Capital punishment in Maine

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Maine is one of the 14[1]states without a capital punishment.

Between 1644 and 1885 21 people were executed in Maine. 10 of these executions were carried out before statehood) (gained on March 15, 1820, and 11 after. Hanging was the only method of executions.

All but two executed people were males. The first person executed in Maine, sometime in 1644, was Mrs. Cornish. Also, 23-year old Native American Patience Sampson. She was hanged on July 31, 1735.

16 of executed were white, 2 Native Americans and 3 African Americans.

All but one carried out death sentences were imposed for murder. Only Jeremiah Baum (executed sometime in 1780) was put to death for treason.

39-year old escaped convict Daniel Wilkinson was the last person executed in Maine. He was hanged on November 30, 1885.

Death penalty in Maine was oficially abolished in 1887 - just two years after Wilkinson's execution, due to result of a public hanging where the man suffered in a poorly tied hangman's noose.


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[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Including New York, where no one is awaiting execution and statute was declared unconstitutional and there are no attempt to pass new

[edit] References

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Capital punishment in the United States
In depth
Lists of those executed