Capital punishment in Wyoming

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Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Wyoming.

Contents

[edit] Current development

Wyoming Legislature passed a new and current death penalty statute on February 28, 1977[1], due to eliminating all previous statutes across the country by the 1972 United States Supreme Court Furman v. Georgia decision.

[edit] Capital crimes

First-degree murder is the only capital crime in Wyoming[2]. There are 11 aggravating factors[3].

Life in prison without parole is an option[4].

[edit] Death row and clemency process

Male death row is located in Rawlins (for females in Lusk). Currently 2 men and no woman are awaiting execution[5].

Governor of Wyoming have a sole right to grant commutation of the death sentence. Since 1977 no commutation was granted[6].

[edit] Method of executions

Lethal injection is a sole method of executions. Gas chamber, however, is a backup method if injection would ever be found unconstitutional[7].

[edit] Executed individuals

Only one individual has been executed in the state of Wyoming since 1976:

Executed person Date of execution Method Murder victim(s) Under Governor
1 Mark Hopkinson 22 January 1992 lethal injection Vincent Vehar, Beverly Vehar, John Vehar, and Jeffrey Green Mike Sullivan

[edit] Historical

Wyoming has executed 22 men between 1884 and 1965. 5 of these execution were prior to Statehood, 17 since[8].

Until 1937 hanging was only used method. Later gas chamber was introcuced. Totally 17 convicted people were hanged and 4 gassed.[9].

Wyoming never executed a woman or anyone for crime other than murder[10].

[edit] Federal death penalty

Further information: Capital punishment by the United States federal government

One federal (outside state juridsiction) execution, not listed here, took place on April 26, 1945, when Henry Ruhl was gassed for a murder committed on a Government Reservation[11].

No one was convicted by federal courts in Wyoming and sentenced to death after 1988 (date of federal death penalty reintroduction)[12].

[edit] List of executions until 1965

Executed person Date of execution Method Crime
1 John Boyer 21 April 1871 hanging murder
2 William Tousant Kensler 19 November 1874 hanging murder
3 Leroy Donovan 18 January 1884 hanging murder and robbery
4 George Cooke 12 December 1884 hanging murder
5 John Owens 5 March 1886 hanging murder and robbery
6 Benjamin Carter 26 January 1888 hanging murder
7 George Black 26 February 1890 hanging murder

A total of 18 individuals were executed in the state of Wyoming prior to the 1972 Supreme Court capital punishment ban.

Executed person Date of execution Method Crime
1 Charles Miller 22 April 1892 hanging murder and robbery
2 Frank Howard 7 December 1894 hanging murder
3 James Keffer 24 September 1902 hanging murder and robbery
4 Thomas Horn 20 November 1903 hanging murder
5 Joseph Seng 24 May 1912 hanging murder
6 Warren Jenkins 14 November 1913 hanging murder
7 Willard Flanders 16 June 1916 hanging murder
8 Wilmer Palmer 11 August 1916 hanging murder
9 Oscar White 20 January 1916 hanging murder
10 Yee Geow 11 March 1921 hanging murder
11 George Brownfield 10 March 1930 hanging murder
12 Charles Aragon 14 May 1930 hanging murder
13 Talton Taylor 11 May 1933 hanging murder
14 Perry Carroll 13 August 1937 gas chamber murder
15 Stanley Lantzer 19 April 1940 gas chamber murder
16 Cleveland Brown, Jr. 17 November 1945 gas chamber murder and rape
17 Andrew Pixley 10 December 1965 gas chamber murder

One federal execution took place:

Executed person Date of execution Crime Method Under President
Henry Ruhl April 27, 1945 Murder on a Government Reservation Gas chamber Harry S. Truman

[edit] References

  1. ^ Death Penalty Information Center
  2. ^ Crimes Punishable by the Death Penalty
  3. ^ Aggravating Factors For Capital Punishment By State
  4. ^ Crimes Punishable by the Death Penalty
  5. ^ Death Penalty Information Center
  6. ^ Clemency
  7. ^ Methods of Execution
  8. ^ Regional Studies Central
  9. ^ Regional Studies Central
  10. ^ http://users.bestweb.net/~rg/execution/WYOMING.htm
  11. ^ http://www.deathrowspeaks.info/federal/federaldeathpenalty.html#Executions
  12. ^ The Federal Death Penalty
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