List of people executed in Pennsylvania

As of 2002, a total of 1,043 people have been executed in Pennsylvania since 1693,[1] the 3rd highest of any other state or commonwealth in the Union, after New York (1,130) and Virginia (1,361).[2]

Until 1915, hanging was the common method of execution. 1915 saw the first use of the electric chair, even though it was approved by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1913. The delay was due to the time needed to finish the Western Penitentiary in Centre County, now the State Correctional Institution – Rockview. On November 29, 1990, Governor Casey changed the form of execution to lethal injection[3]

Since 1976

Since the re-instatement of the Death Penalty by the Supreme Court in 1976, 3 individuals, all convicted of murder, have been executed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All were executed by lethal injection, and in all three cases, they waived their appeals and asked that the execution be carried out.

Executed person Race Date Victim Governor
1 Keith Zettlemoyer [4] White 2 May 1995 Charles DeVetsco. Tom Ridge
2 Leon Moser [5] White 15 August 1995 Linda Moser, Donna Moser, and Joanne Moser.
3 Gary M. Heidnik White 6 July 1999 Deborah Dudley and Sandra Lindsay.

References

  1. ↑ http://deathpenaltyusa.org/usa1/state/pennsylvania1.htm
  2. ↑ http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004087
  3. ↑ http://www.cor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/death_penalty/17351/history/607968
  4. ↑ http://articles.philly.com/1995-05-03/news/25673982_1_keith-zettlemoyer-execution-warrant-pennsylvania-post-conviction-defender-organization
  5. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/17/us/killer-of-his-ex-wife-and-2-daughters-is-executed.html

See also

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