Regional Studies
Central

Central

The Central States have carried out 308 Pre-Furman executions.

The first execution in the Central States was that of Native American John Coon Jr. in what would become Wyandotte County Kansas. He was convicted of murder then shot to death on January 18, 1853.

The last Pre-Furman execution in the Central States was that of 48-year-old Hispanic man, Lois Monge who died in the Colorado gas chamber on June 2 1967 for murder in Denver County.

There are a known 308 Pre-Furman executions in the Central States. 31 (10.1%) were Black and  207 (67.2%) were White. 

In the 114 years from John Coon Jr. to Lois Monge there was an average of 2.7 executions per year.

The following is a racial breakdown of these executions.

All of the 308 executions were males (100%).

There were 257 Hangings, 13 Electrocutions, 31 Gas Chambers and 1 Shooting.

Note: All executions cited below are Pre-Furman, occurring before 1968.
Counties mentioned may not have been in existence at the time of the crime.

Colorado Executions

The State was admitted into the Union on August 1, 1876.

Colorado has executed 101 men between 1859 and 1967.

11 of these execution were prior to Statehood, 90 since.

Colorado's first execution was that of John Stoefel, a miner who was hanged for murder in April of 1859. The crime occurred in Denver County.

Luis Monge, Hispanic, was the last person executed. He died in the gas chamber on June 2, 1967 for murder in Denver County.

Hanging was the standard method of execution until William Kelly died in the gas chamber on June 22, 1934 for Murder-Robbery in Delta County.

The 101 executions represents an average of 1 execution every 0.9 years.

There were 69 Hangings and 32 Gas Chambers.

Kansas Executions

The State was admitted into the Union on January 29, 1861.

Kansas has executed 57 men between 1853 and 1965.

1 of these execution was prior to Statehood, 56 since.

Kansas's first execution was that of John Coon Jr., a Native American, was shot for murder on January 18, 1853. The crime occurred in Wyandotte County.

2 soldiers, James Latham and George York, were the last executed. They were hanged for Murder-Robbery on June 22, 1965. The crime occurred in Russell County.

The most famous of Kansas's was that of Perry Smith and Richard Hickock for murdering the Clutter Family in November of 1959 at their home in Holcomb, Finney County, Kansas. They were hanged at the Kansas State Prison on April 14, 1965. A young Truman Capote wrote a novel about the crime, "In Cold Blood". In 1967 Hollywood made a movie by the same title featuring now notorious Robert Blake as Perry Smith.

With the exception of John Coon Jr., Hanging was the only method of execution used.

The 57 executions represents an average of 1 execution every 2 years.

There were 56 Hangings and 1 Shooting.

Montana Executions

The State was admitted into the Union on November 8, 1889.

Montana has executed 71 men between 1863 and 1943.

16 of these execution were prior to Statehood, 55 since.

Peter Horan, a miner was hanged for murder on August 25, 1863, becoming Montana's first execution. The crime occurred in Beaverhead County.

Phillip Coleman Jr., a Black railroad worker, was the last executed in Montana. He was hanged for murder in Missoula County on September 10, 1943.

Hanging was the only method of execution used.

The 71 executions represents an average of 1 execution every 1.1 years.

Nebraska Executions

The State was admitted into the Union on March 1, 1867.

Nebraska has executed 34 men between 1879 and 1959.

All of these execution were after Statehood.

Samuel Richards was the first executed in Nebraska. He was hanged for Murder-Robbery on January 15, 1870 for a crime committed in Kearney County.

Charles Starkweather was the last executed. He died in the electric chair on June 25, 1959 for Murder-Robbery in Lancaster County. 19-year old Starkweather, and his 14- year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, went on a multi-state crime spree that resulted in the death of 11 people. When captured in Wyoming Starkweather believed that he could go to the gas chamber in Wyoming or he could go to the electric chair in Nebraska. He chose wrongly. He chose the electric chair, but chances are, if he had chosen Wyoming, he would have been sentenced to life in prison because the Governor of Wyoming was a Death Penalty Opponent. The movie, "Natural Born Killers" is Hollywood's version of this story.

All executions were hangings until Allison Cole and Allen Grammer were electrocuted on December 20, 1920 for murder in Howard County.

Jackson Marion holds a unique place in execution history. William Jackson Marion (his friends called him "Jack" according to his great granddaughter) was hanged on March 25, 1887 for a murder in Gage County. He went to the gallows professing he was innocent of the murder of John Cameron. It appears he wasn't lying. 4 years after the hanging John Cameron was found to be alive and well. The coroner had misidentified a skeleton as Cameron's. On March 25, 1987 , 100 years after the hanging, the Governor and the Nebraska Board of Pardons granted a posthumous pardon to William Jackson Marion.

The 34 executions represents an average of 1 execution every 2.4 years.

There were 22 Hangings and 12 Electrocutions.

North Dakota Executions

The State was admitted into the Union on November 2, 1889.

North Dakota has executed only 8 men between 1885 and 1905.

2 of these execution were prior to Statehood, 6 since.

George Miller was the first executed in North Dakota. He was hanged for Murder-Robbery on January 30, 1885. The crime was committed in Grand Forks County.

John Rooney was the last man executed in North Dakota. He was hanged for murder on January 17, 1905. The crime was committed in Cass County.

The 8 executions represents an average of 1 execution every 2.5 years.

Hanging was the only method used.

North Dakota is currently a non-death penalty State.

South Dakota Executions

The State was admitted into the Union on November 2, 1889.

South  Dakota has executed 15 men between 1877 and 1947.

4 of these execution were prior to Statehood, 11 since.

Jack McCall was the first executed in South Dakota. He was hanged for murder on March 1, 1877. The crime was committed in Yankton County.

George Sitts was the last man executed in South Dakota. He was electrocuted for murder on April 8, 1947. The crime was committed in Lawrence County. He was the only one to die in the electric chair.

The 15 executions represents an average of 1 execution every 4.7 years.

There were 14 Hangings and 1 Electrocution.

Wyoming Executions

The State was admitted into the Union on July  10, 1890.

Wyoming has executed 22 men between 1884 and 1965.

5 of these execution were prior to Statehood, 17 since.

Leroy Donovan was the first executed in Wyoming. He was hanged for Murder-Robbery on January 18, 1884. The crime was committed in Carbon County.

Andrew Pixley, Hispanic, was the last man executed in Wyoming. He died in the gas chamber for Murder-Rape on December 10, 1965. The crime was committed in Washakie County. 

Hanging was the only method of execution until Perry Carroll died in the gas chamber on August 13, 1937. The crime was committed in Laramie County.

 The 22 executions represents an average of 1 execution every 3.7 years.

There were 17 Hangings and 5 Gas Chamber.

Note: All executions cited above are Pre-Furman, occurring before 1968.
Counties mentioned may not have been in existence at the time of the crime.