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 agree, his story is so sad. Some states that still use the Death Penalty have alternate options, such as euthinization, or lethal gas.
This story is tragic and upsetting beucase of the age and the crime, But it doesnt mean that his rights can be taken away during the court or the legal process. but if he did do the crime he should still have his rights. it should be changed
I heard of this case and there is a movie about it I think. It is tradic and sad and no one should go through that. I would be scared out of my mind if I was him. No I don't think that the U.S continue with this it is brudtal and anyone who did a crime so bad should just have to sit in jail.
I think this story is very tragic and upsetting, and I think George Stinney didn't deserve to have his rights taken away during the legal process, even if he actually did commit the crime. If I was George Stinney, I would be terrified of dying.
I agree, the worst part for me is the amount of time it took before the case was reopened and he was properly tried, 70 years seems like too long of a time to wait before fixing it.
I think this story is very sad and upsetting that a 14 year did got killed by horrifying murders. Yes I would be scared because I don't want to be killed by a electrical chair. No I don't think the US should continue this death sentence it's very bad idea. No I don't think the electrical chair is a good idea as a good method.
I agree, I think that it is really sad that he was framed for it, and it took so long before he got exonerated. Just thinking about dying by electric chair is scary for me.
Even if he'd actually committed the crime, which he didn't, it's still insane that a 14 year old was sentenced to death in a two hour long trial. Court trials usually last around 2 to 3 days, and they decided after two hours that he needed to die. This was definitely fueled by an, at the time, incredibly racist America, unfortunately.
I agree. America was very segregated and prejudiced against African Americans. This helped push for more equality in court cases and punishments, however it is sad that it had to come to this point before it started to be fixed.
I think that this story is sad because a 14 year old was put to death. I don't think that people should be killed for something that they have done, not all people change but some might. If I was George Stinney I would be terrified. I think that the U.S. should get rid of the death penalty.
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