List of people executed in Utah

The following is a list of people executed by the U.S. state of Utah.

List of people executed in Utah since 1976

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No. Name Race Age Sex Date of execution County Method Victim(s) Governor
1 Gary Mark Gilmore White 36 M January 17, 1977 Utah Firing squad Bennie Bushnell[a] Scott M. Matheson
2 Dale Selby Pierre Black 34 M August 28, 1987 Weber[b] Lethal injection Stanley Orren Walker, Michelle Ansley, and Carol Elaine Naisbitt Norman Bangerter
3 Arthur Gary Bishop White 35 M June 10, 1988 Salt Lake 5 murder victims[c]
4 William D. Andrews Black 37 M July 30, 1992 Weber[d] Stanley Orren Walker, Michelle Ansley, and Carol Elaine Naisbitt
5 John Albert Taylor White 36 M January 26, 1996 Firing squad Charla Nicole King Mike Leavitt
6 Joseph Mitchell Parsons White 35 M October 15, 1999 Iron Lethal injection Richard Lynn Ernest
7 Ronnie Lee Gardner White 49 M June 18, 2010[e] Salt Lake Firing squad Michael Burdell[f] Gary Herbert
8 Taberon Dave Honie Native American 48 M August 8, 2024[g] Iron Lethal injection Claudia Marie Benn Spencer Cox

Demographics

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Race
White 5 63%
Black 2 25%
Native American 1 13%
Age
30–39 6 75%
40–49 2 25%
Sex
Male 8 100%
Date of execution
1976–1979 1 13%
1980–1989 2 25%
1990–1999 3 38%
2000–2009 0 0%
2010–2019 1 13%
2020–2029 1 13%
Method
Lethal injection 5 63%
Firing squad 3 38%
Governor (Party)
Cal Rampton (D) 0 0%
Scott M. Matheson (D) 1 13%
Norman Bangerter (R) 3 38%
Mike Leavitt (R) 2 25%
Olene Walker (R) 0 0%
Jon Huntsman Jr. (R) 0 0%
Gary Herbert (R) 1 13%
Spencer Cox (R) 1 13%
Total 8 100%

List of people executed in Utah from 1850 to 1960

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# Name Date of execution Method of execution Victim(s) Governor
Patsowits[1] and his brother[2] Spring 1850 Garroting Patsowits killed an emigrant settler and his brother had made several death threats[2]
An emigrant[3] 1850 Beheading
1
2
Antelope and Long Hair[4] September 15, 1854 Hanging Two sons of a Mormon bishop in Cedar Valley[4][5] Brigham Young
3 Thomas H. Ferguson[6] October 28, 1858[7] Alexander Carpenter[8] Alfred Cumming
4 William Cockcroft[7] September 21, 1861 Firing squad Robert Brown vacant
"Unknown Man"[9] 1862 Unknown person
5 Jason R. Luce[10] January 12, 1864 Samuel R. Bunton[11] James Duane Doty
6 Robert Sutton[12] October 10, 1866 Frederick White[8] Charles Durkee
7 Chauncy W. Millard[12] January 29, 1869 Harlem P. Swett[10] vacant
8 John Doyle Lee March 23, 1877 Mountain Meadows massacre George W. Emery
9 Wallace Wilkerson[13] May 16, 1879 Firing squad (botched)[1] William Baxter
10 Frederick Hopt (a.k.a. Fred Welcome)[14] August 11, 1887 Firing squad John Franklin Turner Caleb Walton West
11 Enoch Davis[15] September 14, 1894 Enoch's wife
An American Indian man[2] 1896 A white woman
12 Charles H. Thiede[16] August 7, 1896 Hanging Thiede's wife Heber Manning Wells
13 Pat Coughlin[17] December 15, 1896 Firing squad Deputy Sheriff Dawes and Constable Stagg
14 Peter Mortensen[18] November 20, 1903 James R. Hay[19]
15 Frank Rose[18] April 22, 1904 Rose's wife
16 J. J. Morris[9] April 30, 1912 Hanging[5] Morris' wife[20] William Spry
17 Jules C. E. Szirmay (a.k.a. Jules Zirmay)[9] May 22, 1912 Firing squad Thomas Karrick, a school boy
18 Harry Thorne[21] September 26, 1912 A grocery clerk
19 Thomas Riley[9] October 24, 1912 A grocery clerk
20 Frank Romeo[21] February 20, 1913 Albert Jenkins[22]
21 Joe Hill November 19, 1915 John G. Morrison and his son Arlington
22 Howard DeWeese[23] May 24, 1918 His wife Simon Bamberger
23 John Borich[23] January 20, 1919 A woman for insurance money
24 Steve Maslich[9] January 20, 1922 Marco Laus Charles R. Mabey
25 Nick Oblizalo[9] June 9, 1922
26 George H. Gardner[24] August 31, 1923 Joseph Irvine and a police officer
27 Omer R. Woods[25] January 18, 1924 Woods' invalid wife
28 Henry C. Hett (a.k.a. George Allen)[25] February 20, 1925 Police sergeant Nephi Pierce George Dern
29 Pedro Cano [26] May 19, 1925 A woman in Park City
30 Ralph W. Seyboldt[27] January 15, 1926 Patrolman David H Crowther
31 Edward McGowan [28] February 5, 1926 Bob Blevins (and raped his wife and daughters)[28][29]
32 Delbert Green[30] July 10, 1936 Green's foster father/uncle James Green, mother-in-law/aunt, and wife Henry H. Blood
33 John W. Deering[31] October 31, 1938 Oliver R. Meredith Jr.
34 Donald Lawton Condit[32] July 30, 1942 Harold A. Thorne Herbert B. Maw
35 Robert Walter Avery[33] February 5, 1943 Detective Hoyt L. Gates
36 Austin Cox Jr.[34] June 19, 1944 Judge Lewis V. Trueman (also killed two other men and two women)
37 James Joseph Roedl[35] July 13, 1945 Abigail Agnes Williams
38 Eliseo J. Mares Jr.[36] September 10, 1951 Jack D. Stallings J. Bracken Lee
39 Ray Dempsey Gardner[35] September 29, 1951 Shirley Jean Gretzinger
40 Don Jesse Neal[37] July 1, 1955 Sgt. Owen T. Farley
41
42
Verne Alfred Braasch and Melvin Leroy Sullivan[38] May 11, 1956 Howard Manzione[39]
43 Barton Kay Kirkham June 7, 1958 Hanging (last in Utah) David Avon Frame[h] George Dewey Clyde
44 James W. Rodgers[40] March 30, 1960 Firing squad[41] Charles Merrifield[42]

Notes

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  1. ^ Also killed Max David Jensen, but was executed for murdering Bushnell.
  2. ^ Was tried and convicted in Davis County, on a change of venue.
  3. ^ The five murder victims were: Alonzo Daniels, Claude Kimley Peterson, Danny Davis, Troy Ward, and Graeme Cunningham.
  4. ^ William D. Andrews was tried and convicted in Davis County, on a change of venue.
  5. ^ This was the last execution held at the Utah State Prison in Draper.
  6. ^ Also killed Melvyn John Otterstrom, but was executed for murdering Burdell.
  7. ^ This was the first execution held at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City.
  8. ^ Also killed Ruth Holmes Webster, but was executed for murdering Frame.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Schindler, Hal (January 28, 1996). "Taylor's Death Was Quick . . . But Some Weren't So Lucky". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
  2. ^ a b c The Unforgiven – 02 |
  3. ^ "Utah History to Go". Archived from the original on 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
  4. ^ a b "Utah: Tales of the Firing Squad". Time. July 11, 1955. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  5. ^ Schindler, Hal (June 27, 1993). "Lengthy Gallows Soliloquoy [sic] Impedes Swift Justice". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  6. ^ a b Schindler, Hal (August 27, 1995). "The Disappearance of John Baptiste Grave: Robber's Case Is 'A Lost Page of History'". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Martz, Maxine (January 15, 1977). "Gilmore would be No. 45 on death list". Deseret News. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
  8. ^ a b Elder, Robert K.; Terkel, Studs (2010). Last Words of the Executed. University of Chicago Press. p. 107. ISBN 9780226202693. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  9. ^ "Affairs in Utah: A Murder Theatricals and Lectures Mercantile". New York Times. May 16, 1879. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  10. ^ "The Death Penalty for Murder". Deseret Evening News. George Q. Cannon, Brigham Young. May 16, 1879. p. 2. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
  11. ^ Elder; et al. (2010). Last Words of the Executed. University of Chicago Press. p. 110. ISBN 9780226202693.
  12. ^ Elder; et al. (2010). Last Words of the Executed. University of Chicago Press. p. 111. ISBN 9780226202693.
  13. ^ Wilson, R. Michael (2007). Frontier Justice in the Wild West: Bungled, Bizarre, and Fascinating Executions. Globe Pequot. p. 106. ISBN 9780762743896. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  14. ^ Salt Lake Herald December 16, 1896 also .p.4; on July 30, 1895 he had killed Deputy Sheriff Edward N. Dawes of Unita County Wyoming [1] and Constable Thomas Stagg of Echo County Utah [2]
  15. ^ a b Elder; et al. (2010). Last Words of the Executed. University of Chicago Press. p. 112. ISBN 9780226202693.
  16. ^ "Peter Mortensen Must Die— Prisoner Stunned By News". Deseret News. August 13, 1903. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  17. ^ "Hidden Rifles to Fulfill Execution Wish of Slayer". The Pittsburgh Press. Vol. 55, no. 123. United Press International. October 27, 1938. p. 2. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  18. ^ a b Elder; et al. (2010). Last Words of the Executed. University of Chicago Press. p. 113. ISBN 9780226202693.
  19. ^ Pratt, Harmel L. (1914). Reports of cases decided in the Supreme Court of the state of Utah, Vol. 42. A.L. Bancroft & Company. p. 48. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  20. ^ a b Cutler, Christopher Q. (2002). "Nothing less than the Dignity of Man: Evolving Standards, Botched Executions and Utah's Controversial Use of the Firing Squad". Cleveland State Law Review. Retrieved 2010-11-10. (subscription required)
  21. ^ Elder; et al. (2010). Last Words of the Executed. p. 116. ISBN 9780226202693.
  22. ^ a b Elder; et al. (2010). Last Words of the Executed. p. 117. ISBN 9780226202693.
  23. ^ Gillespie, L. Kay (1997). The Unforgiven: Utah's Executed Men. Signature Books. p. 100. ISBN 9781560850984. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  24. ^ "Firing Squad Kills Slayer". Los Angeles Times. January 16, 1926. p. 6. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved 2010-11-10. (subscription required)
  25. ^ a b Elder; et al. (2010). Last Words of the Executed. p. 118. ISBN 9780226202693.
  26. ^ Gillespie (1997). The Unforgiven. p. 105. ISBN 9781560850984.
  27. ^ "Utah Firing Squad Executes Slayer". The Evening Independent. Associated Press. July 10, 1936. p. 8. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  28. ^ Elder; et al. (2010). Last Words of the Executed. p. 119. ISBN 9780226202693.
  29. ^ "Murderer Killed By Firing Squad". The Palm Beach Post. Associated Press. July 31, 1942. p. 5. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
  30. ^ Elder; et al. (2010). Last Words of the Executed. p. 120. ISBN 9780226202693.
  31. ^ "Killer of Five Executed by Utah Firing Squad". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. June 19, 1944. p. 5. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  32. ^ a b Elder; et al. (2010). Last Words of the Executed. p. 121. ISBN 9780226202693.
  33. ^ "Utah Firing Squad Executes Slayer". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press International. September 10, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  34. ^ "Condemned Killer Dies Before Utah Firing Squad". Oxnard Press-Courier. United Press International. July 1, 1955. p. 2. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  35. ^ Benedict, Howard S. (May 11, 1956). "Utah Executes Two Murderers". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press. p. 2. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  36. ^ "Utah Killers Face Firing Squad Today". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Associated Press. May 11, 1956. p. 20. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  37. ^ "Slayer Shot By Firing Squad". The Milwaukee Sentinel. United Press International. March 31, 1960. p. 3. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  38. ^ Beecham, Bill (November 11, 1976). "Convicted Killer Gets His Wish: Firing Squad Monday". The Telegraph (Nashua). Associated Press. p. 22. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  39. ^ "Grim Jokes Are Tossed Before Death". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. March 31, 1960. p. 19. Retrieved 2010-10-29.