| James Howard Snook | |
|---|---|
James H. Snook in 1929. |
|
| Born | James Howard Snook 17 September 1879 West Lebanon, Ohio United States, North America |
| Died | 28 February 1930 (aged 50) Columbus, Ohio United States, North America |
| Cause of death | Electrocution by Electric Chair |
| Resting place | Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Professor |
| Spouse | Helen M. Snook |
| Partner | Theora Hix |
James Howard Snook (17 September 1879, West Lebanon, Ohio – 28 February 1930, Columbus, Ohio) was an Ohio athlete and physician convicted and executed for murder.
Snook was a member of the U.S. Olympic Pistol Team, which won a Gold Medal at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium.[1]
Later, Snook was the head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University. He invented the snook hook, a surgical instrument which is still used in spaying animals.[2]
Snook was convicted of murdering Theora Hix, a 29-year-old medical student with whom he had had a three-year sexual affair. Snook claimed at his Columbus, Ohio, trial that he had killed Hix because she was threatening to kill Snook's wife and family, and that he feared she would shoot him. The trial was considered shocking for the sexual activities discussed, including fellatio. The jury took 28 minutes to deliberate before finding Snook guilty, after which he was sentenced to death by electrocution.[2]
Snook was executed on 28 February 1930 at the Ohio Penitentiary, by means of the electric chair. He was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery after a short service at the King Avenue Methodist Church. His tombstone, on Lot 243 of Section 87, omits his last name, reading only "James Howard". [3]