
John Mooney | Black | 21 | January 24, 1941 | Woodruff | Murder-Rape | Ruby Montgomery, white [78] | Homer Martin Adkins |
A. C. Payton | Black | May 15, 1941 | Crittenden | Murder | |||
Percy Lewis | Black | June 6, 1941 | Phillips | Murder | W. H. Patton, white [79] | ||
John Henry Riney | Black | June 20, 1941 | Desha | Rape | |||
John Washington | Black | October 11, 1941 | White | Murder | |||
Jimmie Herron | Black | January 23, 1942 | Little River | Murder | |||
Ben Adams | White | 47 | June 5, 1942 | Woodruff | Murder-Robbery | Arthur Bowie, white [80] | |
A. T. Jones | Black | July 31, 1942 | Phillips | Murder | George Miller, white [81] | ||
Stoney Allison | Black | November 20, 1942 | Desha | Rape | Annie Benson, white [82] | ||
A. D. Luckyando | Black | Lonoke | Murder | ||||
Adolph Thomas | Black | March 19, 1943 | Columbia | Murder | |||
Henry Thompson | Black | 44 | August 6, 1943 | Cleveland | Murder-Robbery | Mrs. Henry Vetito, 42, white [83] | |
Seke Mack | Black | June 2, 1944 | Mississippi | Murder | |||
Walker Hudson | Black | July 7, 1944 | Clark | Murder | |||
Jim Tacker | White | July 14, 1944 | Crittenden | Murder | |||
Levi Clingham | Black | December 1, 1944 | Crittenden | Murder | Roy Curtis, white (deputy sheriff) [84] | ||
Tony Brown | Black | 39 | March 30, 1945 | Mississippi | Murder | A. M. Lynch, white [85] | Benjamin T. Laney |
James Yates | Black | May 25, 1945 | Arkansas | Murder | |||
James Wayburn Hall | White | 24 | January 4, 1946 | Pulaski | Murder-Robbery | Fayrene Clemmons Hall, 19, white (wife) [86] [j] | |
Willie Riley | Black | April 12, 1946 | Chicot | Murder | |||
Elton Chitwood | White | 25 | November 22, 1946 | Polk | Murder | Raymond Morris, white [87] | |
Andrew Thomas | Black | 24 | November 29, 1946 | Jefferson | Murder | Female, black (mother-in-law) [88] | |
Clifton Holmes | Black | 26 | January 10, 1947 | Jefferson | Rape | Female, 13, white [89] | |
Albert Hodges | Black | January 17, 1947 | Pulaski | Rape | |||
Jeff Henley Jr. | Black | 20 | January 24, 1947 | Lee | Murder | Mabel Williams, 20, black (wife) [90] | |
Vollie Bill Bates | White | 26 | May 16, 1947 | Polk | Murder | Thomas Lee Dugan, white [91] | |
Lawrence W. Dukes | Black | 40 | August 8, 1947 | St. Francis | Murder-Rape | Mrs. Frank Boyd, 35, white [92] | |
Cubie Lee Johnson | Black | 24 | Pulaski | Murder-Robbery | Henry Williams, black [93] | ||
James H. Hyde | White | February 13, 1948 | Carroll | Murder | Frank Simpson, white [94] | ||
Edmond Pugh | Black | 20 | July 2, 1948 | Pulaski | Rape | Female, 2, black [95] | |
Mizell Palmer | Black | 25 | July 17, 1949 | Pulaski | Rape | Female, white [96] | Sid McMath |
Harvie Rorie | White | July 22, 1949 | Jefferson | Murder | Three people, white [97] [k] | ||
Walter Pierce | Black | December 9, 1949 | Chicot | Murder | |||
Wesley Hildreth | Black | 26 | December 23, 1949 | Phillips [l] | Rape | Female, 21, white [98] | |
Thomas Black | White | 28 | March 10, 1950 | Pulaski | Murder-Rape | Betty Jane McCall, 22, white [99] [m] | |
Hollis Needham | White | 26 | March 17, 1950 | Mississippi | Rape | Female, 8, white [100] | |
Robert L. Smith | White | 41 | April 24, 1950 | Pulaski | Murder | Sallie Mae Barner, white (ex-wife) [101] [n] | |
George Ferguson | Black | 35 | February 23, 1951 | Pulaski | Murder | Durward Miller, 41, white [102] | |
Matthew Ezell | Black | 38 | Mississippi | Murder | Ernestine Harris, 8, black [103] [o] | ||
Aubrey Smith | Black | July 27, 1951 | Phillips [p] | Murder | Ray Campbell, white (deputy sheriff) [104] | ||
Arthur Grays | Black | November 23, 1951 | Mississippi | Murder-Robbery | Homer Tucker, white [105] | ||
Peter Dorsey | Black | Phillips [q] | Murder | Ray Campbell, white (deputy sheriff) [104] | |||
Herman Maxwell | Black | 22 | June 6, 1952 | Hempstead | Rape | Female, white [106] | |
Wilson Wright | Black | August 1, 1952 | Dallas | Murder | |||
Bill Jenkins | Native American | May 7, 1954 | Garland | Murder | Cleo Jones, 16, white [107] | Francis Cherry | |
Leo Scarber | Black | September 21, 1956 | Nevada | Rape | Female, 76, white [108] | Orval Faubus | |
Lawrence Smith | Black | July 24, 1959 | Chicot | Murder | |||
Leo Lee | Black | 56 | September 25, 1959 | Pulaski | Murder | William H. Smith Jr., 25, black [109] [r] | |
William Young | Black | 39 | October 2, 1959 | Mississippi | Murder | Male, white (state patrolman) [110] | |
Thomas Walker | Black | 52 | Crittenden | Murder | |||
J. T. House | Black | 25 | October 23, 1959 | Phillips | Murder | Ernestine Coley, 19, white [111] | |
Arthur Hayes | Black | Mississippi | Murder | ||||
James Moore | Black | 22 | May 13, 1960 | Miller | Murder-Robbery | M. R. Hamm, 76, white [112] | |
Roger Boone | Black | 27 | |||||
Willie Byrd | Black | 22 | May 20, 1960 | ||||
James Boyd | Black | 21 | |||||
William Nail | White | September 16, 1960 | Jefferson | Murder | James Leroy Montgomery, white [113] [s] | ||
Emmett Leggett | White | 23 | Pulaski | Murder | Joe King, 14, white [114] [t] | ||
Lawrence Moore | Black | 21 | October 28, 1960 | Crittenden | Murder-Robbery | Ross Nichols, white [115] | |
John Bracy | Black | 27 | Chicot | Murder-Robbery | Alberta Miles, 76, white [116] | ||
Charles F. Fields | White | January 24, 1964 | Jefferson | Rape | Female, white [117] [u] |
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