List of individuals executed in Utah
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A total of 6 individuals convicted of murder have been executed by the state of Utah since 1976. Utah is particularly notable in being the first state to execute a prisoner, Gary Gilmore, after the United States Supreme Court's Gregg v. Georgia decision validated the capital punishment statutes enacted in response to the 1972 Furman v. Georgia decision. Utah is also the only state to have used the firing squad. Recent changes to state law require that any future death row inmates be executed by lethal injection. However any prisoner who chose a firing squad before the law change will still have this option available. Previously, the condemned had their choice between firing squad and hanging.
| Executed person | Date of execution | Method | Victims | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gary Gilmore | 17 January 1977 | firing squad | Ben Bushnell and Max David Jensen. |
| 2 | Dale Pierre Selby | 28 August 1987 | lethal injection | Stanley Walker, Michelle Ansley, and Carol Naisbitt. |
| 3 | Arthur Bishop | 10 June 1988 | lethal injection | Danny Davis and Alonzo Daniels and three other young boys. |
| 4 | William Andrews | 30 July 1992 | lethal injection | Stanley Walker, Michelle Ansley, and Carol Naisbitt. |
| 5 | John Albert Taylor | 27 January 1996 | firing squad | Charla Nicole King. |
| 6 | Joseph M. Parsons | 15 October 1999 | lethal injection | Richard Ernest. |
[edit] Other executions of note
Over 40 executions occurred in Utah and Utah territory before 1976.
| Executed person | Date of execution | Method | Victims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Hill | 19 November 1915 | firing squad | John G. Morrison and his son Arling |
| John D. Lee | 1877 | firing squad | Mountain Meadows Massacre |
| Wallace Wilkerson | May 16, 1879 | a botched firing squad[1] | |
| Eliseo J. Mares | 10 September 1951 | firing squad | |
| Barton Kay Kirkham | 7 June 1958 | hanging |
