List of people executed in West Virginia explained

The following is a list of people executed by the U.S. state of West Virginia from 1861 to 1959.

Capital punishment was abolished in West Virginia in 1965.[1] From 1861 to 1959, 112 people have been executed in West Virginia,[2] 102 by hanging, 9 by electrocution and 1 by hanging in chains.[2]

Executions 1861-1959

NameRaceSexDate of executionMethodCrime(s)
Winthrow Black?January 1861HangingUnspecified Felony
Daniel Grogan?MFebruary 9, 1866HangingMurder
Thomas Boice?MFebruary 9, 1866HangingMurder
Mortimer Gibboney?MJune 15, 1866HangingMurder
Joseph EiseleWhiteMMarch 6, 1868HangingMurder
Labon WalkerWhiteMNovember 28, 1879HangingMurder
Henry JenkinsBlackMNovember 11, 1881HangingRobbery and Murder
Felix KampfWhiteMMarch 7, 1890HangingMurder
William Martin?MOctober 3, 1890HangingMurder
Sim JohnsonBlackMJune 19, 1891HangingRape
William MaierWhiteMNovember 17, 1892HangingMurder
Allen HarrisonWhiteMNovember 22, 1892HangingMurder
John Hardy?MJanuary 19, 1894HangingMurder
Washington AdkinsBlackMJuly 20, 1894HangingMurder
Anderw ScottBlackMOctober 4, 1895HangingMurder
Jim NicholsBlackMDecember 13, 1895HangingMurder
Clark LewisBlackMJune 25, 1897HangingMurder
Jerry BrownBlackMJuly 25, 1897HangingRape
Albert ViarsWhiteMNovember 12, 1897HangingMurder
John MorganWhiteMDecember 16, 1897HangingRobbery and Murder
Shep CaldwellBlackMOctober 10, 1899HangingMurder
Frank BroadsnaxBlackMNovember 9, 1899HangingMurder
Frank WalkerBlackMDecember 15, 1899HangingMurder
George CarterBlackMMarch 21, 1902HangingMurder
Lewis YoungBlackMMay 1, 1902HangingMurder
John MooneyWhiteMMay 9, 1902HangingMurder
Frank FridayWhiteMMay 9, 1902HangingMurder
Perry ChristianWhiteMJune 13, 1902HangingMurder
State HenryBlackMJune 24, 1902HangingMurder
Wilfred DavisWhiteMJune 5, 1903HangingMurder
George WilliamsBlackMSeptember 9, 1904HangingRape
Edward WaltonBlackMJuly 17, 1908HangingMurder
Arthur BrownBlackMAugust 27, 1909HangingMurder
Thomas WayneBlackMDecember 23, 1910HangingRape and Murder
Frank StevensonBlackMFebruary 17, 1911HangingMurder
Jesse CookWhiteMMarch 10, 1911HangingMurder
William FurbishBlackMMarch 17, 1911HangingRape
John MarshallBlackMApril 4, 1913Hanging in chainsMurder
James WilliamsBlackMApril 4, 1913HangingMurder
Henry SterlingBlackMJune 6, 1913HangingMurder
John BixWhiteMJune 6, 1913HangingMurder
Henry GreenBlackMMarch 6, 1914HangingMurder
Silas JonesBlackMJuly 10, 1914HangingMurder
Will ThomasBlackMJuly 2, 1915HangingMurder
Will StuartBlackMJuly 2, 1915HangingMurder
Nat JarrellWhiteMJuly 9, 1915HangingMurder
Charles ForestBlackMSeptember 10, 1915HangingMurder
Claude SuttonWhiteMAugust 4, 1916HangingRobbery and Murder
James LayBlackMSeptember 1, 1916HangingMurder
Hugh FergusonBlackMAugust 6, 1919HangingMurder
Hugh BraggWhiteMApril 30, 1920HangingMurder
Jacob LutzWhiteMJuly 22, 1921HangingMurder
Hobart GreenWhiteMAugust 5, 1921HangingMurder
Henry HarborBlackMJanuary 7, 1922HangingMurder
Leroy WilliamsBlackMMarch 3, 1922HangingRape
Monroe PaytonBlackMMay 4, 1922HangingRape
George BanhageWhiteMNovember 2, 1923HangingMurder
Nick SalamanteWhiteMJanuary 4, 1924HangingMurder
Philip ConnizzaroWhiteMJanuary 4, 1924HangingMurder
Richard FerriWhiteMJanuary 4, 1924HangingMurder
Samuel MuratoreWhiteMFebruary 15, 1924HangingMurder
Tiny McCoyWhiteMSeptember 12, 1924HangingMurder
Robert FordBlackMJanuary 29, 1926HangingMurder
Harry SawyerBlackMApril 19, 1926HangingRape
Philip EumanBlackMAugust 20, 1926HangingRobbery and Murder
Henry JacksonBlackMSeptember 10, 1926HangingMurder
Pierce JefferiesBlackMFebruary 18, 1927HangingRape
Wesley SwainWhiteMFebruary 3, 1928HangingRape
Andrew BradyBlackMMarch 30, 1928HangingRape
Lawrence PikeWhiteMAugust 10, 1928HangingRobbery and Murder
Henry GroganBlackMFebruary 8, 1929HangingRape
Theodore CarrWhiteMJune 14, 1929HangingMurder
Walter WilmotWhiteMSeptember 13, 1929HangingMurder
Willard MorrisonWhiteMSeptember 13, 1929HangingMurder
Walter CrabtreeWhiteMMay 9, 1930HangingMurder
Roosevelt DarnellWhiteMNovember 14, 1930HangingMurder
William C. AdamsWhiteMFebruary 20, 1931HangingMurder
Emory StephensWhiteMFebruary 20, 1931HangingMurder
Frank MyerWhiteMJune 19, 1931HangingMurder
Harry PowersWhiteMMarch 18, 1932HangingRobbery and Murder
James BlountBlackMMay 12, 1932HangingMurder
Omer BrillWhiteMAugust 10, 1933HangingMurder
Leo FraserWhiteMNovember 24, 1933HangingMurder
Joe CoreyWhiteMDecember 8, 1933HangingMurder
Greely BlankenshipWhiteMJanuary 7, 1935HangingMurder
Robert BranchBlackMJuly 19, 1935HangingMurder
Frank PrameraWhiteMApril 13, 1937HangingMurder
Willy BeckerWhiteMJune 25, 1937HangingMurder
Mervin BrownBlackMSeptember 10, 1937HangingMurder
William ReadWhiteMNovember 5, 1937HangingRobbery and Murder
Raymond StyresWhiteMMarch 13, 1938HangingMurder
John TravisWhiteMMarch 21, 1938HangingKidnapping and Murder
Arnett BoothWhiteMMarch 21, 1938HangingKidnapping and Murder
Orville AdkinsWhiteMMarch 21, 1938HangingKidnapping and Murder
Hartman ByzantineWhiteMJune 28, 1940HangingMurder
Paul TrossBlackMDecember 6, 1940HangingRape
James ChambersBlackMMarch 30, 1945HangingRape and Murder
William TurnerWhiteMDecember 28, 1945HangingMurder
Richard CollinsWhiteMJanuary 11, 1946HangingMurder
William GordonWhiteMJanuary 3, 1947HangingRobbery and Murder
Paul BurtonWhiteMJanuary 2, 1948HangingMurder
Mark McCauleyWhiteMJanuary 30, 1948HangingMurder
Matthew PerisonBlackMSeptember 23, 1948HangingMurder
Lemuel SteedBlackMJanuary 15, 1949HangingRobbery and Murder
Bud PetersonBlackMFebruary 25, 1949HangingMurder
Harry BurdetteWhiteMMarch 26, 1951ElectrocutionMurder
Fred PainterWhiteMMarch 26, 1951ElectrocutionMurder
James Hewlett, Jr.WhiteMApril 10, 1951ElectrocutionRobbery and Murder
Oshel GardenerWhiteMApril 17, 1953ElectrocutionRobbery and Murder
Tom InghamBlackMMarch 27, 1954ElectrocutionMurder
Robert HopkinsWhiteMSeptember 7, 1956ElectrocutionRobbery and Murder
Eugene LingerWhiteMJune 5, 1958ElectrocutionMurder
Larry FudgeWhiteMJuly 1, 1958ElectrocutionRape and Murder
Elmer BrunerWhiteMApril 3, 1959ElectrocutionBurglary and Murder

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Abolition of capital punishment in West Virginia. statelaws.findlaw.com. 2021-01-18.
  2. Web site: Executions in West Virginia, from 1861-1959. deathpenaltyusa.org. 2021-01-18.