List of people executed in Connecticut

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This is a list of people executed in Connecticut, prior to the abolition of capital punishment in the state on April 25, 2012.[1]

List

[edit]
Number Name Age Race Sex Occupation Crime Date Method County Notes
1 Nepauduck — Native American Male — Murder January 30, 1639 Beheading New Haven
2 Spencer, George — White Male Servant Sodomy April 1, 1642 Hanging New Haven Note 5
Plaine, William 56 White Male Sodomy 1646 Hanging New Haven Note 4
3 Young, Alse 31-32 White Female — Witchcraft May 26, 1647 Hanging Hartford
4 Johnson, Mary — White Female Servant Witchcraft 1649 Hanging —
5 Carrington, Sr, John 37 White Male Carpenter Witchcraft March 1651 Hanging Hartford
5 Carrington, Joan — White Female Housewife Witchcraft March 1651 Hanging Hartford
5 Bassett (Holland), Margery "Goody" — White Female Housewife Witchcraft 1651 Hanging Fairfield
6 Knapp, Elizabeth — White Female Housewife Witchcraft 1653 Hanging Fairfield
7 Walter Robinson 15 White Male — Sodomy March 1655 Hanging New Haven
8 John Knight — White Male — Sodomy June 1655 Hanging New Haven
9 Greensmith, Nathaniel — White Male — Witchcraft January 1663 Hanging Hartford Note 1
10 Greensmith, Rebecca — White Female Housewife
11 Barnes, Mary 36 White Female Housewife Witchcraft (exonerated 2023)[2] February 24, 1663 Hanging Hartford
12 Potter, William — White Male — Sodomy June 6, 1662 Hanging New Haven
13 Rood, Thomas 46 White Male Incest[a] October 18, 1672 Hanging New London
14 — — Native American Male — Murder 1700 Hanging New Haven Note 2
15 — — Native American Male —
16 — — Native American Male —
17 Garrett, Catherine 27 Native American Female Servant Murder May 3, 1738 Hanging New London
18 Bramble, Sarah — White Female — Murder November 21, 1753 Hanging New London
19 Frazier, Isaac — — Male — Burglary September 1768 Hanging New Haven
20 Jacobs, John — Native American Male — Murder November 2, 1768 Hanging Litchfield
21 Paul, Moses — Native American Male Drifter Murder September 2, 1772 Hanging New Haven
22 Dunbar, Moses 30 White Male Farmer Treason March 19, 1777 Hanging Hartford
23 Griswold — White Male — Treason 1778 Hanging New Haven
24 Davenport, Barnet 20 White Male Servant Murder May 8, 1780 Hanging Litchfield
25 Ocuish, Hannah 12 Native American Female — Murder December 20, 1786 Hanging New London
26 Mountain, Joseph 33 Black Male — Rape January 20, 1790 Hanging New Haven
27 Doane, Richard — White Male — Murder June 10, 1797 Hanging Hartford
28 Starr, Thomas — White Male — Murder June 14, 1797 Hanging Middlesex
29 Anthony — Black Male Freedman Rape November 8, 1798 Hanging Fairfield
30 Adams, Caleb 18 White Male Laborer Murder November 29, 1803 Hanging Windham
31 Freeman, Samuel 25 Black Male — Murder November 6, 1805 Hanging Windham
32 Niles, Henry — Native American Male — Murder November 4, 1807 Hanging New London
33 Babcock, Miner — White Male — Murder June 6, 1816 Hanging New London
34 Lung, Peter — White Male — Murder June 20, 1816 Hanging Middlesex
** Adams, Amos 28 Black Male — Rape November 30, 1817 Hanging Fairfield
35 Bailey, Adonijah 79 — Male — Murder 1824 Hanging Windham Note 3
36 Washington, George — Native American Male — Murder June 1, 1824 Hanging Tolland
37 Watkins, Oliver — White Male — Murder August 2, 1831 Hanging Windham
38 Teller, William 28 White Male Convict Murder September 6, 1833 Hanging Hartford Note 1
39 Reynolds, Caesar 30 White Male Convict
40 Sherman — — Male — Murder June 13, 1834 Hanging New London
41 Potter, Andrew — White Male — Murder July 20, 1846 Hanging New Haven
42 Foote, Henry — White Male — Murder January 2, 1850 Hanging New Haven Note 1
43 McCaffrey, James — White Male —
44 Jennings, Michael 18 White Male — Murder July 11, 1854 Hanging New Haven
45 Toole, Gerald — — Male Convict Murder 1862 Hanging Hartford
46 Starkweather, Albert 25 White Male Farmer Murder August 17, 1866 Hanging Hartford
47 Wilson, James 47 White Male Convict Murder January 13, 1871 Hanging Hartford
48 Hamlin, Henry — White Male Convict Murder May 28, 1880 Hanging Hartford
49 Smith, James "Chip" — White Male — Murder September 1, 1882 Hanging New Haven
50 Palladoni, Phillip — White Male — Murder January 5, 1888 Hanging Fairfield
51 Swift, John — White Male Piano player Murder April 18, 1889 Hanging Hartford
52 Scheele, Jacob — White Male Saloon keeper Murder June 18, 1891 Hanging Fairfield
53 Borjensen, Andrew — White Male Laborer Murder January 29, 1892 Hanging Litchfield
54 Petrillo, Angelo — White Male — Murder November 14, 1892 Hanging New Haven
55 Cronin, John 38 White Male — Murder December 18, 1894 Hanging Hartford
56 Hartlein, Kaspar 40 White Male — Murder December 13, 1896 Hanging Hartford
57 Kippie, Thomas F. 42 White Male — Murder July 14, 1897 Hanging New Haven
58 Fuda, Giuseppe 31 White Male Laborer Murder December 3, 1897 Hanging Fairfield
59 Imposino, Nicodemo 22 White Male Laborer Murder December 17, 1897 Hanging Fairfield
59 Boinay, Charles A. 34 White Male Wire weaver Murder April 14, 1898 Hanging Fairfield
60 Willis, Benjamin R. 21 White Male — Murder December 30, 1898 Hanging Fairfield
61 Brockhaus, Frederick M. 21 White Male Criminal Murder September 6, 1899 Hanging Fairfield
62 Cross, Charles B. 18 White Male Farmhand Murder July 20, 1900 Hanging Fairfield
63 Misik, Paul 34 White Male — Murder February 11, 1904 Hanging Hartford
64 Watson, Joseph 18 Black Male Valet Murder November 17, 1904 Hanging Hartford
65 Marx, Gershon 73 White Male Farmer Murder May 18, 1905 Hanging New London
66 Sherouk, Ephriam 24 White Male Laborer Murder January 9, 1906 Hanging Tolland
67 Bailey, Henry G. 40 White Male Farmhand Murder April 16, 1907 Hanging Middlesex
68 Herman, Alexander 26 White Male — Murder May 10, 1907 Hanging Fairfield
69 Washelesky, John 32 White Male — Murder July 1, 1908 Hanging New Haven
70 Rossi, Lorenzo 31 White Male — Murder July 24, 1908 Hanging Hartford
71 Zett, John 48 White Male — Murder December 21, 1908 Hanging Tolland
72 Campagnolo, Giuseppe 28 White Male — Murder February 24, 1909 Hanging New Haven Note 1
73 Carfaro, Raffaele 19 White Male —
74 Zawedzianczek, John 28 White Male — Murder February 9, 1910 Hanging Hartford
75 Tanganelli, Andrea 26 White Male — Murder March 29, 1912 Hanging New Haven
76 Redding, George, Jr. 21 White Male Produce clerk Murder November 1, 1912 Hanging New Haven
77 Saxon, Louis 29 White Male — Murder July 27, 1913 Hanging Hartford
78 Plew, James 48 White Male Farmhand Murder March 4, 1914 Hanging New Haven
79 Rikteraitis, Matijins 29 White Male — Murder May 8, 1914 Hanging New Haven
80 Buonomo, Joseph 24 White Male Criminal Murder June 30, 1914 Hanging Fairfield
81 Bergeron, Joseph 40 White Male — Murder August 11, 1914 Hanging New Haven
82 Montvid, Bernard 23 White Male — Murder August 6, 1915 Hanging Hartford
83 Grela, Frank 41 White Male — Murder August 13, 1915 Hanging Hartford
84 Roe, Harry 22 White Male — Murder March 3, 1916 Hanging Hartford[3] Note 1
85 Williams, Isaac 30 White Male —
86 Zuppa, Pasquale 28 White Male — Murder March 10, 1916 Hanging New Haven
87 Vetere, Francisco 25 White Male Entertainer Murder October 5, 1917 Hanging New Haven Note 1
88 Castelli, Joseph 24 White Male —
89 Buglione, Stephen 20 White Male — Murder November 16, 1917 Hanging Hartford Note 1
90 Donvanso, Giovanni 21 White Male —
91 Wise, William 23 White Male — Murder December 14, 1917 Hanging Hartford
92 Dusso, Frank 25 White Male Longshoreman Murder June 17, 1918 Hanging New Haven Note 2
93 Pisaniello, Carmine 21 White Male —
94 Lanzillo, Carmine 24 White Male Laborer
95 Perretta, Erasmo 28 White Male — Murder June 27, 1919 Hanging Hartford Note 1
96 Perretta, Joseph 33 White Male —
97 Nechesnook, Nikifor 28 White Male — Murder December 3, 1919 Hanging New Haven
98 Cerrone, Daniel 31 White Male — Murder March 5, 1920 Hanging New Haven
99 Wade, Elwood 24 White Male — Murder May 20, 1921 Hanging Fairfield
100 Kaurawskas, John 36 White Male Laborer Murder May 27, 1921 Hanging New Haven
101 Schutte, Emil 55 White Male Merchant Murder October 24, 1922 Hanging Middlesex
102 Chapman, Gerald 35 White Male Gangster Murder April 6, 1926 Hanging Hartford
103 Wing, Soo Hoo 19 Asian Male — Murder November 8, 1927 Hanging Hartford Note 1
104 Lung, Chin 33 Asian Male —
105 Feltovic, John 19 White Male — Murder December 10, 1929 Hanging Fairfield
106 Dibattista, Frank 26 White Male — Murder February 21, 1930 Hanging Hartford
107 Lorenzo, Henry 26 White Male — Murder August 12, 1930 Hanging Hartford
108 Simborski, John 30 White Male — Murder April 7, 1936 Hanging New Haven
109 McElroy, James 45 White Male Steamfitter Murder February 10, 1937 Electrocution New Haven
110 Palka, Frank 26 White Male Mechanic Murder April 12, 1938 Electrocution Fairfield
111 Weaver, Ira 36 White Male Handyman Murder April 29, 1940 Electrocution Middlesex Note 1
112 Cots, Vincent 32 White Male Mechanic
113 Gurski, Peter 28 White Male — Murder February 23, 1943 Electrocution Litchfield
114 Funderburk, Wilson 38 Black Male — Murder April 20, 1943 Electrocution Hartford
115 Decaro, Carlo 20 White Male Factory worker Murder May 3, 1944 Electrocution Hartford
116 Rossi, Nicholas 33 White Male — Murder June 18, 1945 Electrocution Hartford
117 Lewie, Raymond 19 White Male Convict Murder October 1, 1946 Electrocution Hartford Note 2
118 Tommaselli, Arthur 25 White Male Convict
119 McCarthy, James 21 White Male Convict
120 Bradley, Robert 38 Black Male Trash collector Murder April 12, 1948 Electrocution New Haven
121 Lorain, William 34 White Male — Murder July 11, 1955 Electrocution Hartford
122 Malm, Robert 32 White Male Dishwasher Murder July 18, 1955 Electrocution Hartford Note 1
123 Donahue, John 22 White Male Parolee Fairfield
124 Davies, George 41 White Male Machine tool operator Murder September 20, 1959 Electrocution New Haven
125 Wojculewicz, Frank 42 White Male Gangster Murder October 26, 1959 Electrocution Hartford
126 Taborsky, Joseph L. 36 White Male Gangster Murder May 17, 1960 Electrocution Hartford
127 Ross, Michael B. 45 White Male Insurance salesman Murder May 13, 2005 Lethal injection Tolland
Average Age: 30.56

Notes:

  1. On this occasion, two executions took place.
  2. On this occasion, three executions took place.
  3. This is what the chart claimed in 2005, but contrary to popular belief, Adonijah Bailey was not the oldest person executed at age 79 in 1824; instead, he was tried and sentenced to death at age 80 in January 1825 for the murder of Jeremiah W. Pollock, and hanged himself on May 24, over 2 weeks before he was to be executed.[4][5] The title of the oldest person executed goes instead to Gershon Marx, hanged on May 18, 1905, for murder at age 73.[6]
  4. James Savage, ed., John Winthrop, The History of New England from 1630 to 1649, Vol. 2, (Boston:Little, Brown, 1853), page 324. See also Goodheart, where there are 158 death penalty victims identified for Connecticut.[7]
  5. Posthumously pardoned.

Summary

[edit]
Age Frequency Percent
19 and below 9 7%
20 to 29 39 31%
30 to 39 25 20%
40 to 49 13 10%
50 and above 2 2%
Unknown 39 31%
Race Frequency Percent
White 105 83%
Native American 10 8%
Black 7 6%
Asian 2 2%
Unknown 3 2%
Sex Frequency Percent
Male 118 93%
Female[8] 9 7%
Crime Frequency Percent
Murder 109 86%
Witchcraft 7 6%
Sodomy 4 3%
Rape 3 2%
Treason 2 2%
Burglary 1 1%
Incest 1 1%
Date Frequency Percent
1600 to 1699 13 10%
1700 to 1799 16 13%
1800 to 1899 32 25%
1900 to 1999 65 51%
2000 to present 1 1%
Method Frequency Percent
Hanging 108 85%
Electrocution 18 14%
Lethal injection 1 1%
County Frequency Percent
Hartford 42 33%
New Haven 39 31%
Fairfield 18 14%
New London 9 7%
Litchfield 6 5%
Middlesex 6 5%
Windham 3 2%
Tolland 3 2%
Unknown 1 1%
Total: 127 executions

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Thomas Rood's daughter, Sarah Rood, whom he was convicted of having sexual relations with and who had fathered his child, was also tried for incest and pleaded guilty. However, Sarah was spared execution and instead flogged after the court found that her father had been raping her.

References

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  1. ^ "Connecticut governor signs death penalty repeal". CBS News. April 25, 2012.
  2. ^ "Connecticut confronted as originator of New England witch trials". March 2, 2023.
  3. ^ "Williams and Roe Are Denied Pardons" (PDF). Norwich Bulletin. February 29, 1916.
  4. ^ "RootsWeb: RIGENWEB-L Re: [RIGENWEB] Pollock Murder -- the Scoop". Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  5. ^ "The Telescope". 1824.
  6. ^ "[Deathpenalty]death penalty news----CONN., ALA., MISS., KY., USA".
  7. ^ Goodheart, Lawrence B. (January 1, 2011). The Solemn Sentence of Death: Capital Punishment in Connecticut. Univ of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 978-1558498471.
  8. ^ Pollard, Heather. "The Execution of Women in Connecticut". Research Gate. Retrieved May 17, 2024.

7. https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/cz30q762p

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