The following is a list of people executed by the U.S. state of Oklahoma before 1972, when capital punishment was briefly abolished by the Supreme Court's ruling in Furman v. Georgia. For people executed by Oklahoma after the restoration of capital punishment by the Supreme Court's ruling in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), see List of people executed in Oklahoma.
Background When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, all executions were carried out by hanging within the county of conviction. Very few hangings occurred during this time period due to governor Lee Cruce's opposition to capital punishment. In 1915, Oklahoma adopted electrocution as its main form of capital punishment, with a designated execution chamber being added to the state penitentiary in McAlester. From that year to 1972, 83 prisoners (all male) were executed in the state penitentiary. 82 were electrocuted; one of the prisoners, sentenced to death by the federal government under the "Lindbergh law", was hanged instead as was required for federal executions at the time. (Hanging was retained by the state as an alternative method.)
List of executions +NameRaceAgeDate of executionCountyCrimeVictim(s)GovernorFrank FordBlack26June 12, 1908TillmanMurderAnna Rogers, black (wife)Frank Ford, OK, 1908 June 12Charles N. HaskellJohn HopkinsWhite38August 28, 1908OttawaMurderLena Craig, 18, whiteJohn Hopkins, OK, 1908 August 28Will JohnsonBlack19December 11, 1908PottawatomieMurder-RobberyMary Cuppy, 75, whiteWill Johnson, OK, 1908 December 11Henry ArmstrongWhiteNovember 19, 1909NobleMurderIsaac Fell, whiteHenry Armstrong, OK, 1909 November 19Alfred KingBlackFebruary 4, 1910NowataMurder-RobberyGeorge Bird, blackAlfred King, OK, 1910 February 4Alf HunterBlackApril 8, 1910BlaineMurderGeorge Washington Garrison, 50, white (Oklahoma County sheriff)Alf Hunter, OK, 1910 April 8John BlackBlackApril 15, 1910HughesMurder-RobberyJ. P. Stephens, whiteJohn Black, OK, 1910 April 15Frank HensonBlackMarch 31, 1911TulsaMurderCharles W. Stamper, white (deputy sheriff)Frank Henson, OK, 1911 March 31Lee CruceHenry BookmanBlack28December 10, 1915McIntoshMurderRichard Hardin, whiteRobert L. WilliamsCecil ToweryBlack22November 6, 1916McIntoshMurder-RobberyCharles Vaughn, whiteChester TaylorBlack44April 13, 1917CreekMurderMillie Taylor, black (wife)Charley YoungBlack26TillmanMurderMale, whiteWillie WilliamsBlack35MuskogeeMurderSamuel Henry Neal, 39, white (policeman)John PratherBlack26May 3, 1918PittsburgMurderCharles Chapman, black (cellmate)James BrownBlack34November 8, 1918MuskogeeMurderGlenn Jacobs, whiteT. R. BraughtWhite29May 23, 1919CreekMurderOtis Robbin, whiteJack C. WaltonMonroe BettertonWhite48July 9, 1920CraigMurderElzadah Betterton, white (wife)John LedbetterNative American31February 25, 1921MuskogeeMurderRobert Moreland, race unknownRobert BlakelyWhite39MurderEffie May Allford, whiteEli ThomasBlack22July 15, 1921LeFloreMurderSelma Mayfield, whiteSteve SaboWhite50March 17, 1922CoalMurder-RapeSophia Sabo, 19, white (niece)Sam WatkinsWhite39May 5, 1922AtokaMurder-RapeCora Jones, whiteAaron HarveyWhite21January 13, 1924McCurtainMurderFive people, whiteMartin E. TrappJack PopeWhite45Richard BirkesWhite29September 5, 1924CraigMurder-RobberyFrank Pitts, whiteLeroy ScottBlack22May 29, 1925PittsburgMurderFrank Daniels, whiteJohnnie WashingtonBlack29December 4, 1925JacksonMurderMale, white (peace officer)Theodore BrusterBlack21June 29, 1928MuskogeeMurder-RobberyWilliam Heeman, whiteHenry S. JohnstonWalter WiggerWhite31OttawaMurderRuth Harris, white (girlfriend)Willie O'NeilBlack27OklahomaMurder-RobberyMark Hipscher, whiteJames ForrestBlack23July 17, 1930StephensRapeFemale, whiteWilliam J. HollowayTom GuestWhite48PottawatomieMurder-RobberyBailey Browder, whiteE. S. HembreeNative American32April 17, 1931StephensRapeLeota Bosley, 23, whiteWilliam H. MurrayPaul ColeWhite33July 10, 1931SeminoleMurderErnest Irby, whiteBennie NicholsBlack31August 21, 1931PontotocMurder-RobberyJack Hornton, whiteHenry LovettWhite39September 25, 1931CanadianMurder-RobberyDee Foliart, 28, whiteMartin KeeneyWhite49March 11, 1932OklahomaMurderW. H. Folwell, 73, whiteA. M. HarrisWhite49June 17, 1932OklahomaMurderEd Martin, 62, whiteIra J. AdlerWhite50August 19, 1932BlaineMurderTom and Nora McDonald, white (brother- and sister-in-law)Charles DavisBlack42Murder Guy M. Jarvis, 38, white (undersheriff)Ivory CovingtonBlack25January 27, 1933ChoctawMurder-RobberyLuther Williams, whiteNathan RightsellWhite27February 24, 1933ChoctawMurderJason Victor Buchanan, white (officer)Charles LattimerWhite29March 24, 1933ComancheMurderFemale, white (wife)Proctor McDonaldWhite24May 5, 1933CreekMurder-RobberyRaymond Butler, 8, whiteJoe MartinWhite54NobleMurderPete Von Uearop, whiteAlbert EllisWhite25CarterRobberyJohn Weber and his family, whiteLuke NicholsWhite44May 19, 1933AlfalfaMurderHarriet Crawford, 26, white (girlfriend)Claude OliverWhite28August 23, 1933MurrayMurderDella Oliver, 15, white (George's wife)George OliverWhite18Ted PattonWhite25October 20, 1933SequoyahMurderRobert Wall, 19, whiteCharley DumasBlack29CoalRapeFemale, whiteWilliam JohnsonBlack28November 10, 1933MuskogeeMurderMary Wolfenberger, whiteTom MorrisBlack40November 24, 1933PittsburgMurderMr. and Mrs. Joe House, whiteEarl QuinnWhite29GarfieldMurder-RapeJessie Griffith, 24, whiteFrank ClarkBlack60October 19, 1934McCurtainMurderDan and Anna Stiles, whiteErnest OglesbyWhite27January 4, 1935OklahomaMurderDouglas Gates, white (Oklahoma City policeman)Robert CargoWhite21May 24, 1935OklahomaMurder-RobberyA. L. Luke, whiteE. W. MarlandAlfred RowanBlack30September 20, 1935JacksonMurderRoy Gentry, whiteBun RileyWhite29PittsburgMurderThree persons, whiteChester BarrettWhite37CreekMurderThree of his children, whiteRoy GuytonBlack25March 20, 1936OklahomaMurderE. L. Bailey, whiteJames HargusWhite26April 24, 1936TulsaMurderL. D. Mitchell, white (Tulsa policeman)Arthur GoochWhite27June 19, 1936N/A (Federal)KidnappingR. N. Baker and H. R. Marks, white (policemen)Leon SilerWhite22June 11, 1937ComancheMurderJ. E. Wilson, white (Grady County deputy sheriff)Charlie SandsNative American21Roy MannonWhite38March 1, 1940WagonerMurder-RobberyJake Skelly, 67, whiteLeon C. PhillipsRoger CunninghamWhite30November 15, 1940OklahomaMurderEudora Cunningham, white (wife)Warren AbbyWhite59August 29, 1941CusterMurderJulia Abby, 78, white (wife)J. D. TuggleWhite23February 9, 1942GarvinMurder-RobberyMr. and Mrs. D. Wilburn Jones, white (uncle and aunt)Finley PorterBlack40April 16, 1943PittsburgMurderL. Z. Beacham, black (cellmate)Robert S. KerrHiram PratherWhite35July 14, 1943PittsburgMurderJess Dunn, white (warden)Amos JohnsonBlack30March 23, 1945LincolnMurderVictoria and Martha Gorski, 38 and 3, whiteClifford NormanBlack30November 9, 1945MurrayRapeFemale, whiteAlfred BinghamWhite40May 31, 1946TulsaMurderMary Bingham, 30, white (wife)Mose JohnsonBlack33November 1, 1946PittsburgMurderL. C. Smalley, race unknownHarlan BroylesWhite32January 30, 1947SeminoleMurderEric Nicholson, 35, white (deputy sheriff)Roy J. TurnerLewis GraysonBlack31May 25, 1948MuskogeeRapeFemale, whiteBen GouldBlack40September 27, 1948AtokaMurder-Rape-RobberyMary Lynn, 57, whiteMax KletkeWhite25January 6, 1951OklahomaMurderCarl E. Beach, 45, whiteJearell HathcoxWhite38July 27, 1951OklahomaMurderMartin Lyle Shaffer, 67, whiteJohnston MurrayMelburn MottWhite35September 21, 1951TulsaMurderMary Frances Mott, 6, white (daughter)Carl DeWolfWhite37November 17, 1953TulsaMurderJerry St. Clair, 25, white (Tulsa policeman)Hurbie FairrisWhite22January 18, 1956OklahomaMurderBennie F. Cravatt, white (detective)Raymond D. GaryOtto LoelWhite44January 11, 1957OklahomaMurderElizabeth Jeanne Henderson, 31, whiteRobert HendricksWhite66February 5, 1957CraigMurder-RobberyRheam Payton, 54, whiteEdward WilliamsWhite30July 28, 1960TulsaKidnappingTommy Cooke, 24, whiteJ. Howard EdmondsonJames SpenceWhite32August 31, 1960CottonMurderRuth Zimmerman, 19, whiteRay YoungWhite34December 15, 1960JacksonMurderJohn Barter, white (highway patrolman)Shelby DoggettWhite29October 1, 1962ComancheMurder-RobberyJimmy Lee Lanman, 24, whiteRichard DareWhite30June 1, 1963OklahomaMurderTed Albert, 60, whiteHenry BellmonJames FrenchWhite30August 10, 1966PittsburgMurderEddie Shelton, white (cellmate)
See also Capital punishment in Oklahoma Crime in Oklahoma
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