List of people executed in the United States in 1964

Fifteen people, all male, were executed in the United States in 1964, eleven by electrocution, and four by gas chamber. ^[1]

The last executions for the crimes of rape and robbery occurred this year, with the executions of Ronald Wolfe and James Coburn, respectively. Since Coburn, who was not tried for murder, had still killed his victim, Wolfe is the last person to be executed for a crime that did not result in the death of anyone.

List of people executed in the United States in 1964

No.	Date of execution	Name	Age of person			Gender	Ethnicity	State	Method	Ref.
			At execution	At offense	Age difference
1	January 14, 1964	Jasper Walter Pugh	34	33	1	Male	White	Georgia	Electrocution	[2]
2	January 24, 1964	Charles Franklin Fields	32	30	2			Arkansas		[3]
3	February 12, 1964	Jesse Earl Parker	23	21			Black	Texas		[4]
4	March 6, 1964	Charles Harvey Odom	32	29	3		White	Missouri	Gas chamber	[5]
5	March 11, 1964	Bobby Clyde Bradford		31	1		Black	Texas	Electrocution	[6]
6	April 26, 1964	Lawrence O'Connor	26	24	2					[7]
7	May 1, 1964	Tim Jackson	22	21	1			Mississippi	Gas chamber	[8]
8	May 7, 1964	James Andrew Echols	19	17	2			Texas	Electrocution	[9]
9	May 8, 1964	Ronald Lee Wolfe	33	29	4		White	Missouri	Gas chamber	[10]
10	May 12, 1964	Emmett Clark Blake	32	30	2			Florida	Electrocution	[11]
11		Sie Dawson	44	40	4		Black			[11]
12	July 30, 1964	Joseph Johnson Jr.	30	27	3			Texas		[12]
13	August 14, 1964	John Bizup Jr.		26	4		White	Colorado	Gas chamber	[13]
14	September 4, 1964	James Willard Coburn	40	35	5			Alabama	Electrocution	[14]
15	October 16, 1964	Bernard N. Dye	34	30	4			Georgia		[15]

Demographics

Gender
Male	15	100%
Female	0	0%
Ethnicity
White	8	53%
Black	7	47%
State
Texas	5	33%
Florida	2	13%
Georgia	2	13%
Missouri	2	13%
Alabama	1	7%
Arkansas	1	7%
Colorado	1	7%
Mississippi	1	7%
Method
Electrocution	11	73%
Gas chamber	4	27%
Month
January	2	13%
February	1	7%
March	2	13%
April	1	7%
May	5	33%
June	0	0%
July	1	7%
August	1	7%
September	1	7%
October	1	7%
November	0	0%
December	0	0%
Age
10–19	1	7%
20–29	3	20%
30–39	9	60%
40–49	2	13%
Total	15	100%

Executions in recent years

Number of executions
1965–1967	10
1964	15
1963	21
Total	46

References

1. "Executions in the U.S. 1608-2002: The ESPY File" (PDF). Death Penalty Information Center . Retrieved June 16, 2025.
2. "J. W. Pugh, 35, Is Executed At Reidsville". Ledger-Enquirer via newspapers.com. January 15, 1964. p. 2.
3. "Fields v. State". Justia Law.
4. "A Last Prayer". St. Petersburg Times. February 13, 1964. p. 13.
5. "Odom v. Nash". vLex.
6. "Bradford v. State". Justia Law.
7. "Negro Draws Chair For Rape of Woman". Del Rio News Herald via newspapers.com. April 18, 1963. p. 7.
8. "Uncle Admits Raping Negroes". The Vicksburg Post via newspapers.com. June 16, 1963. p. 9.
9. "Echols v. State". Justia Law.
10. "Ronald Wolfe, Convicted Rapist, to Die May 8". The Kansas City Star via newspapers.com. April 8, 1964. p. 60.
11. "Killer Gets His Wish: A Quick Electrocution". The Tampa Tribune via newspapers.com. May 13, 1964. p. 60.
12. "Meet Joe Johnson, The Last Texan Executed By Electric Chair". KFMX. October 9, 2024.
13. "Cabby slayer in 1960 case got death penalty". The Pueblo Chieftain. December 3, 2007.
14. "Alabama Justice Is Carried Out". Great Bend Tribune via newspapers.com. September 4, 1964. p. 6.
15. "Bernard Dye: Last Man in Chair". The Atlanta Constitution via newspapers.com. June 1, 1980. p. 25.

Preceded by 1963

List of people executed       in the United States in    1964

Succeeded by 1965–1972