The Most Brutal Death Row EXECUTIONS of 2025: Last Meals & Final Words.
In today’s video, we’ll take a closer look at every case of the criminals who have been executed in the United States during 2025. So far, 25 executions have been carried out, all of them men, using three different methods, lethal injection, nitrogen hypoxia, and firing squad. Marian Bowman, State South Carolina.
On February 16th, 2001, 20-year-old Bowman had an argument with 21-year-old Candy Louise Martin over a debt, which escalated into a fight during which he shot her multiple times in a wooded area. He then dragged her body, placed it in the trunk of a car, and set it on fire in a remote location. Hours earlier, he had threatened her, saying, “You’ll be dead before nightfall.
” His cousin, James Taiwan Gadson, testified against him, stating that he witnessed the crime and that Bowman had planned it. The evidence was conclusive. The weapon was recovered from a river and linked to the case through ballistic and DNA tests. In 2002, Bowman was sentenced to death. Over the years, he has maintained his innocence, claiming evidence was concealed and that racism played a role in his defense.
The day before his execution, Bowman was offered a last meal. He requested fried seafood, wings and chicken strips, onion rings, banana pudding, German chocolate cake, and cranberry pineapple juice. On January 31st, 2025, he was executed by lethal injection in South Carolina. As the execution chamber curtain opened, he briefly looked at his attorney, then at the ceiling before closing his eyes.
When asked for his last words, he said, “Death row inmates may be labeled as the worst, but we’ve all changed since that moment that cost us everything. I know Candi’s family suffers and rightfully so. They’re angry. If my death brings them some relief, then I guess it will have served some purpose.
I hope they find Steven Leane Nelson. State, Texas. On March 3rd, 2011, at 24 years old, Nelson entered the North Point Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, intending to rob it. Only Reverend Clint Dobson, 28, and Secretary Judy Elliot, 69, were present. Nelson, already on parole for a prior assault, brutally attacked the victims.
He beat and strangled Dobson with a computer cable before suffocating him with a plastic bag. Elliot sustained severe injuries, including facial fractures and a brain hemorrhage, but survived after a long recovery. After the crime, Nelson stole Dobson’s laptop, Elliot’s credit cards, and her car. He used the cards to buy clothes and jewelry, and sold the laptop for money.
The police quickly identified him through fingerprints and blood stains on his shoes. He was arrested and convicted of capital murder, a crime in Texas punishable by death. Although another man was initially detained, the charges against him were dropped. On February 5th, 2025, Steven Leane Nelson was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville State Penitentiary.
Since he was executed in Texas, he was not granted a last meal. He was declared dead at 6:50 p.m. Central Standard Time. Just before the injection, Nelson repeatedly told his wife, Helen Noah Dubois, that he loved her and was grateful. Dubois, who was watching from the witness room, raised a white service dog that she was allowed to bring in.
“It is what it is,” Nelson said. He then added, “Enjoy life.” Before the lethal dose began, he said, “I’m not afraid. I’m at peace. Let’s ride, warden.” When the pentobital started to take effect, he told his wife, “Let me sleep.” His last word was love before gasping twice and trying to catch his breath.
His body trembled for a few seconds before becoming still. He was declared dead 24 minutes later. Demetrius Terren Frasier, State Alabama. On November 27th, 1991, Frasier broke into the apartment of 40-year-old Pauline Starks Brown in Birmingham, Alabama. After forcibly waking her up, he demanded money and sexually assaulted her at gunpoint.
He then shot her and despite Brown pleading for her life, Frasier murdered her before stealing the money. Months later, on March 8th, 1992, in Detroit, Michigan, Frasier attempted to assault 14-year-old Crystal Kendrick. He held her captive in an abandoned house, and when she tried to escape, he shot her, ending her life.
Frraasier was arrested shortly after in Michigan, where he confessed to both crimes. In 1996, he was convicted of the murder of Pauline Brown in Alabama and sentenced to death. In 2018, he chose to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia, a method adopted in Alabama as an alternative to lethal injection. The day before his execution, he was offered a last meal.
Frasier requested Taco Bell food, including burritos and a Mountain Dew soda. The state of Alabama executed Demetrius Terrence Frasier on Thursday night using this method. He was declared dead at 6:36 p.m. according to Governor K. Ivy’s office. He became the fourth person to be executed in the state using this procedure.
When asked for his last words, Frasier said, “First of all, I want to apologize to the friends and family of Pauline Brown. What happened to her should never have happened. I want to apologize. James Dennis Ford, State Florida. In 1997, James Ford invited Greg and Kimberly Mallerie on a fishing trip, but he brutally attacked them.
Greg was shot in the head with a 222 rifle and then struck with an ax, while Kimberly was hit in the head and sexually assaulted before being murdered. Additionally, the couple’s 22-month-old daughter was left in the truck for over 18 hours, exposed and covered in her mother’s blood. Ford was found guilty of murder, sexual assault, and child abuse.
The brutality of the case and the vulnerability of the child further aggravated his crime. Despite multiple appeals, his death sentence was upheld in 1999, and he has remained on death row at Florida State Prison since then. In recent years, the application of the death penalty in Florida has been inconsistent.
In 2024, only one execution took place in contrast to the six carried out in 2023. However, Governor Ronda Santis signed Ford’s execution order, marking the end of a period of inactivity in the state. The day before his execution, he was offered a last meal. board requested steak, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, sweet potato, pumpkin pie, and sweet tea.
When asked for his last words, James Dennis Ford had nothing to say on Thursday night while lying strapped to a gurnie before the 25 witnesses present. However, the Department of Prisons reported that Ford wrote a message on paper which read, “Hugs, prayers, love. God bless you all. Richard Lee Tabler, State Texas.
In November 2004, Richard Lee Tabler murdered Muhammad Ramuni, a nightclub manager, and his friend Zed in Ken, Texas. Tabler along with his accomplice Timothy Don Payne, lured Ramuni under the pretense of selling him sound equipment. Upon arriving at the location, they ambushed him, shooting Zed first, then Ramuni, who was shot again as he was dragged from the car.
After committing the double murder, Tabler stole Ramun’s wallet and other items from the vehicle, while Payne filmed the crime with a video camera. Tabler later called the police to take responsibility and threatened more murders. 2 days later on November 28th, Tabler murdered Amanda Benfield and Tiffany Lorraine, two teenagers who worked at the same nightclub.
He selected them from a list of employees he believed had implicated him in the previous murders. Tabler kept calling the police, mocking them and making new threats. Tabler was arrested and sentenced to death for the four murders. found guilty for his brutality and the constant threats he made after the crimes.
On February 13th, 2025, Richard Lee Tabler was executed at the age of 46. At 6:38 p.m., he was declared dead after receiving a lethal dose of Pentoarbital. Tobler was the second man executed in Texas in 2025. In his final statement, Tobler apologized to the families of his victims, some of whom were present during the execution.
He also thanked his family, legal team, and death row staff for their support. Not a day goes by that I don’t regret my actions. I had no right to take their loved ones, and I ask and pray. I hope and pray that one day you find it in your hearts to forgive me for those actions. None of my apologies will bring them back.
Brad Keith Sigman, method of execution, firing squad. Brad Sigman and Rebecca Barbar had been in a three-year relationship and lived together. But in early 2001, she ended things and moved in with her parents. Sigman, obsessed, began stalking her and insisting they get back together. The night before the crime, Sigman took trips with his friend Eugene Stroube, to whom he revealed his plan to break into the Lark home, tie up her parents, and force Barbar to talk to him.
Strouba refused to participate, but Sigman went ahead alone. The next morning, he broke into the house and brutally attacked David and Glattis with a baseball bat, striking them repeatedly in the head until they died. He then stole David’s gun and waited for Barbar to return. When Barbar arrived, Sigman threatened her with the gun and forced her into his car.
He planned to take her to North Carolina, but she managed to jump out and escape, though he fired at her as she ran. Barbar survived and was hospitalized. Police launched a manhunt and issued arrest warrants for murder, kidnapping, and assault with intent to kill. Sigman was on the run for 11 days until he was captured in Gatlinburgg, Tennessee and extradited to South Carolina.
Brad Sigman’s trial began on July 18th, 2002 in South Carolina. From the first day, the prosecution presented overwhelming evidence against him, including the baseball bat used to take the lives of David and Glattis Lark. During the crime scene reconstruction, detective Mike McNamera timed the distance Sigman covered inside the house while attacking both victims.
During the trial, Brad Sigman displayed photographs of Rebecca Barbar for no apparent reason, confusing those in the courtroom. During sentencing, Cheryl Tombberlin, Sigman’s ex-wife, testified about the domestic violence she endured during their marriage, reinforcing his violent history.
The victim’s relatives, including Daryl Lark and Renee Smith, also testified, describing the devastating impact the crime had on their lives. That same day, the jury sentenced him to death. As the decision was read, his mother, Virginia Wooten, broke down in tears while Rebecca Barbar watched in silence. Sigman looked at her one last time before being escorted out of the courtroom.
It has been 23 years since Brad Sigman was sentenced to death. For over two decades on death row, he filed multiple appeals, but all were denied. Finally, his execution was scheduled for March 7th. Brad Sigman chose the firing squad over lethal injection. His attorneys argued that he made this decision due to concerns raised after recent executions involving a massive dose of pentobarbital.
While witnesses stated that inmates appeared to lose consciousness within minutes, reports indicated they were not pronounced dead until at least 20 minutes later. In 2022, South Carolina spent approximately $54,000 to construct a firing squad chamber inside its execution facility located near the electric chair.
Bulletproof glass was installed in the witness room along with a chair equipped with a drainage system for blood collection and a wall to conceal the shooters. Witnesses could see the inmate’s profile, but not those pulling the trigger. The firing squad became an alternative after prison officials struggled to obtain lethal injection drugs.
Even after a law was passed to protect the identity of drug suppliers, the new method remained an option. No South Carolina governor has granted clemency in the 49 years since the death penalty was reinstated, and Sigman was no exception. Since 1976, only three people have been executed by firing squad in the US, all in Utah.
The last was in 2010. Now, Sigman will become the first prisoner to be executed this way in South Carolina. One day, before being taken to the death chamber, Sigman requested his last meal. Initially, he had asked for three buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s original recipe, intending to share them with his death row companions, but that request was denied.
Instead, Sigman was served a more modest meal, four pieces of fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, biscuits, cheesecake, and sweet tea. According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, on March the 7th, 2025, Brad Sigman was executed in South Carolina by firing squad, a method not used in the United States for the past 15 years.
Sigman was strapped to a specially designed chair and had a hood placed over his head. Three prison staff volunteers aimed their rifles at his heart and at the director’s command. Each of them fired live ammunition. According to witnesses, the bullets struck Sigman’s chest right above the heart. It was instantaneous. The witnesses commented.
When the shots were fired, it was very loud, very chilling. I think at that moment, everyone in the room flinched. There was only one place where I could see any damage, which makes me think the bullets were all grouped together. Sigman was declared dead at 6:08 p.m. according to those present in the room. During his last words, Sigman expressed his opposition to the death penalty, quoting four Bible passages that, according to him, showed that nowhere in the New Testament does God give man the authority to kill another man.
Through his lawyer, Sigman made a final statement of love, asking his Christian brothers to help put an end to the death penalty. “Now we are under God’s grace and mercy,” said Sigman. “Gerald Bo King, Sigman’s attorney and a witness to the execution, described Brad’s death as horrible and violent. In a statement, he said, “It’s unimaginable that in 2025, South Carolina would execute one of its citizens in this bloody spectacle.
” The execution was a deeply shocking event for all those present. Rebecca Armstrong, Sigman’s ex-girlfriend, mentioned in her first interview in the 24 years since the murder of her parents that Sigman’s actions destroyed her family. However, she pointed out that life imprisonment should have been the option for his sentence.
Despite this, she expressed that she did not agree with his execution, adding that death should be something only God decides. Jesse Hoffman, executed by nitrogen hypoxia. On November 26th, 1996, 18-year-old Jesse D. Hoffman Jr. kidnapped 28-year-old Mary Elliot, an advertising executive in downtown New Orleans. After forcing her to withdraw money from an ATM, he drove her to a remote area in St.
Tam Parish, where he assaulted and ended her life. Hoffman was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. During his trial, the jury found him guilty and on September 11th, 1998, he was sentenced to death. Despite appeals, on March 18th, 2025, Hoffman was executed by nitrogen hypoxia at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Before his execution, Hoffman declined to make a final statement and chose not to have a special last meal.
According to reports, Hoffman was escorted to the execution chamber at 6:12 p.m. The prison officials released the gas for about 19 minutes and he was declared dead at 6:50 p.m. A state official acknowledged that during the execution, Hoffman showed convulsive movements before becoming still. experiencing pain in a manner similar to the first execution by this method of Kenneth Eugene Smith.
Aaron Gunches executed by lethal injection on November 14th, 2002. Aaron Brian Gunches went to his girlfriend’s house in Mesa, Arizona. Upon arrival, he forced Ted Price to get into his car with the supposed intention of taking him to a bus station. However, realizing he didn’t have money for a ticket, he drove him to a desert area along the Beeline Highway.
There, he shot Price four times, ending his life. On January 15th, 2003, an Arizona public safety officer stopped Gunches at a traffic checkpoint. Gunes fired twice at the officer before fleeing, leading to a chase involving more than 50 officers. He was arrested the following day, found hiding in a barn in Wendon. In 2004, he plead guilty to the crime, and in 2008, he was sentenced to death.
Since then, he has repeatedly requested his own execution and criticized the state for not carrying it out. Although his execution scheduled for April 6th, 2023 was postponed. After new legal proceedings, the Arizona Supreme Court set his execution for March 19th, 2025 by lethal injection.
One day before his execution, he was offered a last meal, which consisted of a double westernstyle burger, spicy gyros, onion rings, and baklava. Gun’s execution took place on March 19th, 2025 at the Florence State Prison. He was executed by lethal injection and declared dead at 10:33 a.m. Edward James. Executed by lethal injection on the night of September 20th, 1993.
Edward James returned home after a party and found the grandchildren of Elizabeth Anne Betty Dick sleeping in the living room. He approached 9-year-old Tony Nuner and committed a violent act that left her unconscious. He then took her to a private area of the home where he assaulted her. Tragically, Tony later died from the injuries sustained.
Subsequently, James entered Betty Dick’s bedroom and attacked her violently using a heavy object and a knife, inflicting severe injuries. The commotion alerted her 9-year-old granddaughter, Wendy, who entered the room. James restrained her before leaving the residence. Shortly after, he fled in his car, taking some belongings with him.
The case was featured on America’s Most Wanted, which generated numerous calls with tips about his whereabouts. He was eventually captured on October 6th, 1993 at an unemployment office in Bakersfield, California. On April 5th, 1995, James pleaded guilty to two counts of firstdegree murder, along with other charges, including aggravated child abuse and kidnapping.
On August 18th of that same year, he was sentenced to death. He is currently held at Florida State Prison and is scheduled to be executed on March 20th, 2025. James was executed on March 20th, shortly after 8:00 p.m., approximately 9 hours after Gryom’s execution. He was declared dead at 8:15 p.m. after receiving a lethal injection.
There was a 2-hour delay between the scheduled time for James execution and the actual execution, although Florida authorities did not explain the reason for the delay. While waiting for the injection, James expressed that he did not want to make a final statement. During the administration of the drugs, he struggled to breathe, curled his arms, and then remained still.
What he did say was a final statement when sentenced to death, accepting his actions. I don’t want to die, but I believe it’s the right punishment for what I did. From now until I’m executed, I’m just going to exist, accepting as much as possible what I’ve done. I truly feel in my heart that I’m doing the right thing. Wendell Gryom, executed by lethal injection in November 2005 in Blaine County, Oklahoma.
Wendel Grom and John’s after drinking whiskey and discussing burglary plans randomly chose a house to break into. Upon entering the residence, they encountered Drew Cop, who was at the house with his two daughters and their friend Amber Matthews. Although Cop attempted to negotiate, Grom shot him in the head. Matthews, attempting to escape with a baby, was struck by Grom, who shot her in the back of the head and then in the forehead.
After the murders, Grom and J’s fled in a vehicle they found in the garage and were arrested at a nearby convenience store. At trial, Grom was convicted of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and other charges. Amber Matthews, 23, died while trying to protect the children, adding further tragedy to the crime. John’s was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Grom’s execution is scheduled for March 20th, 2025 with a clemency hearing scheduled. One day before his execution, he was offered his last meal. Gryom chose a supreme pizza with Canadian bacon, half a liter of vanilla ice cream, and half a liter of Coca-Cola. Wendell Gryom was executed on March 20th by lethal injection.
His last words were, “I apologize to everyone for the harm I have caused.” I deeply regret having instilled that hatred in your hearts. I sincerely regret what I did. Not only because it brought me here, but because I can’t even imagine the trauma, pain, and suffering I caused to the victims and their families. It saddens me greatly to have swn so much hatred in your hearts because I am not the person the state of Oklahoma has portrayed me to be. Michael Tanzy.
Method of execution, lethal injection. In April 2000, Janet Aosta, a worker at the Miami Herald, was reading a book in her truck in the parking lot of her workplace when Michael Tanzy approached her, asked for a cigarette, and then brutally hit her in the face. After the attack, he kidnapped her, and took her to the Florida Keys, where he continued to assault her, robbed her, raped her, and ultimately strangled her to death.
He then abandoned her body on a remote island where it was later discovered by authorities. Tanzy plead guilty to first-degree murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery. In 2003, a jury unanimously recommended the death penalty. Since then, he filed multiple appeals and motions to overturn his sentence, all of which were denied.
Tanzy was executed by lethal injection on April the 16th, 2025. making it the third execution in Florida that year. The day before his execution, he was offered a final meal, which included fried pork, bacon, a baked potato, corn, ice cream, a chocolate bar, and soda. His execution was confirmed after a three drug cocktail was administered intravenously.
Before dying, he was given the chance to make a final statement to which he responded, “I want to apologize to the family of Janet Aosta and Caroline Holder for taking their lives.” He then recited a Bible verse. Heavenly Father, please do not hold those who don’t know what they are doing accountable.
He was declared dead at 8:00 p.m. Michael spent 22 years on death row before being executed. Mikall Dean Mahadi method of execution firing squad in July 2004. Over the course of 3 days, Mikall Dean Mahadi embarked on a series of crimes across several states, committing vehicle thefts, armed robberies, and three murders.
Mie killed Greg Jones in Brunswick County, Virginia after a drug deal went wrong. Then on July 15th, 2004, he robbed and killed Christopher Jason Bogs, a convenience store employee in Winston Salem, North Carolina. 2 days later in Colia, South Carolina, he kidnapped a man and stole his vehicle. He fled to a farm in Calhoun County where he murdered James Meyers, a 56-year-old off-duty police officer, dowsed his body in diesel fuel, and attempted to set it on fire.
Monty was arrested in Florida on July 21st, 2004 while driving Meyers’s stolen truck. After being extradited, he was sentenced to death in 2006 in South Carolina for the murder of Meyers. In 2011, he received a life sentence in North Carolina for the murder of Bogs. He was never tried in Virginia for the murder of Greg Jones, though he confessed to the crime.
While in prison, Motti attempted to murder a guard with another inmate in 2009, though the attempt was unsuccessful. Despite multiple appeals, his death sentence was upheld. On April 11th, 2025, Mai was executed by firing squad at the Broad River Correctional Institution, becoming the second person to be executed by this method in South Carolina and the fifth in the United States since 1976.
The firing squad shot at 6:01 p.m. Mai groaned and breathed for about 80 seconds before becoming motionless. He was declared dead at 6:05 p.m. Mai did not offer any last words. His final meal consisted of a medium rare ribeye steak, mushroom rsado, broccoli, collarded greens, cheesecake, and sweet tea. Mott’s attorney, David Weiss, who is one of the witnesses to the execution, criticized the execution, calling it barbaric and a horrific act that belongs in the darkest chapters of history, not in a civilized society.
Mai spent 19 years on death row before being executed. Moyes Sandival Mendoza, method of execution, lethal injection. Moyes Sandival Mendoza, 41 years old, was executed on April the 24th, 2025 for the murder of 20-year-old Rashelle O’Neal Tolson, which took place in March 2004. Mendoza kidnapped the young mother from her home, took her to a field, sexually assaulted her, strangled her, and then stabbed her.
He later burned her body and left it in a remote location. Tlsson’s 5-month-old baby was found alive the following day, but her body was not discovered until 6 days later. Mendoza confessed to the murder, although he denied sexually assaulting the victim, claiming that she left with him willingly. He led investigators to the site where he abandoned the body and provided further evidence that implicated him in the crime.
The prosecution demonstrated a growing pattern of violence in his history, including other robberies and assaults. The defense presented witnesses who spoke of his deep depression at the end of his teenage years as a mitigating factor. However, the Colin County Prosecutor’s Office argued that Mendoza showed no remorse and even appeared to take pride in his actions.
Before his execution, Mendoza offered his last words. I regret stealing Relle’s life,” he said, also acknowledging that he had stolen Tolison’s daughter’s mother. He added, “I’m sorry. I don’t know if anything I say or do can make up for it. I want you to know that I’m sincere. I apologize.” Then he briefly spoke in Spanish to his wife, his sister, and two friends present. “I love you. I’m with you.
I’m fine and at peace. You know I’m okay, and it’s all love. The victim’s daughter was not present for the execution. Mendoza was executed by lethal injection and was declared dead at 6:40 p.m. at the Huntsville State Penitentiary in Texas. Moyes Sandival Mendoza spent approximately 21 years on death row before being executed.
James Osgood, method of execution, lethal injection. In October 2010, Tracy Lynn Wyleman, a 44 yearear-old mother, was rebuilding her life after a divorce. In Clanton, Alabama, Ozgood and his accomplice, Tanya Van Djk, attacked Wildman in her bedroom, raped her, and forced her to have sex with them.
Later, Ozgood slit her throat multiple times, and stabbed her in the back, ultimately ending her life. They were captured shortly afterward. Tanya Van Djk was sentenced to life in prison for her involvement in the crime while James Osgood was sentenced to death. In his confession to the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department, Ozgood stated that he saw fear in Willman’s eyes and although he repeatedly injured her, he felt no anger, only the need to end her life.
He even claimed to have apologized to the victim during the attack, saying it was nothing personal. During the trial, senior assistant district attorney CJ Robinson described the crime as a twisted fantasy, pointing out that Ozgood enjoyed the act. In a resentencing hearing in 2018, Ozgood declared that he firmly believed in the principle of an eye for an eye, and for that reason, he would not appeal, accepting that he deserved to die.
Osgood received 11 visits on the day of his death. His last meal before being executed was pizza. In his final words, he addressed the victim saying, “I apologize.” James Osgood died crying. He was executed by lethal injection and was declared dead at 6:35 p.m., becoming the second execution of the year in Alabama and the 14th in the United States.
Ozgood spent approximately 14 years on death row before being executed. Jeffrey Glenn Hutchinson, State Florida. In 1998, at the age of 35 in Crest View, Florida, Jeffrey Hutchinson committed a crime that shocked the community. That night, after an argument with his girlfriend, Renee Flerty, Hutchinson left the house and returned armed with a shotgun.
Inside the home, he shot and killed Renee and her three children, Jeffrey, nine, Amanda, seven, and Logan, four. Shortly afterward, he called 911 and confessed, saying, “I just shot my family.” Police found him at the scene with clear evidence linking him to the crime, including gunshot residue on his hands and blood stains on his clothes.
After his arrest, Hutchinson was brought to trial in 2001. The prosecution presented strong evidence directly tying him to the murders. The defense argued that Hutchinson suffered from bipolar disorder and had sustained brain damage during his service in the Gulf War. They also suggested that others may have been involved in the killings.
However, the jury rejected these claims and found him guilty on four counts of firstdegree murder. He was sentenced to death for the murders of the children and to life in prison for Rene’s murder. In the years that followed, Hutchinson filed multiple appeals based on mental health issues and alleged trial irregularities.
Veterans groups and human rights organizations urged the Florida governor to intervene, arguing that Hutchinson’s wartime trauma impaired his criminal responsibility. Nevertheless, Governor Ronda Santis signed the execution warrant denying clemency. The execution was carried out on May 1st, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
at the Florida State Prison in Rayford. Hutchinson was 62 years old. The method used was lethal injection, which took approximately 15 minutes and proceeded without incident. For his final meal, Hutchinson chose salmon, mahi mahi, asparagus, a baked potato, and iced tea. He offered no final words, although he was heard whispering a prayer during the procedure.
Glenn Edward Rogers, state, Florida. He was born on July 15th, 1962 in Ohio. He was one of seven siblings. He dropped out of school before turning 16 and married his teenage girlfriend. They had two children, but the marriage was a nightmare. His wife accused him of domestic abuse. After that, Glenn’s life spiraled into theft, scams, and bar fights until he started killing.
His first confirmed murder happened on September 28th, 1995. Sandra Gallagher, a mother of three, was seen leaving a bar in California with Glenn. The next day, her burned body was found inside her pickup truck. She had been strangled. Rogers fled the state. In Mississippi, he met Linda Price at a fair.
She found him charming and let him move in with her. A few days later, Linda was found dead in her bathtub. Then in Florida, he murdered Tina Marie Cribs. Glenn met her at a bar and she offered to take him to her motel. 2 days later, motel staff found Tina’s body in the bathtub. She had been stabbed in the chest and buttocks.
Glenn escaped in her car. 4 days later on November 9th, 1995, he murdered Andy Giles Sudden in Louisiana. She was found naked, stabbed, and lying on a water bed that he had punctured. At this point, Glenn seemed completely out of control. He was finally arrested on November 13th, 1995 in Kentucky after a chase in a stolen car. Following his arrest, he claimed to have killed more than 70 people.
However, he was only convicted for four of those murders. Rogers also claimed responsibility for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of OJ Simpson. There’s no evidence linking Rogers to the crime scene, but OJ Simpson’s defense team mentioned him as another possible suspect in the case. In 1997, Glenn was sentenced to death in Florida for the murder of Tina Cribs.
Two years later, he received another death sentence in California for killing Sandra Gallagher. In total, only four murders were officially confirmed. Roger’s brother, Klay Rogers, told CNN, “I’m absolutely certain my brother Glenn killed Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. I know he did it because I’ve seen proof that he was there.
Earlier this year, Rogers requested a new hearing to present evidence that he had suffered repeated sexual abuse during childhood, hoping the jury would commute his sentence to life in prison. That request was denied. His legal team also argued that Rogers suffered from perferia, a rare condition that could cause extreme pain during lethal injection, making the execution process inhumane.
That appeal was also denied since Florida does not offer alternative methods such as firing squad or gas chamber. After nearly 30 years on death row, all his appeals were exhausted. On April 15th, 2025, the governor of Florida signed his final death warrant. Glenn Rogers woke up at 3:45 a.m. on the day of his execution.
For his last meal, he requested pizza, chocolate, and a soda. That same day, he received a visit from his wife. His brother, who had traveled from Kentucky, visited him the day before and then returned home. On May 15th, 2025, Glenn Edward Rogers was executed by lethal injection at Union Correctional Institution in Florida.
The drugs began to flow shortly after 6:20 p.m. and he was pronounced dead at 6:30 p.m. According to eyewitnesses, Rogers appeared to suffer for about 10 minutes. His body trembled slightly and his breathing was irregular. It was not an immediate or peaceful death. When asked for his final words, he gave one of the most bizarre statements heard in recent times.
I know there are a lot of questions that still need answers. I promise you, you’ll have them very soon, and I hope that somehow it helps you close this chapter. Then, with unsettling calm, he added, “President Trump, keep making America great. I’m ready to begin. The reaction in the room was confusion.
Randy Robersonson, son of one of the victims, said, “I wondered, where did that come from?” His wife, Amy Robertson, who also witnessed the execution, said, “I thought, what the hell did he just say?” Even in his final moments, Glenn Rogers managed to bewilder everyone in the room, leaving behind a legacy of horror.
And one last line no one saw coming. Benjamin Richie state Indiana. It was September 29th, 2000 in Beach Grove, Indiana. That night, a white pickup truck was reported stolen at a nearby gas station. Shortly after, at the scene of an unrelated traffic accident, officer Matthew Hickeyi saw the truck drive by with three men inside.
He ran the plates, confirmed it was the stolen vehicle, and called it in. The chase began. Two more officers joined, Robert Mercury and William Bill Tony, but the truck didn’t get far. After a short pursuit, it crashed off the road into the yard of a quiet neighborhood home.
The doors flew open and two of the men ran. Officer Hickeyi quickly caught one of them, Michael Greer. But the second man, Benjamin Richie, 20 years old, ran hard. Officer Bill Tony, chased him through backyards, jumping fences, dodging sheds and swing sets. Suddenly, Benjamin pulled something out, a 9mm Glock pistol, and fired five times.
Bill was wearing a bulletproof vest, but one of the bullets struck just above it, hitting his chest. He managed to fire once before collapsing. He fell onto the grass, his service weapon dropping from his hand. Officer William Bill Tony died there in that backyard one day before his 32nd birthday.
He left behind a wife and two young daughters. He had only been a police officer for 2 years. For reasons no one fully understood, Benjamin Richie was wearing a wig that night. Maybe it was part of a plan, or maybe just paranoia. Either way, after the shooting, he threw the wig and the gun into some bushes and vanished into the darkness.
Somehow, he slipped past the perimeter and made it to a friend’s house, still free, at least for a while. Over 100 officers, SWAT teams, deputies, and investigators launched an all-night manhunt. Roads were blocked, neighborhoods shut down. Finding Benjamin Richie was urgent, and no one was going home until he was caught.
Hours passed until there was a break. An anonymous call led them straight to a house. When officers arrived that morning, Benjamin was inside. This time, he didn’t run. He didn’t resist. He was arrested without a fight. The house belonged to Michael Moody, the third man from the stolen truck. He was arrested, too. The manhunt was over, but the real battle was just beginning in court.
That’s where Benjamin Richie’s true story came to light. Born May 30th, 1980, Benjamin came into a world already stacked against him. He never met his biological father. His mother, Marian Martin, abused alcohol and drugs, even during pregnancy. She worked as a stripper, constantly moving, never offering stability.
By the time Benjamin was just 3 years old, his mother had already abandoned him twice. When he started school, the damage was obvious. He misbehaved, couldn’t learn, and by 9th grade, he dropped out entirely. At age 10, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and other cognitive issues caused by his chaotic upbringing.
He needed help, but the system had little to offer. In August 1998, just after turning 18, he was arrested for robbery and sent to prison. By 2000, he was out, but not free. He was still on probation, directionless, and his life remained a mess. His troubled past hadn’t ended. It was just waiting for another chance to catch up with him.
And on September 29th, 2000, that’s exactly what happened. After his arrest for the murder of Officer Bill Tony, the prosecution acted quickly. Within weeks, Marian County announced they would seek the death penalty. But this wouldn’t be a quiet case. Benjamin had already given a jail house interview, claiming the shooting was an accident.
He said the gun slipped and that he heard multiple shots while running. One of his friends backed him up, saying Benjamin never meant to fire, that everything happened too fast. According to him, Benjamin panicked during the chase. He was already on probation, and another arrest could mean eight more years in prison.
That fear, he said, is what pushed Benjamin over the edge. But the damage was done. And whether people believed his version or not, a police officer was dead. On August 10th, the jury gave its verdict. Guilty on all charges: murder, vehicle theft, unlicensed gun possession, and resisting arrest. At sentencing, Richie’s lawyers tried to save him.
They argued he had brain damage, that his mother used drugs while pregnant, and that he grew up in chaos without a chance. They painted the picture of a broken boy who became a broken man, but the jury didn’t see it that way. Then came the detail that sealed his fate. Tattooed on Benjamin’s neck was a number, 37.
And it wasn’t random. It was Officer Tony’s unit number, a permanent trophy inked into his skin, a reminder he planned to flaunt for the rest of his life in prison. But he wouldn’t get that chance. On August 14th, the jury made its decision. After just three hours of deliberation, the verdict was unanimous. Benjamin would be sentenced to death.
He was transferred to Indiana’s death row. For many, that would be the end, but for Benjamin, not yet. Thousands of miles away in Sweden, a woman named Iana saw a documentary about death row inmates. Something about Benjamin stood out to her. She couldn’t explain it, but she couldn’t get him out of her head.
She wrote to him. The letters turned into conversations, and soon Ivana flew across the world to meet him. Separated by glass, they fell in love. For nearly 4 years, Ivana kept coming back. The Indiana Department of Corrections allowed it, even for a condemned man. And in case you’re wondering, yes, Indiana’s death row is different.
As you can see, Benjamin had a real cat in his cell. That’s not a metaphor. In Indiana, death row, inmates are allowed to keep cats as pets. Why? It’s part of a program to reduce isolation and improved behavior. Anyway, for years, Benjamin filed appeal after appeal, but no one would listen until the date arrived, May 20th, 2025, almost 23 years after entering death row.
In his final weeks, Benjamin asked for clemency. He told the parole board he was sorry, that he wasn’t the same man who pulled the trigger in 2000, that he still had something good to offer, but there were no chances left. At 44 years old, Benjamin Donnie Richie was executed by lethal injection in Indiana. For his last meal, he chose Olive Garden Tour of Italy, a plate with chicken pararmmesan, lasagna, and fetuccini alfredo.
Shortly after midnight, the execution process began. His last words were simple. I love my family, my friends, and everyone who has supported me. I hope you all find peace. At 12:46 a.m., Benjamin was pronounced dead. Matthew Johnson, State, Texas. Matthew Lee Johnson, originally from Dallas, had a childhood marked by a lack of supervision and early drug use, starting with marijuana at age 7 and later progressing to crack in PCP in high school.
At 19, he married Daphne, but his addiction quickly worsened to the point where a friend once had to tie him to a bed due to his manic behavior. In 2004, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison for a drugfueled robbery. There he managed to stay sober, improved his attitude, and even took a parenting course.
After his release in 2009, he remained clean for several years, had another child, got promoted at his job in a mechanic shop, and found some stability. However, in 2011, after buying their first house and facing financial stress when his wife lost her job, Johnson relapsed. It wasn’t until 2012 that Matthew Lee Johnson committed one of the most horrific crimes ever seen in Garland, a suburb of Dallas.
On the morning of May 20th that year, he entered the Fen Whipin convenience store where 76-year-old Nancy Judith Harris worked, a beloved grandmother in her community. Johnson brought with him a bottle of lighter fluid and a lighter. He approached Harris while she was behind the counter and poured the flammable liquid over her head.
He then forced her to open the cash register. As she tried to comply, he stole two lighters from the display, two packs of cigarettes, and even a ring from her finger. Once Harris finally opened the register, Johnson took the money and set her on fire. According to court documents, Harris, engulfed in flames, desperately ran to a nearby sink trying to put out the fire.
Meanwhile, Johnson casually walked out of the store and even paused to grab some candy before fleeing. He ran through the neighborhood, stripping off his clothes. When police caught him, he mockingly said, “What took you so long? You’re getting slow.” Nancy Harris was rushed to the hospital with second to fourthderee burns on 40% of her body, including her face, chest, arms, legs, and hands.
She died 5 days later on May 25th, 2012 after her family authorized the removal of life support. She left behind four sons, John, Brian, Scott, and Chris. An hour after the attack, Johnson was arrested and confessed to setting Harris on fire. At trial, he claimed he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and hadn’t intended to kill her only to scare her.
The prosecution, however, highlighted his criminal history, while the defense presented witnesses who spoke of his role as a father and his ongoing battle with addiction. In 2013, Johnson was sentenced to death. Since then, he filed multiple appeals, all of which were denied, including one by the US Supreme Court in 2024.
His most recent appeal, where he accused the Texas Attorney General of influencing the timing of executions, was rejected by the Fifth Circuit Court just 2 days before the scheduled date. Matthew Lee Johnson never claimed to be innocent. According to his attorney, he was deeply remorseful for what he did. Since being on death row, Johnson tried to rehabilitate.
He completed a faith-based program and from prison worked to be a positive influence on his wife and daughters, hoping they wouldn’t follow the same path he did. Johnson was executed on Tuesday, May 20th, 2025 by lethal injection, exactly 13 years after the crime. It took place at the Huntsville unit north of Houston.
His execution was the fourth in Texas this year and the 18th in the United States. Elizabeth, Nancy Harris’s daughter-in-law, witnessed the execution along with her husband Chris, Harris’s sons, Scott and John, and granddaughter Shelby. Afterward, she stated firmly, “We had reached the point where we were just tired and wanted it to be over.
The truth is, there’s no such thing as healing. Days get easier, but you never fully heal.” Since 2011, inmates in Texas are no longer allowed to choose their last meal following public outrage over an excessive meal ordered by inmate Lawrence Brewer, who didn’t eat any of it. According to reports, Matthew Johnson had requested ice cream as his last wish, but that request was denied.
When asked for his final words, he said, “As I look at each one of you, I can see her on that day.” he said, speaking slowly and clearly. I please ask for your forgiveness. I never meant to hurt her. Oscar Smith, State, Tennessee. Oscar Franklin Smith met Judy Smith at a Waffle House in Nashville where she worked as a waitress.
Both had children from previous relationships, but they decided to marry in 1985 and soon after had twins. However, the relationship became violent over time. According to court records, Oscar had a history of threats and abuse. He pointed a gun at one of his stepsons physically and sexually assaulted Judy and threatened to kill her multiple times.
The couple separated and began the divorce process along with a fierce custody battle over the twins. At the same time, Oscar took out life insurance policies on Judy and the children. On October 1st, 1989, shortly before midnight, a 911 call came from Judy’s house. Screams and an address could be heard before the line went silent.
Police arrived minutes later, but found nothing unusual. It wasn’t until the following afternoon that a 13-year-old neighbor discovered a horrifying scene. Judy, 35, and her sons, Chad, 16, and Jason, 13, were dead. All had been stabbed and had their throats slashed. In addition, Judy and Chad had been shot.
The investigation quickly pointed to Oscar Smith. A bloody handprint found next to Judy’s body matched his left hand. even though he was missing two fingers. Investigators also enhanced the 911 call where a voice believed to be Chad’s could be heard screaming, “Frank, no! Oh my god! Help me!” During the trial, Oscar claimed he hadn’t committed the murders.
He said that on the day of the crime, he had breakfast with Judy and the kids. Then she went to buy a car. Later, he said he went out with the twins and dropped them off at his mother’s before heading to Kentucky for work. But the jury didn’t believe him. Prosecutors argued that he had returned that night after dropping off the twins to commit the murders.
The testimonies about his past violence, the insurance policies, and the bloody handprint were damning. In 1990, Oscar Franklin Smith was found guilty of triple homicide and sentenced to death. At the sentencing hearing, his lawyers tried to avoid the death penalty, arguing that Oscar had paranoid personality disorder and a family history of schizophrenia.
Still, he was deemed mentally competent to stand trial. It was even revealed that he refused to plead insanity because he feared it would prevent him from getting a mortgage in the future. For more than three decades, Oscar and his attorneys maintained his innocence. In 2019, they filed a motion citing trial irregularities, biased jurors, misinterpretation of life sentences, and a prosecution theory that, according to them, didn’t align with the physical evidence.
One of the most controversial pieces of evidence was a bloody ice pick with fingerprints that didn’t match Oscars or the victims. Despite these arguments, the courts denied the requests to reopen the case. In 2022, his execution was halted at the last minute by Governor Bill Lee due to issues with the lethal injection protocol, but that stay was not permanent.
Eventually, the governor announced he would not grant a new clemency hearing. Oscar Franklin Smith’s execution was rescheduled for May 22nd, 2025 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. Human rights groups and his legal team tried to stop the execution, citing an ongoing lawsuit against the lethal injection protocol, which according to experts can cause sensations of suffocation or drowning.
Despite their efforts, the execution moved forward. For his last meal, which is typically limited to $20 by the state, Oscar requested hot dogs, tater tots, and apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Smith, 75, died from an intravenous injection of pentobarbatl at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. He was pronounced dead at 10:47 a.m.
on May 22nd. When asked for his final words, he said, “Someone needs to tell the governor that the justice system doesn’t work. I didn’t kill her.” Anthony Waywright, State, Florida. On April 27th, 1994, 23-year-old Carmen Gayart, a nursing student and mother of two, was reported missing after she failed to pick up her children from daycare.
Gayart was attending classes at Lake City Community College in Lake City, Florida, and was last seen that day in a nearby parking lot. When she didn’t arrive to collect her children, concern grew quickly. After her husband, father, and classmates were unable to find her, she was officially reported missing.
Unbeknownst to her family or investigators at the time, Carmen Gayart had been abducted at gunpoint by Anthony Waywright and Richard Hamilton while loading groceries into the Ford Bronco she was driving in the parking lot of a Wind Dixie supermarket. Just 2 days earlier, Waynewright and Hamilton had escaped from a minimum security prison in Carteret County, North Carolina.
Waywright was serving a 10-year sentence for robbery, while Hamilton was serving 25 years for armed robbery. During their escape, they stole a car and broke into a home, stealing two rifles before fleeing to Florida, where they would ultimately kidnap and murder Gay Hart. On April 27th, 1994, Wayne Wright and Hamilton approached Gayart at the grocery store parking lot where her vehicle had stalled.
They forced her into the car and drove her to a remote area in Hamilton County, Florida. There they raped her in the backseat of the Bronco, attempted to strangle her, and ultimately executed her with two gunshots to the head. Her body was dumped near a wooded roadside. A multi-state manhunt was launched after Gayheart’s disappearance.
The two men were captured in Mississippi the next day following a shootout with law enforcement. Forensic evidence, including DNA found in the Bronco, conclusively linked Waywright to the crime. Although he initially cooperated with authorities under a plea agreement, Waywright later recanted his confession, claiming Hamilton acted alone in the murder.
In 1995, a jury found Anthony Waywright guilty of firstderee murder, armed kidnapping, armed robbery, and sexual battery. The prosecution emphasized the brutal and prolonged nature of the crime, noting that Carmen Gayart was forced to contemplate her fate for more than an hour before being killed. Both Waywright and Richard Hamilton were sentenced to death.
However, Hamilton died of natural causes in 2023 at the age of 59. Waywright’s defense team, operating with limited resources, failed to present mitigating evidence regarding his traumatic upbringing, which allegedly included sexual abuse and cognitive impairments possibly linked to prenatal exposure to Agent Orange.
His father, a Vietnam War veteran, had been exposed to the toxic herbicide. Later, appeals criticized the lack of consideration given to these factors during the original trial. For over 30 years, Wayne Wright’s legal team filed multiple appeals, citing prosecutorial misconduct, unreliable jail house informant testimony, and withheld DNA evidence.
A 2025 petition to the US Supreme Court argued that informants had received undisclosed sentencing benefits in exchange for their testimony. However, courts consistently rejected these claims and the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the Agent Orange evidence would not have altered the sentencing outcome. On June 10th, Waywright woke up around 3:30 a.m.
to face his final day. He was offered a last meal which he politely declined according to Florida Department of Corrections spokesperson Ted Verman. He spent his final hours with his fiance and a spiritual adviser. Maria David, Gayheart’s sister, who planned to attend the execution expressed her frustration with the lengthy legal process.
Three decades is too long to wait for justice, she told the Associated Press. It’s ridiculous how many appeals they get. Each one reopens our wounds. You have to relive it all over again because they tell the whole story again. The execution began at approximately 6:10 p.m. Wayright’s shoulders twitched a couple of times.
He blinked and took several deep breaths before becoming completely still at 6:14 p.m. He was executed by lethal injection, becoming the sixth inmate put to death in Florida in 2025. Waywright was officially pronounced dead at 6:22 p.m. According to Brian Griffin, spokesperson for Governor Ronda Santis. He gave a final statement, though his words were inaudible, from the witness chamber, where officials typically record an inmate’s last words.
If Wayne Wright’s official last words are made public, we’ll leave them here in the comments. Carmen Gay Hart’s sister, Maria David, witnessed the execution and said, “Nothing was going to stop me from seeing this through.” Gregory Hunt, State, Alabama. Gregory Hunt committed a horrific crime on August 2nd, 1988 when he was 28 years old, brutally murdering 32-year-old Karen Lane in Cordova, Alabama.
Lane was killed in the apartment she shared with a woman who was Hunt’s cousin following what prosecutors described as a violent breakin and sexual assault. The relationship between Hunt and Lane had lasted approximately 1 month before the fatal attack. The medical evidence presented during Hunt’s trial painted a devastating picture of Lane’s final moments.
A physician who performed the autopsy testified that Lane died from blunt force trauma after sustaining approximately 60 injuries throughout her body, including 20 wounds to her head. The attack involved multiple weapons with court records indicating that Hunt used his hands, fists, a broomstick, and a bar stool during the assault.
Physical evidence linking Hunt to the crime scene included fingerprints and witness testimony, which prosecutors used to build their case against him. The sexual assault component of the crime became particularly significant during the legal proceedings as it elevated the charges to capital murder under Alabama law.
However, this aspect would later become a source of controversy in Hunt’s appeals as he consistently denied sexually assaulting Lane while acknowledging that he killed her. In a phone interview from prison, Hunt stated Karen didn’t deserve what happened to her, describing how he had been consuming alcohol and drugs on the night of the incident and became jealous after seeing Lane with another man.
Hunt’s legal journey began with his arrest shortly after Lane’s murder, though the exact timing of his capture is not detailed in available records. The case proceeded to trial in 1990 where Hunt was represented by court-appointed attorneys who had limited time and resources to prepare his defense.
According to court filings, his initial lawyer was appointed just 3 months before the trial date with another attorney accepting appointment only weeks before the proceedings began. On June 19th, 1990, a Walker County jury found Hunt guilty on three counts of capital murder. The first count related to killing Lane during the course of a robbery, while the other two counts involved allegations that he murdered her during a sexual assault.
During the penalty phase, jurors voted 11 to1 to recommend a death sentence, which the judge subsequently imposed. Alabama and Florida are notably the only two states that allow non-unanimous jury recommendations for death sentences during the penalty phase of trials. The defense team’s limited investigation meant that jurors never heard about Hunt’s traumatic childhood, including his upbringing in a violent alcoholic family that was physically and sexually abusive.
Hunt had periodically lived in group homes and began using drugs during childhood, factors that could have served as mitigating circumstances during sentencing. This lack of mitigation evidence would later become a significant issue in Hunt’s postconviction appeals. Hunt’s time on death row spanning over three decades represents one of the longest tenurs in Alabama’s death row history.
Since 1988, Hunt has led Bible study sessions attended by approximately two dozen inmates, earning him recognition as a spiritual leader within the death row community. The Reverend Jeff Hood, a Catholic priest who serves as Hunt’s spiritual adviser, described him as someone whose story represents spiritual triumph and noted his courage in ministering to others on death row.
Hunt’s favorite activities include writing gospel songs and singing them, though he humorously describes his singing voice as sounding like a weed eater. Gregory woke up early this morning at 5:00 a.m. when he received visits from his closest family members. According to reports, his last meal was a pizza, which he shared with his family and a corrections officer.
At exactly 6:00 p.m., Gregory was executed by nitrogen hypoxia. He spent his final moments strapped to a gurnie with a blue mask covering his entire face. Although Hunt did not speak any final words, just before the gas was released, he appeared to make a thumbs up and peace sign with his fingers. Shortly after, he briefly struggled, gasped, and lifted his head off the gurnie.
He took a series of four or more shallow breaths with long pauses between them and showed no visible movement after 6:05 p.m. Authorities pronounced Hunt dead at 6:06 p.m. at a prison in southern Alabama. The closest thing to last words came in an interview with the Associated Press just one week before his execution. There he reflected on his religious faith and described prison as a hospital to heal my broken mind.
I’m just trying to be a light in a dark place, trying to tell people that if I can change, they can also become people of love instead of hate. A statement from Karen Lane’s family expressed deep gratitude to the Walker County District Attorney’s Office, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, and victims of crime and leniency, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and advocating for victims of violent crimes.
The family emphasized that this night was not about Gregory Hunt, nor about closure, but about remembering Karen Lane and the pain she endured. Karen was shown no mercy. She was not given a second chance. The statement read, “Karen was shown no grace.” The message ended with a quote engraved on her headstone by her mother, Betty Sanders.
“Crime will not decrease until being a criminal becomes more dangerous than being a victim.” Steven Stano State South Carolina. Born on January 13th, 1968 at the Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Steven Stano already had a criminal record long before being sentenced for the crimes that would send him to death row. In 1996, he was convicted of assault and kidnapping, serving 8 and 1/2 years of a 10-year sentence.
During that time, he co-wrote a book with another inmate titled Living in Prison: A Story of the Penal System from Within. Those who knew him then described him as an intelligent, educated man who was always willing to talk about his life behind bars and the book he had written. In 2004, he was released and moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he rented a room.
His parole officer verified that the landlord was informed about his past, which Stano himself had disclosed when applying to rent. He lived there for nearly a year without major issues, except for some delays in paying rent. He often complained about the difficulties of finding a job due to his criminal record.
Eventually, he moved to a friend’s house in exchange for caring for the friend’s elderly mother. Stanko began frequenting the local library, claiming he was researching a second book. During that time, he developed a romantic relationship with the librarian, Laura Ling, and ended up moving in with her and her daughter. He also formed an apparent friendship with another regular library user, Henry Turner.
In the early hours in the coastal town of Merles Inlet, South Carolina, authorities reported that Steven Stano took the life of his partner, Laura Ling, and severely harmed her 15-year-old daughter, Christina Ling, who also lived in the house. Against all odds, the teenager survived and later testified against him.
That same day, Stano drove north to the city of Conway where he took the life of Henry Lee Turner, a 74year-old retired US Air Force veteran. Reports indicate that Stano gained entry by lying about a family emergency. He then took Turner’s vehicle, emptied his bank account, and fled the state. In the following days, Stano hid in Augusta, Georgia, where he claimed to be a successful businessman and owner of several restaurants.
However, his luck ran out on April 12th when a woman who had given him a ride to church recognized him from a photo on the news and alerted authorities. He was arrested without resistance by the United States Marshalss after a nationwide manhunt. Stanco was tried separately for both cases.
the first in 2006 and the second in 2009. His defense argued he had a congenital brain condition worsened by a teenage injury which caused a personality disorder, but the prosecution disagreed. During closing arguments, prosecutor Greg Hembrey described him as someone who, in his words, is simply evil. There is something inside him that drives him to do harm. He knows it and he likes it.
He was sentenced to death in both trials. His final appeal was rejected by the United States Supreme Court in May 20125, clearing the way for his execution. According to South Carolina law, inmates can choose between the electric chair, firing squad, or lethal injection. Initially, Stano considered the firing squad a recently reinstated option in the state.
However, medical reports from previous executions led him to change his mind. One report noted that an inmate executed by firing squad did not lose consciousness immediately and that the shots missed vital organs, prolonging the process. Concerned about the possibility of suffering, Stano chose lethal injection. His lawyers tried to halt the execution with a lastminute appeal, arguing the method caused unnecessary suffering.
However, a federal judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to delay the procedure. There was no intervention from the state governor either. Since South Carolina reinstated the death penalty about 50 years ago, no governor has granted clemency in an execution. Steven Stano’s execution took place on Friday, June 13th, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
He was led to the execution chamber and strapped to a gurnie. An intravenous line was placed before witnesses entered the room. He received a dose of the sedative pentobarbatital. According to records of previous executions in the state, loss of consciousness usually occurs in under two minutes, and the procedure is considered quick and silent.
For his last meal on death row, Steven Stano was given a $20 allowance to order anything he wanted. He requested ice cream and a hamburger. Shortly before his execution by lethal injection, Stano delivered a final statement lasting 3 and 1/2 minutes. In it, he apologized to the families of his victims and asked not to be judged solely by the worst day of his life.
He had written the statement in advance and read it aloud in the execution chamber. According to official reports, the execution began moments after he finished his statement in which he expressed deep remorse and urged people not to define him by a single tragic event. Once he concluded, prison staff administered the first dose of the powerful seditive Pentoarbatl.
Part of his final words were, “I am truly sorry for the pain and loss that I caused in this horrible situation.” Stano wrote, “Sorry is never enough, but that does not mean it should not be said.” Outside the prison, anti-death penalty protesters gathered. Meanwhile, a son of Henry Lee Turner, one of the victims, said he could finally feel at peace.
Justice had been served, though it had taken far too long. Thomas Lee Gdinas State, Florida. On May 21st, 1994, Orlando, Florida became the scene of a crime that shocked the city and would seal the fate of Thomas Lee Goodinas, then 20 years old. That night, Michelle McGrath, a 22-year-old woman, was out enjoying herself at Barbarella’s, a downtown nightclub. Around 2:45 a.m.
, McGrath was last seen leaving the venue and walking toward her vehicle. Hours later, at 7:30 a.m., a school employee discovered her body in an alley near a school. The scene was brutal. McGrath was found naked except for her bra, showing clear signs of sexual assault and extreme violence. The autopsy revealed she died from a brain hemorrhage caused by a severe blow to the head, likely a kick.
Additionally, objects were found inserted into her vaginal and rectal cavities. Her blood alcohol level was 0.17%. The medical examiner determined that death occurred 30 to 60 minutes after the fatal injury and that McGrath had fought for her life as evidenced by defensive wounds on her hands. The investigation moved quickly.
Witnesses identified Goodinas fleeing the scene and linked him to another attempted assault that same night. Michelle Smith, another woman who had been at Barbarella’s, testified that Gdinas chased her to her car and tried to force his way in while yelling sexual threats. Smith managed to escape and later identified Goodinas in a photo lineup and again at trial.
Other witnesses placed him near the crime scene and reported seeing him in possession of McGrath’s keys, which he claimed were his. The forensic evidence was damning. Gudinus’ fingerprints were found on McGrath’s vehicle, and semen matching his DNA was recovered from her body.
His roommates testified that he returned home that morning with bloodstained clothing and confessed, saying, “I killed her, then I [ __ ] her.” Gudinas was arrested shortly after. Due to the high media coverage, the case was moved to Collier County to ensure a fair trial. In 1995, he was convicted of first-degree murder, two counts of sexual battery, attempted sexual battery, and attempted robbery with assault.
The jury recommended the death penalty by a 10 to2 vote, and the judge formally imposed it on June 16th, 1995. During the trial, the defense presented evidence of Goodina’s troubled childhood, a life of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the hands of family members and caregivers. He was diagnosed with multiple psychiatric disorders, and had been through 105 institutions, never receiving long-term treatment.
Experts testified that he had a low IQ and severe psychological impairments with an extremely limited ability to control his impulses, especially under the influence of alcohol and drugs, which he had consumed the night of the crime. I said, “Uh, well, did you have sex with her when she was dead?” “Yeah, just joking around.
” And I apologize to the family for that. That was stupid. But um do you recall telling the police? He said, “Yeah, I killed her then.” Yeah. Do you remember now that’s what he said? Yeah. Over the years, Goodiness filed numerous appeals claiming ineffective counsel, procedural errors, and mental health issues.
All were denied by state and federal courts which ruled that the aggravating factors outweighed any mitigating ones. Thomas Lee Goudinus attorneys recently argued before the Florida Supreme Court that his execution was no longer constitutionally acceptable, citing the evolution of societal standards of decency. They maintained that due to the severe mental illness he suffered at the time of the crime, the death penalty would serve no deterrent effect and would amount only to an act of vengeance.
His aunt Judith Gudeness Tero remained convinced of his innocence. Back in 1994, she shared that he had found God while in prison and kept a newspaper photo of Michelle McGrath tucked inside his Bible. Meanwhile, McGrath’s loved ones dismissed Goodina’s final legal efforts as nothing more than procedural tactics.
Most chose not to attend the execution, viewing it as an additional layer of trauma. Still, they expressed relief at no longer having to receive annual calls and letters from the state about developments in Goodina’s case. For many, the execution did not bring closure, but it did bring an end. On May 23rd, 2025, Florida Governor Ronda Santis signed the execution warrant for Thomas Lee Goodinas, scheduling it for June 24th, 2025 at Florida State Prison in Stark.
Gudinus, aged 51, became the seventh person executed in Florida in 2025. On Tuesday, June 24th, Gdinus woke up at 4:45 a.m. He received a visit from his mother, but chose not to meet with a spiritual adviser. For his final meal, he requested pepperoni pizza, French fries, and a soft drink. Later that day, at exactly 6:00 p.m.
, the curtain to the execution chamber was drawn open. Goodas was already strapped to a gurnie with an IV inserted into his left arm. After completing a final call with the governor’s office, the warden asked Goodinas if he had any last words. Though his response was inaudible to those in the witness room, prison officials stated that he expressed remorse and mentioned Jesus.
Moments later, the lethal injection process began. His eyes rolled back and his chest moved slightly as he experienced mild convulsions. Within minutes, his skin turned pale and his body became completely still. At 6:23 p.m., the warden officially declared the execution complete. The curtain was closed and the witnesses were escorted out of the chamber.
Gudinas became the seventh person executed in Florida this year and the 24th execution carried out in the United States in 2025. Richard Gerald Jordan, State Mississippi. In January 1976, 29-year-old Richard Gerald Jordan devised a cold-blooded ransom scheme that would forever alter the lives of a Gulfport family and ultimately lead him to become Mississippi’s longest serving death row inmate.
Jordan, a Vietnam War veteran who had served three combat tours totaling 33 months as a helicopter gunner, called GF National Bank in Gulfport and asked to speak with a loan officer. After learning that Charles Martyr was available to take his call, Jordan hung up, looked up the Martyr family’s home address in a telephone directory, and drove to their residence.
Posing as an electric company employee who needed to check the home’s electrical breakers, Jordan gained entry to the martyr house. He kidnapped 34year-old Edwina Martyr, a mother of two young children, forcing her to leave her three-year-old son sleeping alone in the house while her 10-year-old son was at school.
Jordan drove Edwina to a wooded area in the Dotto National Forest in Harrison County where he fatally shot her in the back of the head. The physical evidence showed that the bullet entered at the lower right occipital area of her brain and traveled upward from right to left, exiting above her left eye.
After killing Edwina, Jordan threw the murder weapon into the Big Boxy River, where it was later recovered by police scuba divers. He then called Charles Martyr at the bank, falsely claiming that Edwina was alive and well and demanded $25,000 for her safe return. Jordan instructed Charles to place the money wrapped in brown paper on a blue jacket along US Highway 49.
But when Charles arrived, he found no jacket because Jordan had spotted that Charles car was being followed by the FBI. The next morning, Jordan called Charles again, assuring him that Edwina was fine and asking about the children. This time, Charles found the jacket and left the money along Interstate 10 as instructed.
When Jordan retrieved the ransom money, two officers attempted to arrest him, leading to a high-speed chase during which Jordan forced the officer’s car off the road and escaped. He abandoned his vehicle in a shopping center parking lot and hid most of the money in the woods, keeping only a small amount to purchase new clothes. After changing into the new clothes and calling a taxi, Jordan was captured at a roadblock where an officer recognized him.
Jordan confessed to the crime and cooperated fully with investigators, showing them where to find Edwina’s body and the location of the murder weapon. He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death in 1976. However, Jordan’s case became extraordinarily complex, involving four separate trials and multiple appeals over nearly five decades.
His original death sentence was vacated when automatic death sentences were ruled unconstitutional, leading to a second trial and death sentence in 1977. After successfully appealing this sentence, he received a third death sentence, which was again overturned. Prosecutors then offered Jordan a plea deal for life imprisonment without parole in exchange for waving his appellet rights, but Jordan later violated this agreement by appealing on grounds that life without parole was not a permitted sentence under Mississippi law at the time of his crime. Courts
found the plea agreement improper and granted a new sentencing hearing in 1998 where Jordan was sentenced to death for the fourth time. Throughout his decadesl long legal battle, Jordan’s defense team argued that his Vietnam War trauma was never properly presented to the jury. Jordan had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in combat, including during the bloody 1968 TED offensive at his base in Pub near Hugh.
His legal team contended that had the jury been informed about his combat experiences and mental health struggles, he might not have received a death sentence. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed Richard Gerald Jordan’s death warrant for June 25th, 2025, stating that justice must be served and in Mississippi it will be. The US Supreme Court denied Jordan’s final appeals on June 23rd, clearing the way for his scheduled execution.
Richard Gerald Jordan woke up today at 6:00 a.m. On Wednesday, he was allowed to visit with family members, attorneys, and spiritual advisers. His family was permitted to stay with him until 2:00 p.m. His final meal consisted of chicken tenders, French fries, strawberry ice cream, and a root beer float.
Jordan was moved to an isolation cell at 400 p.m. and executed by lethal injection at 6:16 p.m. on June 25th, 2025 at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman. During the procedure, he experienced mild convulsions for about 3 to 5 minutes and was pronounced dead by a physician at 6:23 p.m. He was 79 years old at the time of his death and had spent nearly 49 years on death row, making him the longest serving death row inmate in Mississippi’s history.
When given the opportunity to make a final statement, Jordan said, “First of all, I want to thank everyone for the humane way this was done. I want to apologize to the victim’s family. I love you all very much. I will see you on the other side, all of you.” His words were interpreted by some as sarcastic, especially amid ongoing criticism regarding the ingredients used in Mississippi’s lethal injection protocol.
Jordan was the third person executed in Mississippi in the past decade following the state’s most recent execution in December 2022. His execution was carried out using Mississippi’s three drug lethal injection protocol, which he and other inmates had previously challenged as cruel and unusual punishment. Edwina Martyr’s sons, the eldest, who was 11 years old when their mother was murdered, and the youngest, just three at the time, are now 59 and 49 years old.
After nearly 5 decades, they finally saw justice served. However, Eric Martyr, the older brother, stated that neither he nor his sibling would attend the execution. John Hansen, State, Oklahoma. On August 31st, 1999, 35-year-old George John Hansen and his accomplice Victor Miller, carjacked 77-year-old Mary Agnes BS from the parking lot of Prominade Mall in Tulsa.
BS, a retired banker and former president of the St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary, was at the mall for her regular evening walk. Earlier that same day, Hansen and Miller had already committed two armed liquor store robberies and kidnapped BS to use her car in further crimes. Hansen held BS at gunpoint in the back seat while Miller drove to a remote dirt pit near AASO.
There they encountered 44year-old Gerald Max Thurman, a trucking company owner who was making a delivery. Thurman witnessed the kidnapping and called his nephew to report it. In an effort to silence him, Miller shot Thurman four times with a 38 caliber revolver. Shortly afterward, Hansen took BS from the car and fatally shot her four to six times with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Her body was partially covered with branches before the pair fled. Thurman was transported to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries two weeks later on September 14th, 1999. BS’s body was discovered on September 7th. 8 days after the murders on September 8th, Hansen and Miller robbed a federal credit union and were arrested the following day at a local motel.
Their fingerprints on BS’s vehicle and the discovery of the murder weapons wrapped in plastic and hidden inside a tank linked them to both killings. Tried separately from Miller, Hansen was convicted in 2001 of firstdegree malice murder for BS’s death and firstdegree felony murder for Thurman’s.
He received the death penalty for killing BS and life without parole for Thurman’s murder. Though his death sentence was initially overturned on appeal, it was reinstated in 2006. Miller’s sentence was later reduced to life without parole following multiple appeals. In federal court, Hansen had already been sentenced to life plus 107 years for a string of armed robberies and was serving his time at United States Penitentiary Pollock in Louisiana.
His execution was originally scheduled for December 15th, 2022, but the Biden administration denied Oklahoma’s transfer request, citing lack of public interest. However, under President Trump’s executive order pushing for stronger enforcement of capital punishment, Hansen was transferred to Oklahoma custody in March 2025.
On May 7th, 2025, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied Hansen’s clemency request in a 3-2 vote. His attorneys argued that he had autism and related cognitive impairments, making him vulnerable to influence by his more culpable codefendant. A temporary stay of execution was granted on June 9th, but overturned the next day by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.
George John Hansen was executed by lethal injection at 10:01 a.m. on June 12th, 2025 at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in Mealster. He was pronounced dead at 10:11 a.m. with no reported complications. While strapped to the gurnie, Hansen’s final words were, “Just forgive me and peace to everyone.
