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List of white defendants executed for killing a black victim

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Further information: Race and capital punishment in the United States

Executions of white defendants for killing black victims are rare.[1] Since the reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States in 1976, just 21 white people have been executed for killing a black person (less than 1.36 percent of all executions), whereas the number of black people executed for killing a white person is 299 (making up nearly 19.4 percent of all executions).[2][3] Of the 21 executed, seven were put to death for racially motivated murders. Additionally, a further 12 white people have been executed for killing a black person, four in racially motivated cases, and another person, or people, of a different race.[2][3][4]

Prior to the 1976 re-instatement of capital punishment in the United States, the last execution of a white person for the killing of a black person was in 1944, when Fred L. Brady, a 46-year-old white man with a long criminal record, was executed for murdering Joe Williams, a black man, during an attempted robbery in Kansas.[1]

List of white defendants executed for killing a black victim in the United States since 1976

[edit]

  Indicates cases where the executed defendant killed multiple people of different races

No. Date of execution Executed person Age State Method Victim(s) Ref.
1 September 6, 1991 Donald Henry Gaskins 58 South Carolina Electrocution Rudolph Tyner (1 Black male)[a] [4][1]
2 January 24, 1995 Kermit Smith Jr. 37 North Carolina Lethal injection Whelette Collins (1 Black female) [4][5]
3 March 20, 1995 Thomas Joseph Grasso 32 Oklahoma Hilda Johnson (1 Black female)[b] [4][6]
4 July 1, 1995 Roger Dale Stafford 43 Oklahoma Lethal injection Isaac Freeman, Louis Zacarias, Terri Horst, Linda Lorenz, David Lindsey, Melvin Lorenz, Richard Lorenz, David Salsman, and Anthony Tew (1 Black male, 1 Hispanic male, 2 White females, 5 White males) [4][7][8]
5 December 6, 1995 Robert Earl O'Neal Jr. 34 Missouri Lethal injection Arthur Dade (1 Black male)[c] [4][9]
6 June 6, 1997 Henry Francis Hays 42 Alabama Electrocution Michael Donald (1 Black male)[d] [4][10]
7 December 11, 1997 Thomas Howard Beavers Jr. 26 Virginia Lethal injection Marguerite Lowery (1 Black female) [4][11][12]
8 March 6, 1998 John David Arnold Jr. 43 South Carolina Betty Gardner (1 Black female)[e] [4][13]
9 July 10, 1998 John Herman Plath [4][14]
10 September 25, 1998 Sammy Roberts 40 South Carolina Lethal injection Louis Cakley, Kenneth Krause, and Bill Spain (1 Black male, 2 White males) [4][15][16]
11 April 28, 1999 Eric Christopher Payne 26 Virginia Ruth Parham and Sally Fazio (1 Black female, 1 White female) [4][11]
12 July 6, 1999 Gary Michael Heidnik 55 Pennsylvania Lethal injection Deborah Dudley and Sandra Lindsay (2 Black females) [4][17]
13 July 8, 1999 Norman Lee Newsted 45 Oklahoma Larry Donnell Buckley (1 Black male)[f] [4][18]
14 July 21, 1999 Tommy David Strickler 33 Virginia Leann Whitlock (1 Black female) [4][11][12]
15 May 3, 2002 Richard Charles Johnson 39 South Carolina Bruce Kenneth Smalls (1 Black male)[g] [4][19]
16 September 10, 2003 Larry Allen Hayes 54 Texas Lethal injection Rosalyn Ann Robinson and Mary Evelyn Hayes (1 Black female, 1 White female) [4][20][21][22]
17 July 14, 2006 William Ernest Downs Jr. 39 South Carolina Lethal injection Keenan O'Mailia (1 Black male)[h] [4][23]
18 July 20, 2006 Brandon Wayne Hedrick 27 Virginia Electrocution Lisa Yvonne Crider (1 Black female) [4][11][24]
19 November 9, 2006 John Yancey Schmitt 33 Lethal injection Earl Shelton Dunning (1 Black male) [4][11][25]
20 September 12, 2007 Daryl Keith Holton 45 Tennessee Electrocution Kayla Holton, Brent Holton, Eric Holton, and Stephen Holton (1 Black female, 3 White males) [4][26]
21 June 6, 2008 David Mark Hill 48 South Carolina Lethal injection Josie Curry, Michael Gregory, and James Riddle (1 Black female, 2 White males)[i] [4][27][28]
22 February 17, 2011 Frank G. Spisak Jr. 59 Ohio Rev. Horace T. Rickerson, Brian Warford, and Timothy Sheehan (2 Black males, 1 White male)[j] [4][29]
23 June 16, 2011 Lee Andrew Taylor 32 Texas Lethal injection Donta Green (1 Black male)[k] [4][30][31][22]
24 September 21, 2011 Lawrence Russell Brewer 44 James Byrd Jr. (1 Black male)[l] [4][32][33]
25 February 8, 2012 Edwin Hart Turner 38 Mississippi Eddie Brooks and Everett Curry (2 Black males) [4][34]
26 September 25, 2012 Cleve Foster 48 Texas Nyanuer Gatluak "Mary" Pal (1 Black female)[m] [4][35]
27 January 16, 2013 Robert Charles Gleason Jr. 42 Virginia Electrocution Aaron Alexander Cooper and Harvey Gray Watson Jr. (1 Black male, 1 White male)[n] [4][11][36]
28 March 6, 2013 Frederick Treesh 48 Ohio Lethal injection Henry Dupree (1 Black male)[o] [4][37]
29 September 25, 2013 Harry Mitts Jr. 61 Ohio Lethal injection John A. Bryant and Dennis Glivar (1 Black male, 1 White male)[p] [4][38]
30 January 11, 2017 Christopher Chubasco Wilkins 48 Texas Willie Ladell Freeman and Mike Silva (1 Black male, 1 Hispanic male) [4][39]
31 July 6, 2017 William Charles Morva 35 Virginia Derrick McFarland and Eric Sutphin (1 Black male, 1 White male) [4][11]
32 August 24, 2017 Mark James Asay 53 Florida Robert Lee Booker and Robert McDowell (1 Black male, 1 Mixed-race male)[q] [4][40]
33 April 24, 2019 John William King 44 Texas Lethal injection James Byrd Jr. (1 Black male)[r] [4][41]

Demographics

[edit]
Sex
Male 33 100%
Female 0 0%
Date of execution
1976–1979 0 0%
1980–1989 0 0%
1990–1999 14 42%
2000–2009 7 21%
2010–2019 12 36%
2020–2029 0 0%
Age
20–29 3 9%
30–39 10 30%
40–49 14 42%
50–59 5 15%
60–69 1 3%
State
South Carolina 7 21%
Virginia 7 21%
Texas 6 18%
Ohio 3 9%
Oklahoma 3 9%
Alabama 1 3%
Florida 1 3%
Mississippi 1 3%
Missouri 1 3%
North Carolina 1 3%
Pennsylvania 1 3%
Tennessee 1 3%
Method
Lethal injection 28 85%
Electrocution 5 15%
Total 33 100%

Lists of white defendants who were sentenced to death, but not executed for killing a black victim

[edit]

List of white defendants who died while awaiting execution for killing a black victim

[edit]

At least five white people have died on death row while awaiting execution for the murders of black victims.

  Indicates cases where the condemned defendant killed multiple people of different races

No. Date of death Inmate Cause of death Age State Victim(s) Ref.
1 June 12, 1993 Wayne Kenneth DeLong Suicide[s] 36 Virginia George R. Taylor (1 Black male)[t] [42][43]
2 August 28, 1997 Donald Lee Vigneault Jr. Cancer 47 Texas Loretta Jones (1 Black female) [44][45][46]
3 May 13, 2010 Sheldon Ward Cancer 30 Texas Nyanuer Gatluak "Mary" Pal (1 Black female)[u] [35]
4 Unknown Robert Leo Carroll Unknown Unknown Alabama William "Sunshine" Sanders (1 Black male)[v] [47][48]
5 July 3, 2020 Scott Thomas Erskine COVID-19 57 California Jonathan Sellers and Charlie Keever (1 Black male, 1 White male)[w] [49]
6 July 7, 2020 David John Reed COVID-19 60 California Ricky Mosley (1 Black male)[x] [50][51]

List of white defendants sentenced to death for killing a black victim, but had sentences commuted for certain reasons

[edit]

At least seven white people were sentenced to death for killing black victims, but were spared after their either jurisdiction abolished capital punishment or blanketly limited its application. For example, in 2005, two white males who were on death for killing black victims both had their sentences commuted to life in prison since they were juveniles at the time.[52]

No. Date of commutation Inmate Reason for commutation State Victim(s) Ref.
1 January 11, 2003 Maynard McCallister Jr. Blanket clemency for everyone on death row in jurisdiction Illinois Stanley Williams Sr., Ernestine McCoy, and Orlando McCoy (2 Black males and 1 Black female)[y] [53]
2 January 11, 2003 Edward Spreitzer Blanket clemency for everyone on death row in jurisdiction Illinois Linda Sutton (1 Black female)[z] [54]
3 April 16, 2004 Charles Kight Intellectual disability Florida Lawrence Butler (1 Black male) [55][56]
4 March 1, 2005 William Thomas Knotts Juvenile offender Alabama Helen Rhodes (1 Black female) [52]
5 March 1, 2005 William Joseph Holly Juvenile offender Mississippi David Norwood Jr. (1 Black male) [57][52]
6 July 23, 2008 Joseph Daniel Miller Intellectual disability Pennsylvania Selina Franklin and Stephanie McDuffey (2 Black females)[aa] [55][58]
7 March 9, 2011 David Damm Abolition of capital punishment in jurisdiction Illinois Donnisha Hill (1 Black female)[ab] [59]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The murder occurred in prison. The defendant was a serial killer already serving multiple life sentences for the murders of nine other victims.
  2. ^ The defendant was also convicted of the murder of a White male in New York and had asked the jury for a death sentence.
  3. ^ The murder occurred in prison and was racially motivated. The defendant was already serving a life sentence for the murder of a White male and was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood. Two accomplices, both of whom were fellow Aryan Brotherhood were also convicted in the murder. One was sentenced to life in prison and the other, Lloyd Schlup was sentenced to death. Schlup, whose guilt has been questioned, later had his death sentence reduced to life in prison.
  4. ^ The murder was racially motivated. The defendant was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. The jury voted in favor of life imprisonment, but the judge overruled the verdict and sentenced the defendant to death. Codefendant James Knowles, a 17-year-old White male, received a life sentence after pleading guilty and agreeing to testify against the defendant.
  5. ^ The murder was racially motivated.
  6. ^ The defendant was also convicted of the murders of 3 White victims in Utah which was a key reason for his death sentence.
  7. ^ The Black victim was a police officer. The defendant was also convicted of the murder of a White male and sentenced to life.
  8. ^ The Black victim was a minor. The defendant was also convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a White victim (another minor) in Georgia.
  9. ^ The murder of the Black victim was racially motivated.
  10. ^ The defendant was a member of the American Nazi Party and the murders were racially motivated.
  11. ^ The murder occurred in prison and was racially charged. The defendant was already serving a life sentence for his role in the murder of a White male and was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood.
  12. ^ The murder was racially motivated. The defendant was a Neo-Nazi and the leader of a white supremacist prison gang. Codefendant John King, also a Neo-Nazi and a member of a white supremacist prison gang, was sentenced to death and executed as well. A third defendant, Shawn Berry, whose motive is disputed, received a life sentence after the prosecution conceded that he was not a white supremacist.
  13. ^ The defendant was also linked to the murder of a White female. Codefendant Sheldon Ward, a White male, was also sentenced to death, but died on death row in 2010.
  14. ^ Both murders occurred in prison. The defendant, who was already serving a life sentence for the murder of a White male, threatened to kill again unless he was executed.
  15. ^ The defendant was linked to the murder of an Asian male. At his trial, prosecutors presented a videotape in which he admitted to several other murders, including the lynching of a black man.
  16. ^ The murder of the Black victim was racially motivated. The White victim was a police officer.
  17. ^ The murders were racially motivated. The Mixed-race victim was White and Hispanic. During the defendant's trial, the court believed this victim was also Black.
  18. ^ The murder was racially motivated. The defendant was a Neo-Nazi and a member of a white supremacist prison gang. Codefendant Lawrence Brewer, also a Neo-Nazi and a member of a white supremacist prison gang, was sentenced to death and executed as well. A third defendant, Shawn Berry, whose motive is disputed, received a life sentence after the prosecution conceded that he was not a white supremacist.
  19. ^ At the time of his suicide, DeLong had exhausted all of his appeals and was scheduled for execution on July 15, 1993.
  20. ^ The Black victim was a police officer. The defendant was on parole for a prior second degree murder conviction.
  21. ^ Codefendant Cleve Foster, a White male, was also sentenced to death and executed in 2012.
  22. ^ The murder occurred in prison. The defendant was on parole for a prior second degree murder conviction.
  23. ^ The Black victim was a minor.
  24. ^ The murder was racially motivated. The defendant was also suspected in two additional murders.
  25. ^ The defendant was also linked to two additional murders, for which he later pleaded guilty.
  26. ^ The defendant was a serial killer already serving multiple life sentences for the murders of four other victims.
  27. ^ The defendant was a serial killer who later pleaded guilty to murdering three other Black females. However, these crimes were not a factor in his death sentence since they were not known at the time.
  28. ^ The Black victim was a minor. Codefendant Bruce Burt, a Black male, received a life sentence after pleading guilty and agreeing to testify against the defendant.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Margolick, David (September 7, 1991). "Rarity for U.S. Executions: White Dies for Killing Black". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Deborah Fins. "Death Row U.S.A. Winter 2022" (PDF). NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Executions by Race and Race of Victim". Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah "Execution Database". Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  5. ^ Waggoner, Martha (January 25, 1995). "Smith's Execution Only Second Time White Man Executed For Murdering Black Man". Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  6. ^ "Executed Killer's Wife Will Face Murder Charges". Associated Press. May 23, 1995. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  7. ^ "It's Time To Serve Justice". The Oklahoman. June 29, 1995. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  8. ^ "Stafford v. State". Justia. June 20, 1983. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  9. ^ Schafer, Ed (December 6, 1995). "White Supremacist Executed in Missouri for Killing Black Inmate". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  10. ^ Smith, Gita M. "Alabama case shows how father's sins were visited on son: Whites execution for killing black didn't end inherited racism". Atlanta Journal-Constitution (newspaper). p. 4A. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g "Virginia's Execution History". Virginians For Alternatives To The Death Penalty. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Armstrong, Ken (June 12, 1992). "Jury: 20-Year-Old Should Die For Murder". The Daily Press Inc. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  13. ^ "Convicted killer executed by lethal injection". The Herald. March 7, 1998. p. 8. Retrieved May 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Curtis, Kim (July 11, 1998). "Plath executed for killing". The Sun News. p. 24. Retrieved May 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Reinitz, Jeff (September 21, 1998). "Victims' family won't watch murderer die". The Item. pp. 1, 9. Retrieved May 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Man executed for role in robbery, fatal shooting". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. September 26, 1998. p. 4. Retrieved May 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Jackson, Peter (July 8, 1999). "Heidnik execution offers no relief for victims' kin". The Morning Call. p. 12. Retrieved May 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Hoberock, Barbara (June 22, 1999). "Eyewitness to an execution". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  19. ^ "Richard Charles Johnson #773". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  20. ^ "Larry Allen Hayes #874". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  21. ^ Graczyk, Michael (September 13, 2003). "Hayes first white executed in Texas for killing a black". Plainview Daily Herald. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Dow, David R. (July 8, 2011). "Death Penalty, Still Racist and Arbitrary". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  23. ^ "William E. Downs Jr. #1032". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  24. ^ "Brandon Hedrick #1035". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  25. ^ "John Yancey Schmitt #1056". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  26. ^ "Daryl Keith Holton #1097". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  27. ^ "David Mark Hill #1104". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  28. ^ "Justices uphold death sentence for killing social workers". AccessWDUN. September 13, 2004. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  29. ^ "Frank G. Spisak Jr. #1241". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  30. ^ "Lee Andrew Taylor #1255". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  31. ^ Graczyk, Michael (June 16, 2011). "Galveston native executed for fellow prisoner's stabbing death". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  32. ^ "Lawrence Russell Brewer #1268". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  33. ^ Graczyk, Michael (September 21, 2011). "White supremacist executed for Texas dragging". NBC News. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  34. ^ "Edwin Hart Turner #1280". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  35. ^ a b "Cleve Foster #1307". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  36. ^ "Robert Charles Gleason Jr. #1321". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  37. ^ "Frederick Treesh #1324". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  38. ^ "Harry Mitts Jr. #1346". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  39. ^ McCullough, Jolie (January 11, 2017). "Texas executes first person of the year". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  40. ^ Pantazi, Andrew (August 24, 2017). "In a first, Florida executes a white defendant for killing a black victim". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  41. ^ Shapiro, Emily (April 25, 2019). "White supremacist executed for killing black man by dragging him behind truck". ABC News. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  42. ^ "INMATE LIKELY KILLED HIMSELF, OFFICIAL SAYS". scholar.lib.vt.edu. June 15, 1993. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  43. ^ "EX-NK ATHLETE FOUND DEAD IN CELL". Daily Press. June 15, 1993. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  44. ^ "Death Row Information". www.tdcj.texas.gov. Archived from the original on June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  45. ^ "The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana". Newspapers.com. March 3, 1999. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  46. ^ "Vigneault v. State". Justia Law. June 11, 1980. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  47. ^ "'Accident' incites fatal stabbing of inmate". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 19, 1989. p. 57. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  48. ^ "Death penalty given in Sumter County". The Anniston Star. February 9, 1991. p. 22. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  49. ^ "Scott Erskine dies while on death row due to COVID-19". cbs8.com. July 3, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  50. ^ "White Man Gets Death Sentence For Killing Black Transient In Racially Motivated Attack - CBS Los Angeles". www.cbsnews.com. October 31, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  51. ^ Simas, Dana (July 8, 2020). "Condemned Inmate David Reed Dies". News Releases. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  52. ^ a b c "Case Summaries of Juvenile Offenders Who Were on Death Row in the United States". Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  53. ^ "People v. McCallister". Justia Law. July 6, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  54. ^ "Timeline: Sadistic exploits, innocent victims of the Ripper Crew". Chicago Tribune. March 29, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  55. ^ a b "Reversals Under Atkins". Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  56. ^ "Kight v. State". Justia Law. July 9, 1987. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  57. ^ "HOLLY v. STATE (1998)". Findlaw. March 12, 1998. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  58. ^ "From the archives: Dauphin County serial killer Joey Miller sends haunting letters to court". WGAL. September 3, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  59. ^ Carton, Tony (October 16, 2008). "Damm sentenced to death". The Journal Standard. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
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