Amber McLaughlin
American transgender woman executed in Missouri (1973–2023)
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Amber McLaughlin (January 13, 1973 – January 3, 2023) was an American criminal executed in Missouri for the 2003 rape and murder of her ex-girlfriend, Beverly Guenther. At the time of the crime, McLaughlin was living as male; she transitioned from male to female while incarcerated.[1] McLaughlin became the first openly transgender person to be executed in the United States.[2][3] Her legal name remained her birth name, Scott A. McLaughlin, and she was identified as such in her death warrant and in prison records.[4]
January 13, 1973
Amber McLaughlin | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Scott A. McLaughlin January 13, 1973 Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | January 3, 2023 (aged 49) |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Convictions | First degree murder Forcible rape Sexual assault Armed criminal action |
| Criminal penalty | Death (2006) |
| Details | |
| Victims | Beverly Guenther, 45 |
| Date | November 20, 2003 |
McLaughlin was a registered sex offender because of a 1992 conviction for sexual assault against a 14-year-old girl.[2]
At McLaughlin's 2006 trial, the jury was deadlocked on the issue of the death penalty.[5] In most U.S. states, this would result in a sentence of life imprisonment. However, Missouri is one of only two states (the other being Indiana) in which a judge has the discretion to sentence a defendant to death if the jury is deadlocked on the issue of capital punishment.[6]
In August 2021, McLaughlin's sentence was reinstated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.[7][8] On January 3, 2023, McLaughlin was executed by the state.[9]