List of people executed in Connecticut explained

This is a list of people executed in Connecticut, prior to the abolition of capital punishment in the state on April 25, 2012.^[1]

List

Number	Name	Age	Race	Sex	Occupation	Crime	Date	Method	County	Notes
1	Nepauduck	—	Native American	Male	—	Murder		Beheading	New Haven
2	Spencer, George	—	White	Male	Servant	Sodomy		Hanging	New Haven	Note 5
	Plaine, William	56	White	Male		Sodomy		Hanging	New Haven	Note 4
3	['Alse' Young, Alice Young]	—	White	Female	—	Witchcraft		Hanging	Hartford
4	Johnson, Mary	—	White	Female	Servant	Witchcraft		Hanging	—
5	Carrington, Sr, John	37	White	Male	Carpenter	Witchcraft	March 1651	Hanging	Hartford
5	Carrington, Joan	—	White	Female	Housewife	Witchcraft	March 1651	Hanging	Hartford
5	Bassett (Holland), Margery "Goody"	—	White	Female	Housewife	Witchcraft		Hanging	Fairfield
6	Knapp, Elizabeth	—	White	Female	Housewife	Witchcraft		Hanging	Fairfield
7	Walter Robinson	15	White	Male	—	Sodomy		Hanging	New Haven
8	John Knight	—	White	Male	—	Sodomy		Hanging	New Haven
9	Greensmith, Nathaniel	—	White	Male	—	Witchcraft		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
10	Greensmith, Rebecca	—	White	Female	Housewife	Witchcraft		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
11	Barnes, Mary	36	White	Female	Housewife	Witchcraft (exonerated 2023)^[2]		Hanging	Hartford
12	Potter, William	—	White	Male	—	Sodomy		Hanging	New Haven
13	—	—	Native American	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 2
14	—	—	Native American	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 2
15	—	—	Native American	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 2
16	Garrett, Catherine	27	Native American	Female	Servant	Murder		Hanging	New London
17	Bramble, Sarah	—	White	Female	—	Murder		Hanging	New London
18	Frazier, Isaac	—	—	Male	—	Burglary		Hanging	New Haven
19	Jacobs, John	—	Native American	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Litchfield
20	Paul, Moses	—	Native American	Male	Drifter	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
21	Dunbar, Moses	30	White	Male	Farmer	Treason		Hanging	Hartford
22	Griswold	—	White	Male	—	Treason		Hanging	New Haven
23	Davenport, Barnet	20	White	Male	Servant	Murder		Hanging	Litchfield
24	Ocuish, Hannah	12	Native American	Female	—	Murder		Hanging	New London
25	Mountain, Joseph	33	Black	Male	—	Rape		Hanging	New Haven
26	Doane, Richard	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
27	Starr, Thomas	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Middlesex
28	Anthony	—	Black	Male	Freedman	Rape		Hanging	Fairfield
29	Adams, Caleb	18	White	Male	Laborer	Murder		Hanging	Windham
30	Freeman, Samuel	25	Black	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Windham
31	Niles, Henry	—	Native American	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New London
32	Babcock, Miner	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New London
33	Lung, Peter	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Middlesex
34	Adams, Amos	28	Black	Male	—	Rape		Hanging	Fairfield
	Bailey, Adonijah	79	—	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Windham	Note 3
35	Washington, George	—	Native American	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Tolland
36	Watkins, Oliver	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Windham
37	Teller, William	28	White	Male	Convict	Murder		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
38	Reynolds, Caesar	30	White	Male	Convict	Murder		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
39	Sherman	—	—	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New London
40	Potter, Andrew	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
41	Foote, Henry	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 1
42	McCaffrey, James	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 1
43	Jennings, Michael	18	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
44	Toole, Gerald	—	—	Male	Convict	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
45	Starkweather, Albert	25	White	Male	Farmer	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
46	Wilson, James	47	White	Male	Convict	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
47	Hamlin, Henry	—	White	Male	Convict	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
48	Smith, James "Chip"	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
49	Palladoni, Phillip	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
50	Swift, John	—	White	Male	Piano player	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
51	Scheele, Jacob	—	White	Male	Saloon keeper	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
52	Borjensen, Andrew	—	White	Male	Laborer	Murder		Hanging	Litchfield
53	Petrillo, Angelo	—	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
54	Cronin, John	38	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
55	Hartlein, Kaspar	40	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
56	Kippie, Thomas F.	42	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
57	Fuda, Giuseppe	31	White	Male	Laborer	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
58	Imposino, Nicodemo	22	White	Male	Laborer	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
59	Boinay, Charles A.	34	White	Male	Wire weaver	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
59	Willis, Benjamin R.	21	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
60	Brockhaus, Frederick M.	21	White	Male	Criminal	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
61	Cross, Charles B.	18	White	Male	Farmhand	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
62	Misik, Paul	34	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
63	Watson, Joseph	18	Black	Male	Valet	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
64	Marx, Gershon	73	White	Male	Farmer	Murder		Hanging	New London
65	Sherouk, Ephriam	24	White	Male	Laborer	Murder		Hanging	Tolland
66	Bailey, Henry G.	40	White	Male	Farmhand	Murder		Hanging	Middlesex
67	Herman, Alexander	26	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
68	Washelesky, John	32	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
69	Rossi, Lorenzo	31	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
70	Zett, John	48	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Tolland
71	Campagnolo, Giuseppe	28	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 1
72	Carfaro, Raffaele	19	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 1
73	Zawedzianczek, John	28	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
74	Tanganelli, Andrea	26	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
75	Redding, George, Jr.	21	White	Male	Produce clerk	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
76	Saxon, Louis	29	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
77	Plew, James	48	White	Male	Farmhand	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
78	Rikteraitis, Matijins	29	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
79	Buonomo, Joseph	24	White	Male	Criminal	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
80	Bergeron, Joseph	40	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
81	Montvid, Bernard	23	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
82	Grela, Frank	41	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
83	Roe, Harry	22	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford^[3]	Note 1
84	Williams, Isaac	30	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
85	Zuppa, Pasquale	28	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
86	Vetere, Francisco	25	White	Male	Entertainer	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 1
87	Castelli, Joseph	24	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 1
88	Buglione, Stephen	20	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
89	Donvanso, Giovanni	21	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
90	Wise, William	23	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
91	Dusso, Frank	25	White	Male	Longshoreman	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 2
92	Pisaniello, Carmine	21	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 2
93	Lanzillo, Carmine	24	White	Male	Laborer	Murder		Hanging	New Haven	Note 2
94	Perretta, Erasmo	28	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
95	Perretta, Joseph	33	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
96	Nechesnook, Nikifor	28	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
97	Cerrone, Daniel	31	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
98	Wade, Elwood	24	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
99	Kaurawskas, John	36	White	Male	Laborer	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
100	Schutte, Emil	55	White	Male	Merchant	Murder		Hanging	Middlesex
101	Chapman, Gerald	35	White	Male	Gangster	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
102	Wing, Soo Hoo	19	Asian	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
103	Lung, Chin	33	Asian	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford	Note 1
104	Feltovic, John	19	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Fairfield
105	Dibattista, Frank	26	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
106	Lorenzo, Henry	26	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	Hartford
107	Simborski, John	30	White	Male	—	Murder		Hanging	New Haven
108	McElroy, James	45	White	Male	Steamfitter	Murder		Electrocution	New Haven
109	Palka, Frank	26	White	Male	[mechanic]	Murder		Electrocution	Fairfield
110	Weaver, Ira	36	White	Male	Handyman	Murder		Electrocution	Middlesex	Note 1
111	Cots, Vincent	32	White	Male	Mechanic	Murder		Electrocution	Middlesex	Note 1
112	Gurski, Peter	28	White	Male	—	Murder		Electrocution	Litchfield
113	Funderburk, Wilson	38	Black	Male	—	Murder		Electrocution	Hartford
114	Decaro, Carlo	20	White	Male	Factory worker	Murder		Electrocution	Hartford
115	Rossi, Nicholas	33	White	Male	—	Murder		Electrocution	Hartford
116	Lewie, Raymond	19	White	Male	Convict	Murder		Electrocution	Hartford	Note 2
117	Tommaselli, Arthur	25	White	Male	Convict	Murder		Electrocution	Hartford	Note 2
118	McCarthy, James	21	White	Male	Convict	Murder		Electrocution	Hartford	Note 2
119	Bradley, Robert	38	Black	Male	Trash collector	Murder		Electrocution	New Haven
120	Lorain, William	34	White	Male	—	Murder		Electrocution	Hartford
121	Malm, Robert	32	White	Male	Dishwasher	Murder		Electrocution	Hartford	Note 1
122	Donahue, John	22	White	Male	Parolee	Murder		Electrocution	Fairfield	Note 1
123	Davies, George	41	White	Male	Machine tool operator	Murder		Electrocution	New Haven
124	Wojculewicz, Frank	42	White	Male	Gangster	Murder		Electrocution	Hartford
125	Taborsky, Joseph L.	36	White	Male	Gangster	Murder		Electrocution	Hartford
126	Ross, Michael B.	45	White	Male	Insurance salesman	Murder		Lethal injection	Tolland
	Average Age:	30.44

Notes:

1. On this occasion, two executions took place.
2. On this occasion, three executions took place.
3. This is what the chart claimed in 2005, but contrary to popular belief, Adonijah Bailey was not the oldest person executed at age 79 in 1824; instead, he was tried and sentenced to death at age 80 in January 1825 for the murder of Jeremiah W. Pollock, and hanged himself on May 24, over 2 weeks before he was to be executed.^{[4] [5]} The title of the oldest person executed goes instead to Gershon Marx, hanged on May 18, 1905, for murder at age 73.^[6]
4. James Savage, ed., John Winthrop, The History of New England from 1630 to 1649, Vol. 2, (Boston:Little, Brown, 1853), page 324. See also Goodheart, where there are 158 death penalty victims identified for Connecticut.^[7]
5. Posthumously pardoned.

Summary

Age	Frequency	Percent
19 and below	9	7%
20 to 29	39	31%
30 to 39	25	20%
40 to 49	12	10%
50 and above	2	2%
Unknown	39	31%
Race	Frequency	Percent
White	104	83%
Native American	10	8%
Black	7	6%
Asian	2	2%
Unknown	3	2%
Sex	Frequency	Percent
Male	117	93%
Female^[8]	9	7%
Crime	Frequency	Percent
Murder	109	87%
Witchcraft	7	6%
Sodomy	4	3%
Rape	3	2%
Treason	2	2%
Burglary	1	1%
Date	Frequency	Percent
1600 to 1699	12	10%
1700 to 1799	16	13%
1800 to 1899	32	25%
1900 to 1999	65	52%
2000 to present	1	1%
Method	Frequency	Percent
Hanging	107	85%
Electrocution	18	14%
Lethal injection	1	1%
County	Frequency	Percent
Hartford	42	33%
New Haven	39	31%
Fairfield	18	14%
New London	8	6%
Litchfield	6	5%
Middlesex	6	5%
Windham	3	2%
Tolland	3	2%
Unknown	1	1%
Total:	126 Executions

See also

• Capital punishment in Connecticut
• Capital punishment in the United States
• List of counties in Connecticut
• Methods of execution: Electrocution, Hanging, Lethal injection
• Ocuish, Hannah
• Ross, Michael Bruce
• Taborsky, Joseph "Mad Dog"
• Young, Achsah

References

7. https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/cz30q762p

External links

• Death Penalty News from Mail-Archive.com
• Connecticut Executions from 1894 to 2005

Notes and References

1. Web site: Connecticut governor signs death penalty repeal . April 25, 2012 . CBS News.
2. https://ctmirror.org/2023/03/02/ct-new-england-witch-trials-salem-witchcraft-convictions-connecticut-legislature
3. News: Williams and Roe Are Denied Pardons . February 29, 1916 . Norwich Bulletin.
4. Web site: RootsWeb: RIGENWEB-L Re: [RIGENWEB] Pollock Murder -- the Scoop . 2010-12-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121014062138/http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/RIGENWEB/2006-03/1142469753 . 2012-10-14 .
5. Web site: The Telescope. 1824.
6. Web site: [Deathpenalty]death penalty news----CONN., ALA., MISS., KY., USA.
7. Book: Goodheart, Lawrence B.. The Solemn Sentence of Death: Capital Punishment in Connecticut. 2011-01-01. Univ of Massachusetts Press. 978-1558498471. en.
8. Web site: Pollard . Heather . The Execution of Women in Connecticut . May 17, 2024 . Research Gate.