Capital punishment in Maine

Capital punishment has been abolished in the U.S. state of Maine since 1887.

History

Between 1644 and 1885, 21 people were executed in Maine. Ten of these executions were carried out before statehood (gained on March 15, 1820), and eleven after. Hanging was the only method of execution carried out in the state. All but two executed people were males, sixteen were white, two were Native American, and three were African American. The first person executed in Maine, sometime in 1644, was Mrs. Cornish.[citation needed] Also, 23-year-old Native American Patience Sampson was hanged on July 31, 1735.[citation needed]

All but one of the death sentences actually carried out were imposed for murder. Only Jeremiah Baum, executed sometime in 1780, was put to death for treason.

A 40-year-old escaped convict, Daniel Wilkinson, was the last person executed in Maine. He was hanged on November 21, 1885 for the murder of police constable William Lawrence.

The death penalty in Maine was officially abolished in 1887, just two years after Wilkinson's execution.

See also

References

  • Edward Schriver, "Reluctant Hangman: The State of Maine and Capital Punishment, 1820-1887", New England Quarterly, vol. 63, no. 2 (June 1990) pp. 271–287

External links


This page was last updated at 2019-11-09 01:25 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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