August 11
NEW YORK:
William Kemmler Became the 1st Person Executed by Electric Chair 129 Years Ago
The 1st electric chair execution happened 129 years ago on August 6, 1890, with
the death of William Kemmler, who was convicted of murdering his wife.
Because the execution was the 1st of its kind, Kemmler's electric chair death
was a public spectacle. But it didn't go as planned. Kemmler's execution was
incredibly gory, with reports stating Kemmler's end was bloody, "firey," and
that his skin was entirely charred, according to Britticana.
A New York Times reporter covered the event for the publication and wrote "the
witnesses were so horrified by the ghastly sight that they could not take their
eyes off it." Viewers also noted the ghastly smell of Kemmler's burnt body.
Kemmler's grisly death didn't stop the electric chair method from taking the
country by storm, though. It became an extremely popular method of execution,
though now, the electric chair is being phased out of most American prisons.
Today, only Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia
allow execution by electric chair. It's been replaced in other states by the
seemingly more-humane lethal injection. Two other states, Arkansas and
Oklahoma, still have electric chairs, though they only plan to use them if
lethal injection were to no longer be legal.
One of the last, highly-publicized electric chair deaths was of Tennessee
inmate Edmund Zagorski, who was sentenced to death for killing 2 men during a
drug deal. The event was highly publicized because Zagorski won the legal right
to choose the way he died. He said he chose the electric chair over lethal
injection because it sounded faster and "less painful," according to CBS News.
Zagorski's choice made him the second person in Tennessee to be executed by
electric chair since 1960, and one of 14 people to be killed by the method
since 2000.
In recent news, some have asked if it's possible the El Paso gunman will meet a
similar death. The alleged race-driven attack killed 22 people in a Walmart on
Sunday after 21-year-old Patrick Crusius open fired on a primarily-Hispanic
shopping crowd.
Crusius is in custody on a capital murder charge, which means he could be
sentenced to death. Texas no longer offers electrocution as a means of
execution. The last electric chair death in Texas happened in 1964. Now, the
state only offers lethal injection, according to the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice
(source: newsweek.com)
NEBRASKA----female to face death penalty
New charge filed in slaying, dismemberment of Lincoln woman
Prosecutors have filed a new criminal charge against a woman already charged
with 1st-degree murder in the slaying and dismemberment of a Lincoln woman.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that 25-year-old Bailey Boswell has had a charge
of conspiracy to commit murder added to charges of 1st-degree murder and
improper disposal of remains in the November 2017 death of 24-year-old Sydney
Loofe. The additional charge mirrors one filed against Boswell’s co-defendant,
52-year-old Aubrey Trail, shortly before his trial. A jury found Trail guilty
last month, and he now faces a possible death penalty. Authorities are also
seeking the death penalty for Boswell, who is set to stand trial Oct. 15.
Loofe’s body parts were found in 14 pieces in ditches along a state highway
weeks after her disappearance. She was reported missing Nov. 16 — 2 days after
she had gone on a date with Boswell and a day after they arranged to meet for a
2nd date.
(source: Associated Press)
ARIZONA:
Arizona prisons director announces September resignation----Arizona Department
of Corrections Director Charles Ryan, who's had a troubled history as the head
of the state's prisons, is retiring Sept. 13.
The Arizona Department of Corrections director is resigning in September.
In an email sent to all his staff Friday, Charles Ryan said he will be stepping
down effective Sept. 13.
Gov. Doug Ducey released a statement about Ryan's resignation Friday:
"Director Ryan has committed his life to serving in the corrections field for
more than 40 years. His dedication to ensuring public safety and providing
inmates a real second chance, has made him a nationally-recognized leader."
In his resignation letter, Ryan counted among his proudest achievements the
elimination of maximum custody for women and juvenile inmates and improved
mental health services.
But some corrections officer union members begged to differ about Ryan's
legacy. He's had a troubled history at the head of Arizona’s prisons since he
was named corrections director in 2009. And the state has faced growing
pressure from civil rights advocates calling for Ryan to be fired over alleged
inhumane conditions in prisons.
The most recent controversy involved the Lewis prison in Buckeye, where
close-custody inmates had tampered with their cell doors so they could be
opened from the inside. A video released by the Arizona Corrections Peace
Officer Association shows several inmates attacking officers.
The AZCPOA alleged poorly kept facilities put corrections officers and
prisoners at risk.
Gov. Doug Ducey responded by placing former Arizona Supreme Court Justices
Rebecca Berch and Ruth McGregor in charge of an investigation into prison
security.
But that wasn’t the first high-profile controversy Director Ryan has dealt with
during his tenure. In 2014, he came under fire when the execution of
double-murderer Joseph Wood drew national attention—with critics claiming it
was botched. A review found Ryan did nothing wrong, but the execution brought
about a five-year hiatus on the death penalty in Arizona.
The next year, an inmate riot at a private prison in Kingman exposed a lack of
supervision at the facility. The prison operator was fired, and Ryan accepted
no blame for the gap in oversight.
In 2018, Ryan was found in civil contempt of court and fined $1.4 million for
failing to adequately improve health care for inmates.
Ryan said Friday that he would “pursue new opportunities” spend more time with
his family during his retirement
(source: KPNX news)
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