List of people executed in the United States in 1949

One hundred and twenty people, all male, were executed in the United States in 1949, eighty-four by electrocution, twenty-eight by gas chamber, and eight by hanging. ^[1]

List of people executed in the United States in 1949

No.	Date of execution	Name	Age of person			Gender	Ethnicity	State	Method	Ref.
			At execution	At offense	Age difference
1	January 3, 1949	Robert Murl Daniels	24	24	0	Male	White	Ohio	Electrocution	[2]
2	January 6, 1949	Harris Gray	18	17	1		Black	New York		[3]
3	January 7, 1949	Robert Shorts	21	19	2			California	Gas chamber	[4]
4		Robert S. Battalino	37	36	1		White	Colorado		[5]
5	January 13, 1949	Louis Smiley	20	19			Black	New York	Electrocution	[6]
6	January 14, 1949	Shirley M. Harris	24	23				District of Columbia		[7]
7	January 20, 1949	William Grant	25	23	2			New York		[8]
8		George Monge
9		Eugene Pannell	27	25
10	January 24, 1949	Felix Combs	24	24	0			Florida		[9]
11	January 28, 1949	Marvin James Tuthill	45	43	2		White	California	Gas chamber	[10]
12		Charlie Pool	44	40	4		Black	Kentucky	Electrocution	[11]
13		James Rufus Creech Jr.	37	36	1		White	North Carolina	Gas chamber	[12]
14	February 1, 1949	Wilson Moore	29	27	2		Black	Texas	Electrocution	[1]
15	February 2, 1949	Harold Alfred Beach Jr.	23	22	1		White	Ohio		[13]
16	February 4, 1949	John Thomas	35	34			Black			[14]
17		Willie Lincoln	25	24				South Carolina		[15]
18	February 7, 1949	Aaron Quince	20	18	2			Florida		[16]
19	February 13, 1949	Thurman Williams	23	22	1			Texas		[17]
20	February 17, 1949	Barney Thompson	32	31				Tennessee		[18]
21	February 18, 1949	Maxwell Bowie	23	21	2			California	Gas chamber	[19]
22		Henry Williams	25	23
23	February 21, 1949	Thomas Larkin	27	Unknown	Unknown			Texas	Electrocution	[1]
24	February 23, 1949	Frank Badgley	51	48	3		White	Indiana		[20]
25		Robert Oscar Brown	37	35	2
26	February 25, 1949	John Henry Hall	31	29	2		Black	District of Columbia		[21]
27		Bud Peterson	53	51				West Virginia	Hanging	[22]
28	February 28, 1949	Howard Elwood Payton	30	29	1			Ohio	Electrocution	[23]
29	March 3, 1949	Santo Bretagna	27	28			White	New York		[24]
30		William Rosenberg	42	41
31	March 4, 1949	Herbert H. Workman	20	18	2			Kentucky		[25]
32		Lester Nichols	44	43	1			Ohio		[26]
33	March 11, 1949	Phillip Cobb	26	23	3		Black	Alabama		[27]
34		L.C. Lloyd	32	Unknown	Unknown			Louisiana		[1]
35	March 15, 1949	Theodore Holmes	20	19	1			District of Columbia		[28]
36	March 18, 1949	Perry Lee Haygood Jr.	26	25				Alabama		[29]
37		Emmett Garner	37	35	2		White	North Carolina	Gas chamber	[30]
38	March 25, 1949	Buster Snead	42	39	3		Black	Alabama	Electrocution	[31]
39		Clarence Joseph Jr.	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown			Louisiana		[1]
40		Roy Thomas Cockrell	42	42	0		White	North Carolina	Gas chamber	[32]
41	March 29, 1949	Thomas Kallas	58	56	2			Indiana	Electrocution	[33]
42	April 1, 1949	Clayburne Campbell	33	31			Black	California	Gas chamber	[34]
43		Joel Harrison	23	21
44	April 4, 1949	Arthur Edward Berry		22	1		White	Florida	Electrocution	[35]
45	April 8, 1949	Jesse Thurman Carroll	47	46				Georgia		[36]
46		Asbell Glenn Adams	20	19				Ohio		[37]
47	April 11, 1949	Roger Alton Williams	35	33	2					[38]
48	April 16, 1949	Buster Northern	20	17	3			Texas		[39]
49	April 20, 1949	Junior Moore	24	23	1		Black	Georgia		[1]
50	April 22, 1949	David Leonard Blackwell	19	18			White	Nevada	Gas chamber	[40]
51	April 29, 1949	Andrew Martin Berry Jr.	44	43				Ohio	Electrocution	[41]
52	May 4, 1949	Ralph Reed	27	26						[42]
53	May 20, 1949	Morgan Persons	39	38			Black	Georgia		[1]
54		Joseph Cook	24	23				Louisiana		[43]
55		Matthew Cook	23	22
56	May 25, 1949	Frank Millhouse		21	2			Ohio		[1]
57	May 27, 1949	John Ross Burson	33	32	1		White			[44]
58	June 1, 1949	A.C. Williams					Black	Georgia		[45]
59	June 7, 1949	Laszlo Varga	19	18			White	Nevada	Gas chamber	[46]
60	June 10, 1949	Bruce Edward Watson	24	22	2		Black	Tennessee	Electrocution	[47]
61	June 17, 1949	James Edward Lewis	26	Unknown	Unknown			North Carolina	Gas chamber	[1]
62	June 23, 1949	Barney Kenneth Davis Jr.	23	22	1			Ohio	Electrocution	[48]
63	June 24, 1949	Lawrence Benjamin Lightfoot	28	26	2		White	Kentucky		[49]
64	June 27, 1949	Ralph Cordasco	51	50	1			New Jersey		[50]
65	June 30, 1949	Harold Dupree	27	25	2	Black	New York	[51]
66		Herman Dupree	33	31
67	July 1, 1949	Daniel Jerome Zatzke	23	21		White	California	Gas chamber	[52]
68	July 6, 1949	Corliss Robert Bruntlett	52	50			Iowa	Hanging	[53]
69	July 7, 1949	John Michael Dunn	38	36			New York	Electrocution	[54]
70		Andrew Sheridan	49	46	3
71	July 8, 1949	Howard Andrew Fram	31	29	2		Maryland	Hanging	[55]
72	July 11, 1949	Rufus E. Keller	29	28	1		Pennsylvania	Electrocution	[56]
73	July 15, 1949	William Paul Sanford	21	20			California	Gas chamber	[57]
74		Jake Bird	47	45	2	Black	Washington	Hanging	[58]
75	July 17, 1949	Mizell Palmer	25	23			Arkansas	Electrocution	[59]
76	July 22, 1949	Harvie Lee Rorie	46	45	1	White			[60]
77		James Erich Osinski	40	39			Ohio		[61]
78	July 25, 1949	Mahlon Wisecup	49	48					[1]
79	July 29, 1949	George A. Garner	27	26		Black	District of Columbia		[62]
80		Lawrence J. Garner	25	24
81	August 8, 1949	Flem Monroe Griffis	30	28	2	White	Florida		[63]
82	August 10, 1949	Fred W. Jones	40	37	3		Texas		[64]
83		General Kerzee	53	52	1	Black
84	August 12, 1949	Nehemiah Green	26	24	2		Alabama		[65]
85		J.C. Winters	20	20	0
86		Eugene H. James	31	30	1		Maryland	Hanging	[66]
87		John Thomas Knowles	27	26					[67]
88	August 14, 1949	F.M. McClendon	23	21	2		Texas	Electrocution	[68]
89	August 16, 1949	Alfred Collins	37	36	1		New Jersey		[69]
90	August 19, 1949	Andrew Dorsey Jr.	23	21	2		Georgia		[1]
91	September 1, 1949	Floyd Arrington	22	21	1		New York		[70]
92		William McKinley Jackson	23	22
93	September 8, 1949	Walter Davis	21	20					[71]
94	September 11, 1949	Cleveland Stovall Jr.	22	21			Texas		[72]
95	September 12, 1949	John Albert Jones Jr.	17	16			Georgia		[1]
96		Wilbur Gene Jones	18	17
97	September 16, 1949	Herman Frederick Weber Jr.	25	23	2	White	Illinois		[73]
98	September 26, 1949	George A. Neill	24	21	3		Pennsylvania		[74]
99	October 18, 1949	Eugene Leo Gambetta	46	44	2		Nevada	Gas chamber	[75]
100	October 26, 1949	James W. Buchanan	26	24		Black	Ohio	Electrocution	[76]
101	October 28, 1949	Willie Talbot Jr.	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown		South Carolina		[1]
102	November 4, 1949	Ernest Afton Scott	49	48	1	White	Missouri	Gas chamber	[77]
103		Arthur Bruce Perkins	24	22	2		Washington	Hanging	[78]
104	November 15, 1949	Steve Paul Lacy	28	28	0	Black	Tennessee	Electrocution	[1]
105	November 18, 1949	Wayne Leroy Williams	33	31	2	White	Washington	Hanging	[79]
106	November 26, 1949	James Michael Morelli	22	20			Illinois	Electrocution	[80]
107	December 2, 1949	George U. Bell	37	36	1	Black	Missouri	Gas chamber	[81]
108	December 9, 1949	Walter Pierce	21	Unknown	Unknown		Arkansas	Electrocution	[1]
109		Admiral Dewey Adamson	49	44	5		California	Gas chamber	[82]
110		Audie Lee Brown	27	26	1		North Carolina		[83]
111		Allen T. Reid	29	28
112		Monroe Medlin	23	23	0
113	December 16, 1949	Jesse Albert Murphy	34	33	1	White	California		[84]
114		Albert Eugene Nixon	25	24
115		Paul Joseph Schneider Jr.	24	22	2		Colorado		[85]
116		Lindsey Brown	26	Unknown	Unknown	Black	Georgia	Electrocution	[1]
117		Uzelle Jones	35	Unknown	Unknown		North Carolina	Gas chamber
118	December 23, 1949	Wesley Hildreth	26	25	1		Arkansas	Electrocution
119	December 30, 1949	Hector Chavis	29	29	0	Native American	North Carolina	Gas chamber	[86]
120		Leander Jacobs

Demographics

Gender
Male	120	100%
Female	0	0%
Ethnicity
Black	70	58%
White	48	40%
Native American	2	2%
State
Ohio	15	13%
New York	14	12%
California	11	9%
North Carolina	10	8%
Georgia	8	7%
Texas	8	7%
Alabama	5	4%
District of Columbia	5	4%
Arkansas	4	3%
Florida	4	3%
Louisiana	4	3%
Indiana	3	3%
Kentucky	3	3%
Maryland	3	3%
Nevada	3	3%
Tennessee	3	3%
Washington	3	3%
Colorado	2	2%
Illinois	2	2%
Missouri	2	2%
New Jersey	2	2%
Pennsylvania	2	2%
South Carolina	2	2%
Iowa	1	1%
West Virginia	1	1%
Method
Electrocution	84	70%
Gas chamber	28	23%
Hanging	8	7%
Month
January	13	11%
February	15	13%
March	13	11%
April	10	8%
May	6	5%
June	9	8%
July	14	12%
August	10	8%
September	8	7%
October	3	3%
November	5	4%
December	14	12%
Age
Unknown	2	2%
10–19	5	4%
20–29	66	55%
30–39	24	20%
40–49	17	14%
50–59	6	5%
Total	120	100%

Executions in recent years

Number of executions
1950	83
1949	120
1948	117
Total	320

References

1. "Executions in the U.S. 1608-2002: The ESPY File" (PDF). Death Penalty Information Center . Retrieved July 25, 2025.
2. "Robert Daniels Dies in Chair". Youngstown Vindicator. January 4, 1949. p. 2.
3. "Gov. Asked To Save Five From Chair". Schenectady Gazette. December 22, 1948. p. 7.
4. "People v. Shorts". FindLaw.
5. "'Prayer' Killer To Die Cursing". The Owosso Argus-Press. January 7, 1949. p. 3.
6. "Dies in Chair". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. January 14, 1949. p. 23.
7. "Truman Commutes Death Sentences for 2 Youths". Baltimore Afro-American. January 8, 1949. p. 11.
8. "Three Die in Chair For Holdup Slaying". The Windsor Daily Star. January 21, 1949. p. 19.
9. "Clearwater Negro Goes To Chair For Assaulting Woman". The Evening Independent. January 24, 1949. p. 15.
10. "People v. Tuthill". Justia Law.
11. "Pool v. Commonwealth". vLex.
12. "James Creech Is Put To Death In State Gas Chamber". The Robesonian. January 28, 1949. p. 1.
13. "Beach Carries Grin to Chair, Prays as Electricity Goes On". Youngstown Vindicator. February 3, 1949. p. 17.
14. "Guard-Killing Convict Executed". Toledo Blade. February 5, 1949. p. 2.
15. "Willie Lincoln Dies In Chair For 1947 Double Slaying". The Times and Democrat via newspapers.com. February 5, 1949. p. 10.
16. "Negro Executed". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 7, 1949. p. 3.
17. "Rifle Slayer Dies In Electric Chair". The Victoria Advocate. February 14, 1949. p. 3.
18. "Negro Electrocuted For Slaying Woman". Kentucky New Era. February 17, 1949. p. 6.
19. "Two Oakland Youths Die In Gas Chamber". Lodi News-Sentinel. February 19, 1949. p. 4.
20. "Pair Slated To Die Tuesday". Warsaw Daily Times. February 17, 1949. p. 11.
21. "Hall v. United States". Justia Law.
22. "Woman's Slayer to Die On Gallows on Friday". Reading Eagle. February 24, 1949. p. 17.
23. "Lausche Refuses to Act To Save Killer from Chair". Youngstown Vindicator. February 27, 1949. p. 42.
24. "People v. Bretagna". vLex.
25. "Third Soldier Dies In Chair". Kentucky New Era. March 4, 1949. p. 1.
26. "Lester Nichols Dies in Chair". The Logan Daily News via newspapers.com. March 5, 1949. p. 1.
27. "Negro in Alabama Finally Executed". The Telegraph-Herald. March 11, 1949. p. 7.
28. "District Rapist Is Electrocuted". The Free Lance-Star. March 15, 1949. p. 2.
29. "Death sentence of Haygood sustained". The Anniston Star via newspapers.com. February 18, 1949. p. 2.
30. "Emmett Garner Goes To Death In Gas Chamber". Star-News. March 18, 1949. p. 25.
31. "Snead v. State". vLex.
32. "Cockrell Given Death Penalty For Slaying Wife". Statesville Record and Landmark via newspapers.com. December 6, 1948. p. 7.
33. "Kallas v. State". vLex.
34. "Stay is Refused To Doomed Pair". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 1, 1949. p. 11.
35. "Execution For Berry Set". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. March 30, 1949. p. 1.
36. "Wife-Killer Is Executed". Times Daily. April 8, 1949. p. 1.
37. "Executed Man Buried at Whitesburg, Ky". Kentucky New Era. April 12, 1949. p. 5.
38. "Ohio Murderer Due To Get Chair Tonight". Toledo Blade. April 11, 1949. p. 10.
39. "Buster Northern Is Electrocuted". Denton Record-Chronicle via newspapers.com. April 17, 1949. p. 1.
40. "David Blackwell Dies in Prison Lethal Chamber". Reno Gazette-Journal via newspapers.com. April 22, 1949. p. 13.
41. "Ohio Supreme Court Rules Berry Must Die". Youngstown Vindicator. March 31, 1949. p. 8.
42. "Reed Dies in Chair For Holdup Killing". Youngstown Vindicator. May 5, 1949. p. 3.
43. "State v. Cook". CourtListener.
44. "Man Electrocuted; 4 Brothers in Prison". The Lewiston Daily Sun. May 28, 1949. p. 12.
45. "Williams v. State". vLex.
46. "State v. Varga". vLex.
47. "Tennessee Negro Executed For Rape". The Tuscaloosa News. June 10, 1949. p. 12.
48. "Ohio Killer Must Die". The Portsmouth Times. May 19, 1949. p. 8.
49. "Newport Slayer To Face Chair Tonight". Kentucky New Era. June 23, 1949. p. 9.
50. "State v. Cordasco". CourtListener.
51. "Brothers Electrocuted For New York Killing". The Telegraph-Herald. July 1, 1949. p. 1.
52. "People v. Zatzke". Stanford Law School.
53. "State v. Bruntlett". CourtListener.
54. "2 HINTZ SLAYERS DIE IN THE CHAIR; Dunn and Sheridan Stay Silent to the End About Unsolved Waterfront Crimes Her". The New York Times. July 8, 1949.
55. "Doomed Man Kills Self". Reading Eagle. July 8, 1949. p. 11.
56. "Rockview Switch Thrown At 1:32; Slayer Calm And at Peace with God". The Morning Call via newspapers.com. July 11, 1949. p. 1.
57. "People v. Sanford". Stanford Law School.
58. "Bird Hanged After Six He 'Hexed' Died". Baltimore Afro-American. July 16, 1949. p. 19.
59. "Palmer v. State". CourtListener.
60. "Confessed Slayer of Wife, Children Put to Death". Hope Star via newspapers.com. July 23, 1949. p. 2.
61. "Osinski Dies". Toledo Blade. July 23, 1949. p. 6.
62. "Tough Brothers Walk Last Mile-One Weeps". Baltimore Afro-American. July 30, 1949. p. 27.
63. "Florida Slayer Dies in Chair". St. Petersburg Times. August 9, 1949. p. 16.
64. "Killer Takes 2nd And Last Death Walk". Toledo Blade. August 10, 1949. p. 2.
65. "Two Convicted Slayers Doomed". The Tuscaloosa News. August 11, 1949. p. 5.
66. "Mentally Retarded James to Be Hanged Thursday". Baltimore Afro-American. August 9, 1949. p. 1.
67. "Knowles v. State". vLex.
68. "Negro Goes To Electric Chair Singing". The Victoria Advocate. August 15, 1949. p. 3.
69. "Killer Is Put to Death". The New York Times. August 17, 1949.
70. "Two Convicted of Taxi Murder". The New York Times. November 25, 1948.
71. "Slayer of Woman Put to Death". The New York Times. September 9, 1949.
72. "Stovall v. State". vLex.
73. "People v. Weber". vLex.
74. "Commonwealth v. Neill". vLex.
75. "Lethal Chamber Gets Gambetta". Spokane Daily Chronicle. October 18, 1949. p. 53.
76. "Ohio Killer Dies In Electric Chair". Toledo Blade. October 27, 1949. p. 4.
77. "Regards Execution in Gas Chamber 'Payment of Debt'". The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune via newspapers.com. November 3, 1949. p. 1.
78. "State v. Perkins". vLex.
79. "Wife Murderer Dies on Gallows". The Bulletin. November 18, 1949. p. 10.
80. "'Mad Dog' Killer is Put to Death". Star-News. November 26, 1949. p. 7.
81. "Man Goes Calmly to Gas Chamber". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 2, 1949. p. 26.
82. "People v. Adamson". Stanford Law School.
83. "Three Negroes Die in Prison Chamber". Star-News. December 10, 1949. p. 5.
84. "People v. Nixon". Justia Law.
85. "Denver Killer To Die Tonight". The Bulletin. December 16, 1949. p. 1.
86. "State v. Chavis". vLex.

Preceded by 1948

List of people executed       in the United States in    1949

Succeeded by 1950