List of people executed by the District of Columbia

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Capital punishment in the District of Columbia has been abolished since 1981. However, a number of executions were carried out under the District's jurisdiction before then.

Before 1973, the District of Columbia was exclusively governed by Congress, which included establishing all local laws. Until 1962, the District of Columbia was the last jurisdiction in the United States with mandatory death sentences for first degree murder (the last U.S. state with mandatory death sentences for first degree murder was Vermont). Mandatory death sentences were abolished by the HR5143 (PL87-423), signed into law by President John F. Kennedy on March 22, 1962.[1] Rape was also a capital offense.[2]

The D.C. capital punishment law was nullified by the Supreme Court decision in Furman v. Georgia in 1972 and formally repealed by the D.C. Council in 1981.

The first recorded execution in the District of Columbia, was the hanging of James McGirk in 1802. Hanging was the method of execution used in the District until 1928, when it was replaced by the electric chair. The last execution under the authority of the District took place in 1957, when Robert Carter was executed. All executions were conducted at the D.C. Jail.

The president of the United States has sole pardoning power in the District.

List of non-federal executions in the District of Columbia

More information Name, Race ...
Name Race Age Date of Execution Crime Victim(s) President
James McGirk White ? October 28, 1802 Murder Female, white (wife)[3][a] Thomas Jefferson
Daniel Woodward White ? September 2, 1853 Murder Female, white (wife)[4] Franklin Pierce
James W. Powers White 19 June 26, 1858 Murder Edward Lutz, white[5] James Buchanan
Cornelius Tuell White ? July 8, 1864 Murder Female, white (wife)[6] Abraham Lincoln
James Grady White 33 March 24, 1871 Murder-Rape-Burglary Fanny Faulkner, 75, white[7] Ulysses S. Grant
George W. Jenkins Black 24 October 31, 1872 Murder Lavinia Boston Jenkins, 20, black (wife)[8]
Barney Woods White 37 December 6, 1872 Murder Samuel M. Cheeseman, 47, white[9]
Charles Johnson Black 32 December 10, 1872 Murder Jane Eliza Johnson, 28, black (wife)[10]
Thomas Wright Black 21 June 6, 1873 Murder-Robbery Samuel Rogerski, 40, white[11]
Henry Young Black 27 November 28, 1873 Murder-Robbery Amos Franklin Hahn, 24, white[12]
James M. W. Stone Black 35 April 2, 1880 Murder Alberta Pitcher Stone, 29, black (wife)[13] Rutherford B. Hayes
Edward Queenan Black 19 November 19, 1880 Murder-Robbery George Phillip Hearth, 22, white[14]
Joseph Bedford Black 20
Charles Julius Guiteau White 38 June 30, 1882 Murder James A. Garfield, 49, white (president) Chester A. Arthur
Charles Shaw Black 19 January 19, 1883 Murder Susannah Shaw Carter, 22, black (sister)[15]
John Langster Black 21 May 15, 1885 Murder John H. Fowler, 42, white (police officer)[16] Grover Cleveland
Louis Sommerfield White 54 April 30, 1886 Murder Christiana Sommerfield and Gottlieb Eisenhaum, 52 and 43, white (wife and son-in-law)[17]
Richard Lee Black 32 Murder Mary Powell Lee, 30, wife (black)[17]
Antonio Nardello White 22 May 28, 1886 Murder-Robbery Carmine Rotunno, 50+, white[18][b]
Nelson Colbert Black 23 May 17, 1889 Murder Philip Wentzell, 74, white[19] Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Hawkins Black 29 May 29, 1890 Murder Cora Hawkins, 26, black (wife)[20]
Howard J. Schneider White 24 March 17, 1893 Murder Amanda Hamlink Schneider, 22, white (wife)[21][c] Grover Cleveland
Thomas Crumpton Black 43 April 27, 1894 Murder David Shanklin, 24, black[22]
James L. Travers Black 24 July 19, 1895 Murder Lena Gross, 20, black (girlfriend)[23]
Joseph A. Beam White 56 July 26, 1895 Murder Annie Goetz Leahy, 35, white (stepdaughter)[24]
John Harris Black 23 February 14, 1896 Murder Matthew Spruell, 35, black[25]
Irvin I. Ford Black 30 June 26, 1896 Murder-Attempted rape Elsie A. Kreglo, 16, white[26]
Charles Winston Black 24 May 5, 1899 Murder Emma Winston, 31, black (wife)[27] William McKinley
William Strathers Black 25 Murder Rose Talbot, 26, black (girlfriend)[27]
Edward Smith Black 47 May 12, 1899 Murder Edmonia Jackson, 32, black (love interest)[28]
George W. Horton White 51 December 8, 1899 Murder Jane Nicholson, 31, white (girlfriend)[29]
Benjamin H. SnellWhite42June 29, 1900Murder Lizzie Weisenberger, 13, white[30]
Nelson ValeBlack69July 6, 1900Murder Alexander Jackson, 29, black[31]
Frank W. FunkWhite25November 9, 1900Murder-Burglary William H. Brooks, 73, white[32]
Elijah ChapmanBlack33May 23, 1902Murder Ida Simms, 25, black (common-law wife)[33]Theodore Roosevelt
John T. St. ClairBlack26January 30, 1903Murder Daisy Madre, 24, black (girlfriend)[34]
Benjamin G. HillWhite52July 24, 1903Murder Carrie Marsden Hill, 41, white (wife)[35]
John W. BurleyBlack52August 26, 1904Rape Adeline Taylor, 4, black[36][d]
Augustus L. ShafferWhite39February 10, 1905Murder Katherine Ivey Shaffer, 31, white (ex-wife)[37]
William W. HamiltonBlack27February 2, 1906Murder Mary Elizabeth Butler, 27, black (common-law wife)[38][e]
Charles Edward GrantBlack21November 16, 1906Murder Eva Barnes, 20, black (common-law wife)[39]
William BurgeBlack23April 23, 1907Murder Daisy Jordan Burge, 19, black (wife)[40]
Joseph PaolucciWhite33March 23, 1908Murder Elizabeth V. Dodge, 17, white (ex-girlfriend)[41]
Albert BrownBlack23June 29, 1908Murder Harvey Brown, 24, black[42]
Richard GregoryBlack37February 15, 1909Murder William A. Garner, 32, black[43]
Samuel RauenWhite26February 14, 1913Murder Azalea Elizabeth Rauen and John M. Rauen, 19 and 23, white (wife and brother)[44]William Howard Taft
Nathaniel GreenBlack23June 9, 1913Rape Adelaine E. Grant, 37, white[45]Woodrow Wilson
James F. AllenBlack36September 12, 1917Murder Flora Allen, 36, black (wife)[46]
James H. JacksonBlack27March 2, 1920Murder Lillian Palma Hood, 22, white[47][f]
Frank BowmanBlack39October 22, 1920Murder Clarence J. Keefer, 26, white[48]
William H. CampbellBlack22March 11, 1921Murder-Robbery Gertrude Harrison Mann, 46, white[49][g]Warren Harding
John McHenryWhite24March 17, 1922Murder-Robbery James E. Armstrong, 41, white (police officer)[50][h]
Ernest A. ShandsBlack27March 9, 1923Murder Catherine Spriggs Shands, 28, black (wife)[51]
George S. BantonBlack20April 20, 1923Murder-Robbery Samuel A. Frye, 39, white[52]
Charles PriceBlack32May 3, 1923Murder Robert Smith, 50, black[53]
George S. EppsBlack31May 24, 1923Murder Katie Epps, 31, black (wife)[54][i]
Rufus GordonBlack37June 23, 1923Murder-Robbery Simon Miller, 30, white[55]
Ralph ThomasBlack42January 15, 1925Murder Sadie Thomas, 26, black (wife)[56]Calvin Coolidge
Herbert L. CopelandBlack50January 22, 1925Murder David T. Dunigan, 63, white (police officer)[57][j]
Philip JacksonBlack30May 29, 1928Rape-Robbery Daisy Welling, 35, white[58]
Nicholas L. EaglesWhite31June 22, 1928Murder Leo W. Karl Busch, 28, white (police officer)[59][60]
Samuel MarenoWhite21
John C. ProctorWhite19
Andrew J. HawkinsBlack33June 5, 1930Murder Ruth Watkins, 21, black (girlfriend)[61]Herbert Hoover
Cardoza BellBlack24March 6, 1931Murder Alice Metz, 25, black (girlfriend)[62]
Alfred S. AldridgeBlack28May 6, 1932Murder-Robbery Harold J. McDonald, 30, white (police officer)[63][64]Franklin D. Roosevelt
John BorumBlack26June 29, 1932Murder Lamar Watson York, 36, white (Prohibition agent)[65][66]
John LoganBlack24
Charles MorrisBlack33March 12, 1932Murder Maggie Landon, 32, black (wife)[67]
William C. RobinsonBlack20October 27, 1933Murder-Robbery Emanuel Solomon, 29, white[68][69]
Charles WashingtonBlack23November 24, 1933
Benjamin MontagueBlack29December 1, 1933Murder Clara Williams, 36, black (common-law wife)[70]
Ralph E. HolmesBlack25January 12, 1934Murder Milo John Kennedy, 28, white (park police officer)[71][72]
Joseph J. JacksonBlack20
Irvin MurrayBlack26
Ernest H. BoldenBlack25April 27, 1934Murder Elsie Plummer Bolden, 20, black (wife)[73][k]
Joe GoodmanBlack38June 1, 1934Murder-Burglary William Simms, 65, black[74]
George PitmondBlack34
Albert PrestonBlack38March 20, 1936Murder Clarence E. Yancey, 29, black[75]
John R. CummingsBlack29April 23, 1937Murder-Robbery Joseph R. Wushnak, 42, white[76]
Willett MarcusBlack23
Norman W. RobinsonBlack29March 18, 1938Murder-Rape Florence Daugherty Goodwin, 34, white[77]
Will KinardBlack38February 2, 1939Murder Laura Kinard, 27, black (wife)[78]
William I. RobinsonBlack34October 9, 1942Rape Elaine Caywood Henry, 15, white[79][l]
William T. MumfordBlack22December 18, 1942Murder-Robbery Fannie Cohen, 56, white[80]
Jarvis T. R. CatoeBlack38January 15, 1943Murder-Rape Rose Simons Abramowitz, 25, white[81][m]
Monroe D. NeelyBlack37December 14, 1945Murder Charles Riley Johnston, 24, white (police officer)[82][83]Harry S. Truman
Earl McFarlandWhite25July 19, 1946Murder-Rape Dorothy Berrum, 17, white[84][n]
William CopelandBlack38December 20, 1946Murder Dora M. Johnson, 34, black (sister-in-law)[85]
Julius FisherBlack32Murder Catherine Cooper Reardon, 37, white[86]
Joseph MedleyWhite45Murder-Robbery Nancy Boyer, 50, white[87][o]
Alfred L. HawkinsBlack24October 31, 1947Murder-Robbery John Paul Knight, 34, white[88]
Jesse PattonBlack23December 10, 1948Murder-Robbery Maurice L. Bernstein, 52, white[89]
Reginald J. WheelerBlack28
Shirley HarrisBlack24January 14, 1949Murder-Robbery Frank C. Kelly, 56, white[90]
John H. HallBlack35February 25, 1949Rape[p] Female, 8, black[91][q]
Theodore M. HolmesBlack20March 15, 1949Rape Sally Hinton, 9, white[92]
George GarnerBlack27July 29, 1949Murder-Robbery Howard Jones, 37, black[93][r]
Lawrence GarnerBlack25
Frederick PritchettWhite40February 15, 1952Murder Clyde L. King, 50, white[94][95][s]
William A. Tyler Jr.Black20July 26, 1952Murder-Robbery Oliver R. Hess and James C. Carpenter, 56 and 66, white[96]
Albert AllenBlack25March 20, 1953Murder-Robbery George Schomber, 39, white[97]Dwight D. Eisenhower
Robert Eugene CarterBlack28April 26, 1957Murder-Robbery George W. Cassels, 27, white (police officer)[98][99]
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Notes

  1. [a]
    McGirk's wife was pregnant and delivered her twin boys prematurely as a result of the attack. Neither of them survived.
  2. [b]
    Serial killer, confessed to also previously murdering Antonio Baldo and an unnamed Italian blacksmith in Maryland before his execution.
  3. [c]
    Also murdered her brother, Frank Hamlink (21, white).
  4. [d]
    Serial rapist, also attacked two other young girls in similar crimes.
  5. [e]
    Also known as Lizzie Lyman.
  6. [f]
    Also attacked Martha E. Gegan (46, white) and Florence Fowler (24, white).
  7. [g]
    Also a serial rapist, confessed to raping a black woman named Louise Simmons and two white women named Bessie Gleason and Mary Saunders. Two other black men, Forest Eaglen and Louis Randall, were wrongfully convicted for these rapes.
  8. [h]
    Also murdered Wallace W. Mulcare (27, white).
  9. [i]
    Also murdered Louise Hodge (27, black).
  10. [j]
    Also murdered policemen John A. Conrad (37, white) and Lawrence H. McParlan (35, white), and a suspected serial killer who confessed to nine other murders.
  11. [k]
    Also murdered his mother-in-law, Janie Plummer (54, black).
  12. [l]
    Suspected serial rapist, served 10 years in the West Virginia State Penitentiary for a similar crime and was charged for a second but released when the alleged victim failed to appear.
  13. [m]
    Serial killer, also raped and murdered seven other women.
  14. [n]
    Also the prime suspect in the rape and murder of Margaret Fitzwater (63, white).
  15. [o]
    Serial killer, also robbed and murdered Laura Fischer (28, white) in New Orleans and Blanche Zimmerman (38, white) in Chicago.
  16. [p]
    "Carnal knowledge."
  17. [q]
    Also convicted of raping a 9-year-old girl and received a 30-year sentence in that case.
  18. [r]
    Also murdered James A. Hardy (32, black).
  19. [s]
    Previously convicted of second degree murder in Virginia and served 12.5 years in prison.

References

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