Edward Earl Johnson

Edward Earl Johnson
Edward Earl Johnson
Born	June 22, 1960; Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	May 20, 1987 (aged 26); Mississippi State Penitentiary, Mississippi, U.S.
Criminal status	Executed by gas chamber
Motive	To avoid arrest
Conviction	Capital murder
Criminal penalty	Death

Edward Earl Johnson (June 22, 1960 – May 20, 1987)^[1] was a man convicted in 1979 at the age of 19 and subsequently executed by the U.S. state of Mississippi for the murder of a policeman, J.T. Trest, and the attempted rape of a 69-year-old woman, Sally Franklin. Throughout his eight years on death row, he continued to plead his innocence. Johnson was executed by gas chamber.

Life

Johnson was born on June 22, 1960, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. He was born six weeks premature and spent the first month of his life in an incubator at the hospital. He later lived in Walnut Grove, Carthage, Mississippi.^[2]

Crime

In the early morning hours of June 2, 1979, 69-year-old Sally Franklin was assaulted in her own home after her attacker gained access via a window. Franklin later identified her attacker at trial as Edward Earl Johnson.^[3]

Shortly after, a neighbor found the body of Town Marshall J.T. Trest on the ground near his patrol car, which was parked near Franklin's home. He had been shot three times and killed. Johnson was arrested that afternoon and later released.^[3] Suspicion against Johnson grew when it discovered that he had been seen in possession of a .25-caliber pistol a week earlier. Johnson was arrested again the next day, and gave a signed confession.^[3]

Execution

In spite of British lawyer Clive Stafford Smith's attempts for a reprieve, Johnson was executed. The documentary team was given access to him until minutes before the execution was carried out. A follow-up documentary by Stafford Smith claimed to prove conclusively that Johnson was innocent and had been framed by the police.

Johnson was pronounced dead at 12:06 a.m. on May 20, 1987, after being put to death in the gas chamber of what was then called Parchman Prison Farm. His final statements echoed his wait for a stay of execution, he stated "Well, I guess no one is going to call. OK, let's get this over with."^[4] Don Cabana, the warden of Parchman Prison Farm following Johnson's execution, became outspoken about abolishing capital punishment, believing that an innocent man had been executed.^[5]

It was the second execution by the state of Mississippi since the Gregg v. Georgia decision, the first being that of Jimmy Lee Gray, and the 72nd overall in the United States.

Documentary

Johnson's case came to international attention when he was featured in the BBC documentary Fourteen Days in May. Broadcast in 1987, the documentary showed the last two weeks of Johnson's life. It starts on May 6, the day that Johnson learns the date of his execution. During interviews, Johnson claimed that his confession was forced by police in a deserted wood while they were threatening to shoot him.^[5]

References

^ "Death Penalty Stats" (XLS). Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
^ "Family says Johnson wants to live". Clarksdale Press Register. May 18, 1987. p. 9. Retrieved November 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Johnson v. State". Justia Law. 1985-05-05. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
^ "End The Death Penalty Edward Earl Johnson". Reprieve. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
^ ^a ^b Evans, Ruth (March 2001). "The death penalty in the US and the question of innocence". The Month. 34 (3): 6. ProQuest 218874356. Retrieved 18 March 2021.