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
This is a sad story. I would be so scared if I were him in this situation. It made it worse that they had to restart the chair multiple times because the head peice didnt fit him. I think that they should keep the death penalty but only for really bad cases. Also not killing them in cruel ways.
I think it was really sad that he was electricuted in the chair because he had so much more of life to live. I would be scared if I would have been sitting in George Stinney's spot in the chair because when you are on the edge of death you are gonna be terrified of what happens next.
The story caught me off guard because someone that young got the death penalty. If I was George Stinney I would be terrified because he very young and sometimes to think about that type of stuff is to much and can cause him to panic bad.
I was really suprised when I first saw the story too. I think that was a terrible time for America, however I think it is good that he eventually got justice.
This story really surprised me. I did not know that someone as young as 14 can get the death penalty. I would be really scared if I was George because my life would be over and it would be up to some random people to decide if I live or die.
In 1944 almost anyone could be put on the Death Penalty depending on what the jury or judge decides. As of 2005, minors cannot be put on death row, but it is scary to think of a time where it was legal!
I think this is a scary story. I would be scared if I was george stinney because that would be horrible to be put into and electric chair. I think they should keep the death penalty but not with the electric chair.
I agree, the electric chair just seems like a cruel and unnecessary form of death.
Its cool. Yes id be scared. Yes.
I think that this is horrible and he should not have been put in the electric chair. I think that their are better ways then an electric chair but I am not sure because I do not know much about it. I am not sure what you could use as an alternate method.
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