List of people executed in Kansas

This is a list of people executed in Kansas.

No one has been executed by the state of Kansas since 1965, although capital punishment is legal there. Historically, 58 people have been executed in the area now occupied by the state. Many of these were federal executions of soldiers and POWs, often at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Leavenworth. Fourteen German POWs were executed at Leavenworth in 1945.

The last executions in Kansas were at the Kansas State Penitentiary, when spree killers James Latham and George York were executed for murder in 1965. Except for John Coon, executed in 1853 by firing squad, all federal and state executions in Kansas have been by hanging.

List of people executed in Kansas

Name Race Age Date of execution County Crime Victim(s) Governor
Carl Horne White 37 February 12, 1863 Leavenworth Murder John Philip Friend, white Thomas Carney
William Griffith White October 30, 1863 Linn Murder Five people, white[a]
John Hendley White December 29, 1865 Franklin Murder John Sutton, white Samuel J. Crawford
Ernest Wa-tee-cha Native American 26 January 19, 1866 Douglas Murder-Robbery William Hastings, white
Benjamin Lewis Native American 27 August 10, 1866 Miami Murder-Robbery Benjamin Jones, white
Martin W. Bates White 19 February 20, 1867 Osage Murder Abel Polley, 61, white
Scott Holderman White 25 November 15, 1867 Linn Murder-Robbery John Carver, white[b]
Melvin E. Baughn White 32 September 18, 1868 Nemaha Murder Jesse S. Dennis, white (posse member)
William Dickson White 40 August 9, 1870 Leavenworth Murder-Robbery Jacob Barnett, white James M. Harvey
Ernest L. Hoefgen White 32 March 10, 1944[c] Marion Murder Bruce Smoll, 18, white[1][d] Andrew Frank Schoeppel
Fred L. Brady White 46 April 15, 1944 Cowley Murder-Robbery Joe Williams, black[2]
Clark B. Knox Black 26 Wyandotte Murder Edward F. Nugent, 39, white (patrolman)[3]
Cecil Tate White 21 July 29, 1947 Kingman Murder-Robbery Arnold McClelland, 36, white[4][e] Frank Carlson
George F. Gumtow White 23
George Miller Black 60 May 6, 1950 Miami Murder Mike Churchill, 48, white (police chief)[5]
Preston McBride White 25 April 6, 1951 Reno Murder John Watkins, white[6] Edward F. Arn
James Lammers White 26 January 5, 1952 Doniphan Murder Four people, white[7][f]
Nathaniel Germany Black 30 May 21, 1954 Wyandotte Murder David Gray, white[8]
Merle William Martin White 45 July 16, 1954 Johnson Murder Willard Carver, 31, white (deputy sheriff)[9]
Lowell Lee Andrews White 22 November 30, 1962 Wyandotte Murder Three people, white[10][g] William Avery
Richard E. Hickock White 31 April 14, 1965 Finney Murder-Robbery-Burglary Clutter family (four people), white[11]
Perry Edward Smith White 36
George Ronald York White 23 June 22, 1965 Wallace Murder-Robbery Otto Zeigler, 69, white[12][h]
James Douglas Latham White 23

Note: This list only contains executions under state jurisdiction.[13][14]

Notes
  1. ^ John Campbell, William Colpetzer, Michael Robinson, Patrick Ross, and William Stilwell.
  2. ^ Confessed to murdering 16 other people during American Civil War, but said all of them were pro-Confederate soldiers and civilians.
  3. ^ First execution at Kansas State Penitentiary.
  4. ^ Also murdered George Richet in Texas and sentenced to life. Hoefgen killed Smoll after escaping prison there.
  5. ^ Also murdered McClelland's father.
  6. ^ Wife Geneva Orr (23) and children Lora Mae (3), Melba (2), and LaVerne (11 months).
  7. ^ Father William (50), mother Opal (41), and sister Jennie (20).
  8. ^ Murdered seven other people in Florida, Tennessee, Illinois, and Colorado.

See also

References

  1. ^ Summary of the execution of Ernest Hoefgen
  2. ^ Summary of the execution of Fred Brady
  3. ^ Documentation for the execution of Clark Knox
  4. ^ Summary of the execution of George Gumtow, Cecil Tate
  5. ^ Documentation for the execution of George Miller
  6. ^ Summary of the execution of Preston McBride
  7. ^ Summary of the execution of James Lammers
  8. ^ "Decision Is Delayed". Lawrence Journal-World. January 10, 1953. p. 5. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  9. ^ Summary of the execution of Merle Martin
  10. ^ Summary of the execution of Lowell Andrews
  11. ^ Summary of the execution of Perry Smith, Richard Hickock
  12. ^ Summary of the execution of George York, James Latham
  13. ^ Senate, United States Congress (1968). Hearings. U.S. Government Printing Office.
  14. ^ "Executions in Kansas - 1853-1965 - DeathPenaltyUSA, the database of executions in the United States". deathpenaltyusa.org. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
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