List of people executed in Kentucky (pre-1972)

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The following is a list of people executed in the U.S. state of Kentucky before 1972, when capital punishment was briefly abolished by the Supreme Court's decision in Furman v. Georgia. For people executed after the restoration of capital punishment by the Supreme Court's decision in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), see List of people executed in Kentucky.[1][2]

Historically, all executions in Kentucky were carried out by hanging in the county of conviction. In 1910, the state's execution method was switched to electrocution, with all executions legally mandated to take place within the state penitentiary in Eddyville.[3] Kentucky partially reverted to hangings in 1920 after the electrocution of Will Lockett for the rape and murder of a young girl, with a new law stating that death sentences for rape would be locally carried out by hanging in county jail yards with at least 50 witnesses present. Executions for rape returned to electrocution with the repeal of this law in 1938.[4]

List of executions

  Local hangings for rape
Name Race Age Date of execution County Crime Victim(s) Governor
James Buckner Black 18 July 8, 1911 Marion Murder John Austin Robey, 55, white (Lebanon policeman)[5] Augustus E. Willson
Shay Pellman Black 35 August 5, 1911 Lincoln Rape Nancy Jane Rankin, 11, white
Oliver Locks Black 51 August 22, 1911 Jefferson Murder Lulie Locks, 33, black (wife)[6]
Matthew Kelly Black 37 September 28, 1911 Jefferson Murder Pearl Evans (girlfriend and sister-in-law) and Clara Hamilton, 22 and 20, black[7][a]
Charles Howard Black 22 January 31, 1912 Franklin Murder Edward Rice, 30, white[8] James B. McCreary
Willard Richardson White 29 April 19, 1912 Carlisle Murder John B. Violett, 55, white[9][b]
Cal Miracle White 34 August 31, 1912 Bell Murder Dulcie E. Partin, 31, white[10][c]
James Smith Black 23 September 27, 1912 Mason Murder "Ed", black[11][d]
Charles Smith Black 25
James Ellis White 28 November 22, 1912 Pulaski Murder Andrew Jackson Beatty and William F. Heath, 45 and 47, white (magistrate and constable)[12]
Silas Williams Black 17 March 21, 1913 Woodford Murder-Rape Susan Black, 68, white[13]
William Wilson Black 27 March 24, 1913 Jefferson Murder-Robbery Gerhard Henry Heuermann, 54, white
John Bowman White 22 April 11, 1913 Marion Rape Minnie Deering, 18, white[14]
Isom Taliaferro Black 22 April 18, 1913 Todd Rape Rosa Robertson, 17, white[15]
James Brown Black 27 April 25, 1913 Clark Murder George M. Hart, 49, white (deputy sheriff)[16]
Tom Lawson Black 19 June 20, 1913 Shelby Murder Bennie Hardin Engrum, 19, white[17]
Tom Martin Black 23
General May White 43 June 27, 1913 Laurel[e] Murder Belle Hensley Meredith, 30, white[18][f]
Will Lane Black 25 July 30, 1915 Bell Murder Mary Lane, black (wife)[19]
Turner Graham White 24 Hardin Murder Robert Terry McMurtry, 36, white (sheriff)[20][g]
Wallace Smothers Black 41 September 3, 1915 Clark Rape Georgia Baird, 7, white[21]
John Henry Black 24 November 19, 1915 Boyd Murder-Robbery Joseph C. Gibson, 34, white
Harry Garrison Black 19 November 17, 1916 Campbell Rape Luella Crowder, 19, white[22][h] Augustus Owsley Stanley
John H. Blue Black 48 August 10, 1917 Jefferson Murder Adam Oster, 59, white[23]
Melvin Collins White 21 July 12, 1918 Carter Murder Three people, white[24][i]
Pat Kearney White 32 February 21, 1919 Kenton Murder-Robbery John Rehm and Andrew Nordmeyer, 82 and 67, white[25]
James Lawler White 32
Lewis Harris Black 25 June 6, 1919 Mason Murder Betina Miner Harris, 22, black (wife)[26] James D. Black
James Howard Black 21 McCracken Murder William F. Romain, 35, white (Paducah patrolman)[27]
Lube Martin Black 34 July 25, 1919 Calloway Murder Guthrie Diuguid, 54, white (deputy constable)[28]
Charles Music White 24 March 10, 1920 Boyd Murder-Robbery Charles West Hatfield, 41, white (Ashland police officer)[29] Edwin P. Morrow
Will Lockett Black 31 March 11, 1920 Fayette Murder-Rape Geneva Hardman, 10, white[30][j]
Lee Ellison Black 45 January 31, 1921 Hopkins Murder Richard Scott Hunter, 38, white (sheriff)[31][k]
Dave Brown White 27 November 16, 1922 Pike Murder James H. Brumfield, 41, white[32][l]
Benny Bibbs Black 28 January 26, 1923 Christian Murder-Robbery Robert Lee Armstrong, 28, black[33]
Tom Nichols Black 29 Murder B. H. Robey, 50, white
Henry S. Banks Black 22 May 15, 1923 Scott Murder-Burglary William Owens Barkley, 44, white (police officer)[34]
James Powers White 23 June 18, 1923 Kenton Murder-Robbery Mannie Lee, 25, white[35]
Will Chambers Black 20 March 7, 1924 Barren Murder-Robbery Charles Henry Bybee, 27, white[36] William J. Fields
Charles Miller Black 25 May 9, 1924 Breckinridge Murder-Robbery Samuel Haycraft and Edward Sago (railroad detectives), 58 and 41, white[37]
George Weick White 51 Jefferson Murder William E. Oelke, 39, white[38]
Frank Thomas White 71 Murder Lee Jackson Arbegust, 58, white[39][m]
Leonard Griffin Black 24 March 20, 1925 Harlan Murder James Valentine Gross, 39, white (constable)[40]
Sid Davis Black 38 Fayette Murder John H. Johnson, 31, black[41]
George Farrell White 24 June 26, 1925 Bourbon Murder-Robbery Frank Buchanan, 61, white[42]
Richard Newhouse White 22
Elmer Hall White 25
Harry Armand Black 24 July 3, 1925 Jefferson Murder-Robbery Ambrose K. Witten, 44, white[43]
Ray Ross Black 25 August 28, 1925 Fayette Rape Female, 9, black[44]
Ed Harris Black 42 March 5, 1926 Fayette Rape Mary Margaret Bryant Roberts, 31, white[45][n]
John Baker Black 34 May 28, 1926 Jefferson Murder Maria Hall Baker, 22, black (wife)[46][o]
Edward Lake White 32 Murder Mary A. Smith, 36, white[47][p]
Elisha Sloan White 30 Perry Murder Dr. Marvin Jackson Kingins, 28, white[48]
Smokey Harris Black 35 December 17, 1926 Christian Murder Leona Clark Harris, 21, black (wife)[49]
Roger Brannon White 22 Fayette Murder-Robbery William Nelson Fant, 32, white[50][51]
Raymond Davis White 28 September 16, 1927
Nathan Bard Black 31 November 25, 1927 Hopkins Rape Katherine Breithaupt, 16, white[52][q]
Bunyan Fleming Black 32
Clarence McQueen Black 38 July 13, 1928 Harrison Murder Lewis Williams, 74, black[53]
James Howard Black 22 Jefferson Murder Lucy Buckner, black (common-law wife)[54]
Willie Moore Black 45 Murder Anna Eslick, 30, black (girlfriend)[55]
Orlando Seymour White 21 Murder-Robbery William A. Schanzenbacher, 33, white[56]
Charles Mitra White 22 Murder-Robbery Marion A. George, 59, white[57]
Milford Lawson White 35 Knox Murder John Ira Stansberry, 45, white[58][r]
Hascue Dockery White 22 Harlan Murder Esther M. Howard, 27, white[59][s]
Ivan Hutsell White 27 September 13, 1929 Oldham Murder Jessie Zimmerman Ditchler, 28, white[60][t]
Carl Hord White 21 Jefferson Murder-Robbery Marion A. George, 59, white[57]
Richard Edmonds Black 36 June 13, 1930 Jefferson Murder-Robbery Harry S. Long, 54, white[61]
Ballard Ratcliffe White 41 Murder-Robbery William A. Muse, 64, white[62]
Walter Holmes Black 31 April 29, 1932 Hardin Murder-Burglary Thomas Dye Tillery, 57, white[63] Ruby Laffoon
Charles Rodgers Black 23
A. B. Cooksey Black 23 Hopkins Murder John H. Ashby, 61, white (Madisonville police chief)[63]
Sam Jennings Black 38 June 17, 1932 Breckinridge Rape Mabel Downs, 23, white[64]
Jeff Covington Black 30 December 17, 1932 Madison Murder James D. Turner, 59, white (railroad detective)[65][u]
Sam McGee Black 31 April 7, 1933 McCracken Murder-Robbery Charles Clark, 19, white[66]
Frank Carson White 19 Nelson Murder-Robbery Carl B. James, 58, white[67]
John Young White 37 April 14, 1933 Jefferson Murder Edward Earl Parr and William Leath Mulligan, 39 and 40, white (Louisville police captain and detective sergeant)[68]
Kermit R. Pope Black 33 Murder Lula Mae Pope, 27, black (wife)[69]
Richard Gaines Black 25 Caldwell Murder George Wilson, 42, black[70]
Harve Burton White 46 November 3, 1933 Elliott Murder Virgie Skaggs Burton, 46, white (wife)[71]
Ishmael Scott White 40 Floyd Murder Martin Stephens, 34, white[72][v]
William Waters White 36 Montgomery[w] Murder Stanley Cole Helton, 26, white (deputy sheriff)[72][x]
Walter Dewberry Black 22 November 10, 1933 Hardin Murder-Burglary Thomas Dye Tillery, 57, white[73]
Will Chaney Black 49 August 24, 1934 Jefferson Murder George Bottoms, 21, black[74]
George W. Tincher White 37 Scott Murder-Robbery Ben Michele Kennon, 58, white[75]
Francis Glenday White 29 December 7, 1934
Wiley Graves Black 29 February 22, 1935 Fayette Murder Charles W. Taylor, 30, white[76][y]
Charlie Williams Black 27 March 1, 1935 Christian Murder-Robbery Grant E. Lane, 38, white[77]
William T. DeBoe White 22 April 19, 1935 Livingston Rape-Robbery Marjorie Johnson, 32, white[78][z]
James Smith Black 30 May 24, 1935 Fayette Murder Leslie Poyntz, 53, black[79]
Bill Young White 23 June 28, 1935 Harlan Murder Joe Wheeler Cawood, 36, white[80]
Eulie Lotheridge White 26 December 6, 1935 Carroll Murder-Robbery Theodore Fitschen, 56, white[81]
Neal Bowman White 33 January 10, 1936 Mercer Murder Comer Franklin, 17, white[82][aa] Happy Chandler
Willard Hall White 33 January 17, 1936 Jefferson Murder-Robbery John Bernard Schroering, 65, white[83][ab]
Calvin Tate White 21
James Matthews White 19 January 31, 1936 McCreary Murder-Robbery Cleve Spradlin, 24, white[84]
Bennie Lee Black 27 February 21, 1936 Bell Murder-Robbery James Robert Townes, 56, black[85]
Erleon Whitehead White 34 March 20, 1936 Barren Murder-Burglary John Allen, 68, black[86][ac]
Alfred Drake Black 30 May 15, 1936 Jefferson Murder James Edward Simpson, 60, black (Louisville merchant police officer)[87]
Roy Simmons Black 22 McCracken Murder Richard Kelly, 31, white (railroad detective)[88]
James R. Woodford Black 22 May 29, 1936 Fayette Murder-Robbery John M. Anderson, 62, white[89]
Homer Young Black 39 June 5, 1936 Bell Murder Enoch Beeler, 28, white[90]
Rainey Bethea Black 22 August 14, 1936 Daviess Rape-Burglary[ad] Lishia Edwards, 70, white[91]
George B. Underwood White 23 February 19, 1937 Bullitt Murder Wallace van Fleet, 55, white[92]
Sam Franklin Black 24 March 19, 1937 Jefferson Robbery John C. O'Connor, 45, white[93]
Arnold Clift White 24 July 16, 1937 Laurel Murder-Robbery Reed A. and Effie Cox Taylor, 58 and 50, white[94]
Perry Marion White 27 November 12, 1937
John Montjoy Black 23 December 17, 1937 Kenton Rape-Robbery Female, white[95]
Troy Triplett White 22 May 20, 1938 Letcher Murder Dolph Hall, 40, white[96]
Harold Venison Black 36 June 3, 1938 Kenton Rape Eleanor Nieberling, 25, white[97][ae]
Parkie Denny White 43 September 2, 1938 Madison Murder Ethel Yates Denny, 49, white (wife)[98]
Leonard Mosley Black 43 October 28, 1938 Meade Rape-Burglary[af] Beulah Fontaine Hook, 57, white
Sylvester Warner White 29 February 10, 1939 Casey Murder-Burglary John D. and Clay White, 81 and 51, white[99]
Bonnie Griffin White 24 March 3, 1939 Estill Murder-Burglary Marion Francis and Martha Bremer Short, 75 and 40, white[100]
Arnold Powell White 23
Willie Waters Black 46 March 24, 1939 Jefferson Murder Ella Caldwell Waters, 42, black (wife)[101]
Arvil Rice White 20 July 7, 1939 Bell Murder-Robbery Walter Ludwig Dorfman, 23, white[102]
Charles H. Smith White 40 July 14, 1939 Lyon Murder Clayton Sloan, 23, white (cellmate)[103][ag]
Jack Davis White 47 July 21, 1939 Leslie Murder Abram Combs, 30, white[104]
Edward Higgins Black 26 July 25, 1939 Mercer Rape Mollie Cunningham, 76, white[105][ah]
Henry Phillips Black 41 July 26, 1940 Jefferson Murder Ellie P. Williamson, 46, black (common-law wife)[106] Keen Johnson
Ernest Houston Black 21 August 30, 1940 Jefferson Murder-Robbery Arnold Smith, 27, white[107]
Columbus Richardson Black 27 January 20, 1941 McCracken Murder Tom McNary, 64, black[108]
Grover Chism White 49 July 4, 1941 Hardin Murder Schuyler McClure, 68, white[109]
Bill Smiddy White 35 August 29, 1941 Whitley Murder Faye Meadows Smiddy, 17, white (wife)[110][ai]
James Satterfield Black 35 February 20, 1942 Jefferson Murder John Wesley Hall Jr., 23, black[111]
Eugene Burnam Black 18 March 27, 1942 Fayette Rape Hazel Perkins, 22, white[112][aj]
Robert Williams Black 23 June 5, 1942 Fayette Rape-Burglary Virgie Wigginton, 23, white[113]
James Lee Robertson Black 26 August 7, 1942 Fayette[ak] Murder-Rape Bertha Lehman, 27, white[114][al]
Otis Peter Smith Black 30 August 28, 1942 Jefferson Murder-Robbery Edward B. Hite, 54, white[115]
Jess Sanders Black 56 Murder Katriona Motley Sanders, 44, black (ex-wife)[116]
Burnett Sexton White 18 January 15, 1943 Perry Murder-Robbery Robert McIntyre, 50, white[117]
McCoy Combs White 21
Ernest Trent White 26 February 26, 1943 Breathitt Murder Hiram Smith, 35, white (constable)[118]
Raymond S. Baxter White 28 Fayette Murder-Burglary Elsie Ego and Marion Ego Miley, 52 and 27, white[119]
Thomas Penney White 32
Robert Anderson White 36
Archie Simpson Black 20 June 25, 1943 Fayette Murder-Robbery Byrd Taulbee, 66, white[120]
William Carson Gray Black 17
Thomas Bass Black 25 March 16, 1945 Jefferson Murder-Robbery John Thomas Brown, 60, black[121] Simeon Willis
Tommy Nelson White 35 Pike Murder Frelin Estepp, 55, white
Carl Fox Black 18 April 6, 1945 Campbell Rape Myrtle Barnes, 16, white[122]
Ed Hambrick Black 26 May 25, 1945
Anderson Adkins White 33 March 15, 1946 Pike Murder Jettie Johnson, 50, white[123][am]
Arthur Jones Black 17 March 22, 1946 Mason Murder-Robbery Samuel Oliver Greenlee, 80, white[124]
Thomas Earl Warner Black 20
Edward Calhoun White 22 May 24, 1946 Garrard Murder-Robbery John Hager, 43, white[125]
Earl L. Tungett White 25 July 11, 1947 Lyon Murder Luther Roscoe Gumm, 61, white (deputy warden)[126][an]
Luther Williams Black 27 February 27, 1948 Pulaski Murder-Rape-Burglary-Kidnap Mary Ada Hughes, 55, white[127] Earle Clements
Jasper Nease White 23 July 30, 1948 Jefferson Robbery[ao] Vernon L. Hodge, 26, white[128]
Daniel T. McPeak White 21 November 5, 1948
Charlie Pool Black 44 January 28, 1949 Christian Murder-Rape Virginia Gray Harris, 29, white (love interest)[129]
Herbert H. Workman White 20 March 4, 1949 Jefferson Robbery[ao] Vernon L. Hodge, 26, white[128]
Lawrence B. Lightfoot White 27 June 24, 1949 Campbell Murder-Robbery William Harvey Childers, 84, white[130]
Raymond Ellison White 39 February 24, 1950 Muhlenberg Murder Imogene Sims Ellison, 12, white (wife)[131][ap]
Columbus Webb White 42 June 16, 1950 Martin Murder-Robbery Elijah Davis, 36, white[132]
Albert Shelkels Black 20 June 8, 1951 Jefferson Robbery[aq] Milton Zimmerman, 29, white[133] Lawrence Wetherby
James I. Robinson White 33 January 18, 1952 Jefferson Murder-Rape Joyce Joan Shouse, 3, white[134]
Earl D. Bircham White 49 February 1, 1952 Jefferson Murder John Harold Tennyson, 30, white (Louisville patrolman)[135]
Jessie Lee Quarles Black 27 April 4, 1952 Christian Murder-Robbery James Everett Grady, 34, white[136]
Roosevelt Spears Black 47 February 27, 1953 Campbell Murder Charles Edward Thompson, 27, black[137]
Thomas William Reed Black 45 June 4, 1954 Jefferson Murder Louise Young, 30, black (common-law wife)[138][ar]
Leonard Tarrance White 26 March 18, 1955 Jefferson Murder Francis J. McCormack, 53, white[139]
Roy Tarrance White 49
Ed Milam Black 25 September 16, 1955 Christian Murder-Robbery Stephen Farmer, 61, white[140]
David Nichols Black 55 December 23, 1955 Jefferson Murder Mary Georgia Roberts, 38, black (common-law wife)[141] Happy Chandler
Chester Merrifield White 34 Murder Alvin Lee Keown, 34, white (police officer)[142]
Robert Lee Sheckles Black 22 November 30, 1956 Jefferson Rape-Kidnap Female, 28, white[143]
Charles C. DeBerry Black 20 Murder-Burglary Richard V. Eddins, 54, white[144]
James F. Bowman Black 44 Murder-Rape Roberta Busby, 72, white[145]
Kelly Moss White 47 March 2, 1962 Henderson Murder Charles Abbitt, 74, white (stepfather)[146] Bert Combs

See also

Notes

Sources

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