List of people executed in West Virginia

Last updated

The following is a list of people executed by the U.S. state of West Virginia from 1861 to 1959.

Contents

Capital punishment was abolished in West Virginia in 1965. [1] From 1861 to 1959, 112 people, all male, have been executed in West Virginia, [2] 103 by hanging and 9 by electrocution. [2]

Executions 1861-1959

NameRaceAgesSexDate of executionCrimeVictim(s)Governor
WinthrowBlackMJanuary 1861Unspecified Felony John Letcher
Daniel Grogan?MFebruary 9, 1866MurderAbraham Deems Arthur I. Boreman
Thomas Boice?M
Mortimer Gibboney?MJune 15, 1866
Joseph Eisele WhiteMMarch 6, 1868MurderJoseph Lillenthal and Rudolph Tsutor, white [a]
Labon WalkerWhiteMNovember 28, 1879MurderPatrick Nolan, white [3] Henry M. Mathews
Henry JenkinsBlackMNovember 11, 1881Murder-RobberyWinkfield Saunders, black [4] Jacob B. Jackson
Felix KampfWhite65MMarch 7, 1890MurderWilliam Kampf and Mary Kampf, 18 and 20, white (son and daughter) [b] Aretas B. Fleming
William I. MartinWhite32MOctober 3, 1890MurderFemale, white (wife) [5]
Sim JohnsonBlack18MJune 19, 1891RapeAlice Bailey, 16, white [6] [7]
William MaierWhite23MNovember 17, 1892MurderMarie Maier, 20, white [8] [9]
Allen HarrisonWhite25MNovember 22, 1892MurderBettie Adams, 16, white (girlfriend) [10]
John HardyBlackMJanuary 19, 1894MurderThomas Drews, black [11] William A. MacCorkle
Washington AdkinsBlackMJuly 20, 1894MurderIsaac A. Radford, 42, white [12] [13] [c]
Andrew J. ScottBlackMOctober 4, 1895MurderElizabeth M. Scott, black (wife) [14]
Jim NicholsBlackMDecember 13, 1895MurderHenry Carr, black [15]
Clark LewisBlackMJune 25, 1897MurderCharles Gibson, white [16] George W. Atkinson
Jerry BrownBlack35MJuly 25, 1897RapeArminta Jane Radford, 44, white [17] [18] [d]
Albert ViarsWhiteMNovember 12, 1897MurderCharles Gibson, white [19]
John MorganWhite22MDecember 16, 1897Murder-RobberyThree people, white [20] [21] [22] [e] [f]
Shep CaldwellBlackMOctober 10, 1899MurderFemale, black (wife) [23] [g]
Frank E. BroadnaxBlack25MNovember 9, 1899MurderMcFadden, 16, race unclear [23]
Frank WalkerBlackMDecember 15, 1899MurderThomas Saunders, race unclear [24]
George CarterBlackMMarch 21, 1902MurderVirgil Whistler, black [25] Albert B. White
Lewis YoungBlackMMay 1, 1902MurderAnthony Kell, black [26]
John MooneyWhiteMMay 9, 1902Murder-RobberyJames Hervey, white [27]
Frank FridayWhiteM
Perry ChristianWhiteMJune 13, 1902MurderWilliam Dent, white [28]
State HenryBlackMJune 24, 1902MurderJohn Richardson, black [29]
Wilfred DavisWhite21MJune 5, 1903MurderPage Campbell Marstiller, 47, white (police chief) [30]
George WilliamsBlackMSeptember 9, 1904RapeLaura Knade, white [31]
Edward Walton BlackMJuly 17, 1908MurderBeulah Martin, black [h] William M. O. Dawson
Arthur BrownBlackMAugust 27, 1909Murder-RobberyRobert Shannon, 18, white [32] William E. Glasscock
Thomas WayneBlack45MDecember 23, 1910Murder-RapeLottie Aliff, white [33]
Frank StevensonBlackMFebruary 17, 1911MurderMoses Blagman, white [34]
Jesse CookWhite22MMarch 10, 1911MurderFrank F. Bennett, white [35]
William FurbishBlack28MMarch 17, 1911RapeFlora Anglin, 40, white [36]
John MarshallBlackMApril 4, 1913MurderMinnie Marshall, black (wife) [37] Henry D. Hatfield
James WilliamsBlackMLucian Scott, male, and Bettie Williams (wife), black [37]
Henry SterlingBlackMJune 6, 1913MurderWilliam Patterson, black
John HixWhiteMMollie Thompson, white
Henry GreenBlack28MMarch 6, 1914MurderMary Belle Justice, black (girlfriend) [38]
Silas JonesBlack32MJuly 10, 1914MurderPrudential jones, black (wife) [39]
Will ThomasBlackMJuly 2, 1915MurderFreida Thomas, black (wife) [40]
Will StuartBlackMJuly 2, 1915George T. Shires, white (police chief)
Nat JarrellWhiteMJuly 9, 1915MurderSilas Frank Nantz, 47, white (sheriff) [41]
Charles ForrestBlackMSeptember 10, 1915MurderWilliam Hyden, black
Claude SuttonWhite24MAugust 4, 1916Murder-RobberyJohn J. Kennedy, white [42]
James LayBlackMSeptember 1, 1916Murder-RobberyWilliam Bowman, white
Hugh FergusonBlack23MAugust 6, 1919RapeFemale, white [43] [44] John J. Cornwell
Hugh BraggWhite21MApril 30, 1920MurderJohn Dennis Morton, 32, white (sheriff) [45]
Jacob LutzWhiteMJuly 22, 1921MurderJ.E.B. Phillips, 64, white (police chief) Ephraim F. Morgan
Hobart GrimmWhiteMAugust 5, 1921MurderStephen Galchek, white
Henry HarborBlack29MJanuary 7, 1922MurderFemale, black (wife) [46]
Leroy WilliamsBlackMMarch 3, 1922RapeMrs. Stephens, white
Monroe S. PaytonBlackMMay 4, 1922RapeHazel Johnson, 9, white
George BanhageWhiteMNovember 2, 1923Murder
Philip ConnizzaroWhite26MJanuary 4, 1924MurderFrank Naples, white [47] [i]
Richard FerriWhite26M
Nick SalamanteWhite33M
Samuel MuratoreWhiteMFebruary 15, 1924MurderJames Papara, white [j]
Tiny McCoyWhite23MSeptember 12, 1924MurderHallie Virgnia McCoy, white (wife) [48] [49] [k]
Robert FordBlack24MJanuary 29, 1926MurderEdward Woody, 62, black [50] Howard Mason Gore
Harry SawyerBlack24MApril 19, 1926RapeFemale, white [51]
Philip EumanBlack19MAugust 20, 1926Murder-RobberyCharles Shaw, 20, white [52]
Henry JacksonBlack44MSeptember 10, 1926MurderEarl Langfitt, 25, white (guard) [53]
Pierce JefferiesBlack21MFebruary 18, 1927RapeMrs. Vance, white [54]
Wesley Homer SwainWhite42MFebruary 3, 1928RapeEllere Thornton, 5, white [55]
Andrew BradyBlack28MMarch 30, 1928RapeOdessa Oates, 16, white
Lawrence Charles FikeWhite31MAugust 10, 1928Murder-RobberyElroy Leonard, 54, white
Henry GroganBlack20MFebruary 8, 1929RapeEarl Akers, white [56] [l]
Theodore CarrWhite55MJune 14, 1929MurderMale (brother-in-law) and female (wife), white William G. Conley
Willard F. MorrisonWhite24MSeptember 13, 1929MurderFrank Bowen, 41, white [57]
Walter E. WilmotWhite20M
Walter E. CrabtreeWhite35MMay 9, 1930MurderH. Carter Inskeep, 59, white (Justice of the Peace) [58] [m]
Roosevelt DarnellWhite25MNovember 14, 1930MurderClarence Holbrook, white [59]
William C. AdamsWhite40MFebruary 20, 1931MurderCynthia McGuire (aunt-in-law), white [n]
Emory StephensWhite24MMurder-RobberyLeonard Curtis Ooten Sr., 25, white
Hiram Francis HyerWhite54MJune 19, 1931MurderEvie O'Connor Hyer, 58, white (wife)
Harry Powers White39MMarch 18, 1932Murder-RobberyDorothy Ann Pressler Lemke, 49, white [o]
James BlountBlackMMay 12, 1932MurderJesse Meeks, black
Omer G. BrillWhite21MAugust 10, 1933Murder-RobberyLove Burch and Esther Burch, 55 and 17, white [60] Herman G. Kump
Leo FraserWhite30MNovember 24, 1933MurderRoy L. Shamblin, 49, white (sheriff) [61] [p]
Joseph M. CoreyArab43MDecember 8, 1933MurderKatherine Ghiz [q]
Greely BlankenshipWhite29MJanuary 7, 1935MurderMale, white
Robert BranchBlack39MJuly 19, 1935MurderBrady Hill, 28 [62]
Frank PrameraWhite23MApril 13, 1937MurderLouis Thames, white [63] Homer A. Holt
William V. BecknerWhite30MJune 25, 1937Murder-RobberyJosiah Page, 62, white
Mervin BrownBlack33MSeptember 10, 1937Murder-RobberyJames Garland, 85, black [64]
William B. ReadWhite25MNovember 5, 1937Murder-RobberyWilliam Earle Dollman, 34, white [65]
Raymond StyersWhite29MMarch 13, 1938Murder-RobberyAnna Bris, 54, white
John TravisWhite25MMarch 21, 1938Kidnapping [r] Dr. James I. Seder, 78, white [66]
Arnett A. BoothWhite47M
Arvil P. AdkinsWhite25M
Byzantine HartmanWhite29MJune 28, 1940MurderWilbur H. Grubb, 46, white (patrolman) [67] Matthew M. Neely
Paul TrossBlack41MDecember 6, 1940RapeMary Lynn Stebbins, 23, white [68]
James ChambersBlack33/34MMarch 30, 1945Murder-RapeLucy Ward, 73, white [69] [s] Clarence W. Meadows
William TurnerWhite27MDecember 28, 1945MurderDarla Jean Pratt, 15, white [70]
Richard L. CollinsWhite22MJanuary 11, 1946MurderDenver Hill, white [71]
William GordonWhite20MJanuary 3, 1947Murder-RobberyJosephine Evelyn Hamblin Carr, 39, white [72]
Paul BurtonWhite33MJanuary 2, 1948MurderWillard Simpson, 23, white [73]
Mark McCauleyWhite36MJanuary 30, 1948MurderJoseph Pierce Horne, and Orpha Gay Hovatter, 44 and 51, white (sheriffs)
Matthew PerisonBlack31MSeptember 23, 1948MurderJack Martin, 70, black (father-in-law) [t]
Lemuel SteedBlack28MJanuary 15, 1949Murder-RobberyLoren R. McClung, 50, white [74]
Bud PetersonBlack53MFebruary 25, 1949MurderBessie Wright, 40, black [75] Okey Patteson

Electrocution

On February 10, 1949, the West Virginia legislature approves the use of electrocution at the state penitentiary as the state's new default method of execution. The legislation was approved in March 1949 and signed by Governor Okey Patteson later that month. [76] This made West Virginia the last state to adopt the electric chair as an execution method. [77]

NameRaceAgesSexDate of executionCrimeVictim(s)Governor
Harry BurdetteWhite27MMarch 26, 1951MurderEdward C. O'Brien, 31, white [78] Okey Patteson
Fred PainterWhite33M
James Hewlett Jr.White22MApril 10, 1951Murder-RobberyJulian Edward Buie, 40, white [79]
Oshel GardnerWhite23MApril 17, 1953Murder-RobberyRoy C. Jackson, 54, white [80] William C. Marland
Thomas L. IngramBlack31MMarch 27, 1954MurderZenobia Irene Bigelow and Melba Lois Bigelow, 30 and 7, black [81]
Robert L. HopkinsWhite28MSeptember 7, 1956Murder-RobberyThomas Lanty Ervine, 24, white [82]
Eugene H. LingerWhite30MJune 5, 1958Murder-RobberyWilliam H. White, 64, white [83] Cecil H. Underwood
Larry P. FudgeWhite26MJuly 1, 1958Murder-RapeInez Lea Robertson Booth, 51, white [84]
Elmer Bruner White41MApril 3, 1959Murder-RobberyRuby Hood Thomas Miller, 58, white [85]

See also

Notes

  1. Serial killer, also murdered Aloys Ulrich, white.
  2. Also suspected of murdering his wife and his employer.
  3. Husband of Araminta Jane Radford, whom Jerry Brown was later executed for raping.
  4. Wife of Isaac A. Radford, whom Washington Adkins was previously executed for murdering.
  5. His adoptive mother, 61-year-old Chloe Green, and two of her children, 18-year-old James Green and 26-year-old Matilda Pfost.
  6. Last public execution in West Virginia.
  7. First private execution at the state penitentiary.
  8. Serial killer, also murdered four other people
  9. Members of a black hand syndicate. Fierri, who was described as a high-ranking member of the Italian Mafia, confessed to 17 murders and said that Connizzaro and Salamante committed at least three murders.
  10. Member of a black hand syndicate.
  11. Also murdered his mother-in-law, Mrs. William Totten, and brother-in-law, Herbert Totten.
  12. The victim killed herself after Grogan was convicted.
  13. Also murdered 21-year-old Edward Malcom Wolford and 60-year-old jailer Benjamin E. Miller and attempted to murder two women and an 11-year-old girl.
  14. Also murdered his wife, Flossie Adams, and his mother-in-law Mrs. Campbell.
  15. Serial killer, also murdered mother and her three children and suspected in other murders.
  16. Also murdered 18-year-old Ralph Edward Harper, white.
  17. Also murdered his wife, Ada Corey.
  18. The victim was badly beaten and later died from his injuries.
  19. Previously convicted of first degree murder and was serving a life sentence when he escaped from prison. Also stabbed a female inmate after she refused to have sex with him.
  20. Also murdered his wife and mother-in-law.

References

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