Imagine this: A boy, around the age of 14 sitting in an electric chair, awaiting the inevitable. This is the story of George Stinney, the youngest person to be killed by the electric chair.
On March 23 1944, the bodies of Betty Binnicker and Mary Thames were found in a ditch in Alcolu, North Carolina. In the town of Alcolu, there was segregation everywhere, schools, churches, the houses were even separated by train tracks, so when two white girls were found in the black community, a search was conducted. The girls were killed by blunt-force trauma to their heads, the last time they were seen was going past the Stinney house. The sheriff testified that George admitted to the murder of the girls, however there was no written or signed papers confirming that. George and his brother were arrested, but they let his brother go and kept George in custody, forbidding visits until after his trial and conviction.
Not only did Stinney not have much support while jailed for 81 days, he also was questioned without any representation, and he was also jailed 50 miles away in Columbia for fear of lynching. During the trial, the prosecution brought up 3 witnesses, while George’s defense brought no witnesses, nor did they properly cross-examine or help his case. The trial lasted around 2 - 2.5 hours. Stinney was sentenced to Death Row by electric chair. He was executed on June 16, 1944. Because of his age and height, rumors say that he had to sit on a bible and a few other books in order to sit in the chair right. As he was electrocuted, the adult-sized mask fell off multiple times, and they had to restart the shocks.
Seventy years later, in 2014, the case reopened to exonerate George from his charges.The argument for his innocence was that his trial was unconstitutional and new evidence and suspects had been found. After the two day hearing, it was concluded that George had his rights taken away during trials and that it was an injustice to him. He was then vacated from the charges set on him.
Since the 1890s when it was invented, there have been 4,300 deaths by electric chair. Currently 27 states in the US have the death penalty, and out of those 8 have the electric chair as a method. Many states that do not use the electric chair as a method for the execution reason that it is unconstitutional and “cruel and unusual punishment”. Iowa has not had the death penalty as of 1965, when a bill signed by Governor Harold Hughes abolished it.
I believe that this story is horrible, and I would not want to be in his position. Personally, I think that we should not continue with the death penalty, as new evidence is found all the time. Imagine a convict being sentenced and executed, and after that, new evidence is found and they are no longer guilty - how do you fix that situation?
Questions
What do you think of this story?
Would you be scared if you were George Stinney?
Do you think the US should continue with the death penalty?
If you said yes, do you think that we should continue with the electric chair as a method?
Sources
Replies
I think that it is crazy that this boy was put on the death penalty at the age of 14. He was only 14 years old and later it was found out that he wasn't guilty. I would be scared if I was George Stinney, he ended up dying for nothing. I do not think the US should cotinue the death penalty if this is how it is treated.
I agree with your points. Because this happened in 1944, it helped drive regulations and restictions for the death penalty, and it isnow a more judicial and longer process.
I think that this sotry could be viewed in amny different ways. I feel that this story is sad. I feel like I would defiently be scared if I was just a child or even a adult. I agree with Hagen that dealth penalty should be used instead of a torturing method.
I think that this story is kinda sad in a way because I don't feel like that children should be put through an eletric chair. I think I would defiently be scared if I got put through an electric chair. I feel like the death penalty should only be used for serious situations on bad people.
I think that the story is interesting and a little sad. I feel like the children didn't deserve to be put to death by the electric chair. I would be scared and worried if I was George Stinney to be killed by electricity. I feel like the US should only continue with the death penalty for people who deserve it like murderers.
I think this story is really sad. I feel like children do not deserve to be put to death by the electric chair. It is just so cruel. I would be terrified if I was George Stinny. I feel like the US should only continue with the death penalty for people who actually deserve it - not children.
I completely agree with you. I am glad that they changed laws so that children cannot be put on Death Row. It is really sad to see people falsely accused and punished for crimes they did not commit.
I think this story is unfair and not good he was scared to death and got killed with no evidence. I don't believe that the United States should continue the death penalty. I think that if I were in George Stinney I would be so terrified and angry for what is being done with no evidence.
I think it is a very sad and unfair story since he was accused without the necessary evidence. If I were George Stinney I would be completely terrified and a little angry at the injustice that was being committed. I don't think the United States should continue with the death penalty.
I think that it is kinda sad that it all happend. I think that everyone would have to be scared if you were in George Stinney shoes. I think we should keep it just to make sure that their just under control with how many people they kill. I don't really know if they should change because I don't know what they would change it too.
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