Capital punishment in Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Capital punishment in Connecticut currently exists as an available sanction for a criminal defendant upon conviction for the commission of a capital offense. Connecticut
, along with New Hampshire
, are the only two New England
states that maintain a death penalty. Since the 1976 United States Supreme Court
decision in Gregg v. Georgia
, Connecticut has executed one individual. Death row inmates are placed in the Connecticut Department of Correction
system. The state's death row
for men currently houses ten male inmates, who are incarcerated at Northern Correctional Institution
in the town of Somers
. Women who receive the death penalty would go to the York Correctional Institution, the only state prison for women in Connecticut. The method of execution currently utilized for capital punishment
in Connecticut is lethal injection
. As in any other state, people who are under 18 at the time of commission of the capital crime or mentally retarded are constitutionally precluded from being executed.
, prior to its statehood
. The remaining 102 executions occurred after Connecticut's 1788 admission to the Union
as the fifth state of the United States
. Contrary to popular belief, Adonijah Bailey was not the oldest person executed at age 79 in 1824; instead, he was tried and sentenced to death at age 80 in January 1825 for the murder of Jeremiah W. Pollock, and hung himself on May 24, over 2 weeks before he was to be executed. The title of the oldest person executed goes instead to Gershon Marx, hanged on May 18, 1905, for murder at age 73. The following are historical milestones of capital punishment in Connecticut.
. Native American 12-year-old girl Hannah Ocuish
was hanged on December 20, 1786 in New London County for the murder
of a young white girl.
Until the 2005 Roper v. Simmons
decision, juveniles over the age of 16 could be sentenced to death because state law only required that the offender be tried in adult court to face the death penalty. However, no juveniles have been sentenced to death in the state in recent memory.
replaced the electric chair, not used since Taborsky's execution, in 1960.
On May 22, 2009, the Connecticut General Assembly
passed a bill that would outlaw the death penalty, although it would not retroactively apply to the ten current Connecticut death row inmates. The bill was vetoed by Governor Jodi Rell
.
Unlike most of the other states, the Governor of Connecticut cannot commute the death sentence imposed under State law or pardon a death row inmate. This is determined by the Board of Clemency, on which the Governor does not sit. The other states where the Board has sole authority are Georgia
and Idaho
.
. In 1995 the male death row moved from Osborn Correctional Institution to Northern. The execution chamber is located at Osborn. The York Correctional Institution houses all female pretrial and sentenced prisoners in the state, regardless of security status, so a woman classified as a death row inmate would be housed in that prison.
from Brooklyn, Connecticut
. Between 1981 and 1984, he murdered eight girls and women (aged 14 to 25) in Connecticut and New York
. Their names are listed below. Of these eight murder victims, seven were also raped.
Ross was apprehended on June 29, 1984, and confessed to all of the murders. He was tried and convicted of four of them: the Stavinsky, Brunais, Shelley, and Baribeault murders. He was sentenced to death on July 6, 1987, and spent the next 18 years on Connecticut's death row
. Though he opposed the death penalty, Ross strongly supported his own death sentence in the last year of his life, saying that he wanted to spare his victims' families any more pain. Despite this, an hour before the execution was to take place in the early hours of January 26, 2005, Ross' lawyer, acting on behalf of Ross' father, obtained a two-day stay of execution
. Ross was then scheduled to die by lethal injection
on January 29, 2005, at 2:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. However, earlier in the day, the execution was again postponed because of doubts that Ross was mentally competent; having fought against his death sentence for 17 years, he suddenly waived his right to appeal
. His lawyers claimed that Ross was incompetent to waive his appeals because he was suffering from death row syndrome
. Ross was executed by lethal injection
on May 13, 2005, at Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers, Connecticut
. He was 45 years old. Ross did not request a special last meal
before facing his execution, thereby dining on the regular prison meal of the day: turkey a la king with rice, mixed vegetables, white bread, fruit, and a beverage. When asked if he would like to make a last statement, Ross did not say anything. Ross was pronounced dead at 2:25 a.m. His remains were buried at the Benedictine Grange Cemetery in Redding, Connecticut
. His execution was the first in Connecticut (and in the whole of New England
) since 1960.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, along with New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, are the only two New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
states that maintain a death penalty. Since the 1976 United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
decision in Gregg v. Georgia
Gregg v. Georgia
Gregg v. Georgia, Proffitt v. Florida, Jurek v. Texas, Woodson v. North Carolina, and Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 153 , reaffirmed the United States Supreme Court's acceptance of the use of the death penalty in the United States, upholding, in particular, the death sentence imposed on Troy Leon...
, Connecticut has executed one individual. Death row inmates are placed in the Connecticut Department of Correction
Connecticut Department of Correction
The Connecticut Department of Correction is the agency responsible for corrections in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The agency operates 18 correctional institutions. It has its headquarters in Wethersfield.-History:...
system. The state's death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
for men currently houses ten male inmates, who are incarcerated at Northern Correctional Institution
Northern Correctional Institution
Northern Correctional Institution is a high-security state prison in Somers, in the northern part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The prison houses the state's male death row inmates and convicts serving long sentences for violent crimes....
in the town of Somers
Somers, Connecticut
Somers is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, USA. The population was 10,417 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place...
. Women who receive the death penalty would go to the York Correctional Institution, the only state prison for women in Connecticut. The method of execution currently utilized for capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
in Connecticut is lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
. As in any other state, people who are under 18 at the time of commission of the capital crime or mentally retarded are constitutionally precluded from being executed.
History
Between 1639 and 2005, Connecticut performed 126 executions. Twenty-four executions occurred in Connecticut ColonyConnecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
, prior to its statehood
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. The remaining 102 executions occurred after Connecticut's 1788 admission to the Union
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as the fifth state of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Contrary to popular belief, Adonijah Bailey was not the oldest person executed at age 79 in 1824; instead, he was tried and sentenced to death at age 80 in January 1825 for the murder of Jeremiah W. Pollock, and hung himself on May 24, over 2 weeks before he was to be executed. The title of the oldest person executed goes instead to Gershon Marx, hanged on May 18, 1905, for murder at age 73. The following are historical milestones of capital punishment in Connecticut.
| Year | Date | Milestone | Name | Race | Sex | Age | Method | Offense |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1639 | first person to be executed | Nepauduck | Native American Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... |
Male | Hanging Hanging Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... |
Murder Murder Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide... |
||
| 1647 | first female to be executed | Young, Achsah Alse Young Alse Young of Windsor, Connecticut, was the first person in the records executed for witchcraft in the thirteen American colonies.-Background:... |
White | Female | Hanging Hanging Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... |
Witchcraft Witchcraft Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft... |
||
| 1753 | last adult female to be executed by hanging | Bramble, Sarah | White | Female | Hanging Hanging Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... |
Murder Murder Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide... |
||
| 1786 | youngest person to be executed | Ocuish, Hannah Hannah Ocuish Hannah Ocuish was executed at the age of twelve years and nine months, being hanged on 20 December 1786, in New London, Connecticut. She is believed to be the youngest person legally executed in America.... |
Native American Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... |
Female | 12 | Hanging Hanging Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... |
Murder Murder Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide... |
|
| 1817 | last person to be executed for a crime other than murder | Adams, Amos | Black | Male | 28 | Hanging Hanging Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... |
Rape Rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The... |
|
| 1905 | oldest person to be executed | Marx, Gershon | White | Male | 73 | Hanging Hanging Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... |
Murder Murder Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide... |
|
| 1937 | first person to be executed by electric chair | McElroy, James | White | Male | 45 | Electric Chair Electric chair Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body... |
Murder Murder Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide... |
|
| 1960 | last person to be executed by electric chair (as well as the last pre-Furman Furman v. Georgia Furman v. Georgia, was a United States Supreme Court decision that ruled on the requirement for a degree of consistency in the application of the death penalty. The case led to a de facto moratorium on capital punishment throughout the United States, which came to an end when Gregg v. Georgia was... execution in Connecticut) |
Taborsky, Joseph | White | Male | 36 | Electric Chair Electric chair Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body... |
Murder Murder Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide... |
|
| 2005 | first person to be executed by lethal injection | Ross, Michael | White | Male | 45 | Lethal Injection Lethal injection Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide... |
Murder Murder Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide... |
Notable executions
Several notable executions have occurred in both Connecticut Colony and in the state of Connecticut, as indicated below.- Achsah YoungAlse YoungAlse Young of Windsor, Connecticut, was the first person in the records executed for witchcraft in the thirteen American colonies.-Background:...
— Young, of WindsorWindsor, ConnecticutWindsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....
, was the first person recorded to be executedCapital punishmentCapital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
for witchcraftWitchcraftWitchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
in the thirteen American coloniesThirteen ColoniesThe Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
. On May 26, 1647, Young was hangedHangingHanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
at the Meeting House Square in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, on what is now the site of the Old State HouseOld State House (Hartford)The Old State House in Hartford, Connecticut is generally believed to have been designed by noted American architect Charles Bulfinch as his first public building...
.
- Hannah OcuishHannah OcuishHannah Ocuish was executed at the age of twelve years and nine months, being hanged on 20 December 1786, in New London, Connecticut. She is believed to be the youngest person legally executed in America....
— Ocuish (born 1774) was a mentally retardedMental retardationMental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
Pequot IndianPequotPequot people are a tribe of Native Americans who, in the 17th century, inhabited much of what is now Connecticut. They were of the Algonquian language family. The Pequot War and Mystic massacre reduced the Pequot's sociopolitical influence in southern New England...
girl who was executed in Connecticut in 1786. She was accused of killing the young daughter of a prominent white family after quarreling with her over some strawberries. At the time of her execution, Ocuish was 12 years and 9 months old. She is believed to be the youngest person legally executed in America.
- Joseph "Mad Dog" Taborsky — Taborsky is an anomaly in Connecticut death penalty lore. He is the only convict sent to death row not once, but twice, for different crimes. Taborsky earned his nicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
due to the savagery of the killings that condemned him to death.
- Michael Bruce Ross — The execution of Ross was the first in Connecticut (and in all of New England) since 1960. It was also the first execution in Connecticut administered by lethal injection. As of 2011, Ross is the most recent inmate executed in Connecticut, although the state's death row houses ten convicted murderers who are in various stages of legal appeals.
Executions
Connecticut's first execution took place in 1639, while its most recent occurred in 2005. During the 366 years between 1639 and 2005, Connecticut has performed a total of 126 executions. This averages to be approximately one execution every three years. Throughout its history, Connecticut has employed various methods of execution.| Method of Execution | Years Employed | Number of Executions |
|---|---|---|
| Hanging Hanging Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain... |
1639 to 1937 | 107 |
| Electric Chair Electric chair Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body... |
1937 to 1995 | 18 |
| Lethal Injection Lethal injection Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide... |
1995 to 2005 | 1 |
| Total: | 366 Years | 126 Executions |
Ages of the condemned
The State of Connecticut legally executed one of the youngest persons in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Native American 12-year-old girl Hannah Ocuish
Hannah Ocuish
Hannah Ocuish was executed at the age of twelve years and nine months, being hanged on 20 December 1786, in New London, Connecticut. She is believed to be the youngest person legally executed in America....
was hanged on December 20, 1786 in New London County for the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of a young white girl.
Until the 2005 Roper v. Simmons
Roper v. Simmons
Roper v. Simmons, was a decision in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that it is unconstitutional to impose capital punishment for crimes committed while under the age of 18. The 5-4 decision overruled the Court's prior ruling upholding such sentences on offenders above or at the...
decision, juveniles over the age of 16 could be sentenced to death because state law only required that the offender be tried in adult court to face the death penalty. However, no juveniles have been sentenced to death in the state in recent memory.
Current status
Connecticut reinstated the death penalty on January 10, 1973. Lethal injectionLethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
replaced the electric chair, not used since Taborsky's execution, in 1960.
On May 22, 2009, the Connecticut General Assembly
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. There are no term limits for either chamber.During...
passed a bill that would outlaw the death penalty, although it would not retroactively apply to the ten current Connecticut death row inmates. The bill was vetoed by Governor Jodi Rell
Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
.
Unlike most of the other states, the Governor of Connecticut cannot commute the death sentence imposed under State law or pardon a death row inmate. This is determined by the Board of Clemency, on which the Governor does not sit. The other states where the Board has sole authority are Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
.
Death row institutions
The male death row is located at the Northern Correctional InstitutionNorthern Correctional Institution
Northern Correctional Institution is a high-security state prison in Somers, in the northern part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The prison houses the state's male death row inmates and convicts serving long sentences for violent crimes....
. In 1995 the male death row moved from Osborn Correctional Institution to Northern. The execution chamber is located at Osborn. The York Correctional Institution houses all female pretrial and sentenced prisoners in the state, regardless of security status, so a woman classified as a death row inmate would be housed in that prison.
Capital punishment
In order to receive capital punishment in Connecticut, a defendant must be convicted of a capital felony accompanied by one or more aggravating factors that are not outweighed by mitigating factors. However, a person who is convicted of a capital felony can be sentenced to either the death penalty or to life imprisonment without the possibility of release.Capital felonies
Connecticut's capital felony statute (Connecticut General Statute §53a-54b) outlines eight forms of murder that render a convicted individual eligible for capital punishment. Capital forms of murder, subject to the death penalty in Connecticut, include:- murder of a police officer or firefighter; murder of a prison employee by an inmate;
- being paid to commit a murder; paying someone to commit a murder;
- murder by an individual who has previously been convicted of murder; murder that occurs while committing a felony;
- murder by an individual who is serving a sentence of life imprisonment;
- murder of a kidnapping victim;
- murder that occurs while committing a first-degree sexual assault;
- murder of two or more people at the same time or in same transaction; and
- murder of an individual under the age of 16.
Aggravating factors
In addition to conviction for a capital crime, the defendant must be found to have committed the murder with one or more aggravating factors. Such aggravating factors cannot be outweighed by any mitigating factors offered by the defendant. The only aggravating factors that the judge or jury can consider are the following:- the defendant committed the offense while committing or attempting to commit a felony (or in flight therefrom) and had previously been convicted of the same felony;
- the defendant had been convicted of at least two other crimes previously, each of which involved serious bodily injury;
- the defendant committed the offense while knowingly creating a risk of death to another person in addition to the victim of the offense;
- the defendant committed the offense in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner;
- the defendant procured someone else to commit the offense by paying or promising to pay anything of monetary value;
- the defendant committed the offense in return for payment or the expectation of payment;
- the defendant committed the offense with an assault weapon; and
- the defendant murdered a police officer, firefighter, or prison employee in order to: avoid arrest, prevent detection of a crime, hamper or prevent the victim from carrying out official duties, or retaliate against the victim for performing official duties.
Inmates executed
The only person executed since 1977 in Connecticut was serial killer and rapist Michael Bruce Ross on May 13, 2005.| No. | Name | Date of Execution | Victims | Governor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ross, Michael Bruce | May 13, 2005 | Robin Stavinsky, April Brunais, Wendy Baribeault, and Leslie Shelley | M. Jodi Rell M. Jodi Rell Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,... |
Crimes
Michael Bruce Ross (July 26, 1959 – May 13, 2005) was a serial killerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
from Brooklyn, Connecticut
Brooklyn, Connecticut
Brooklyn is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,173 at the 2000 census. The town center village is listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place...
. Between 1981 and 1984, he murdered eight girls and women (aged 14 to 25) in Connecticut and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Their names are listed below. Of these eight murder victims, seven were also raped.
| Number | Date of Murder | Name | Age | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tu, Dzung Ngoc | 25 | Cornell University Cornell University Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions... student |
|
| 2 | Williams, Tammy | 17 | Brooklyn, Connecticut Brooklyn, Connecticut Brooklyn is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,173 at the 2000 census. The town center village is listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place... |
|
| 3 | Perrera, Paula | 16 | Wallkill, New York Wallkill, New York Wallkill is the name of some places in the U.S. state of New York:*Wallkill, Orange County, New York, a town*Wallkill, Ulster County, New York, a hamlet... |
|
| 4 | Taylor, Debra Smith | 23 | Griswold, Connecticut Griswold, Connecticut Griswold is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,807 at the 2000 census. Griswold contains one borough, Jewett City, and also contains the villages of Doaneville,Rixtown, Glasgo, Hopeville, and Pachaug... |
|
| 5 | Stavinsky, Robin | 19 | Norwich, Connecticut Norwich, Connecticut Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing... |
|
| 6 | Brunais, April | 14 | Griswold, Connecticut Griswold, Connecticut Griswold is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,807 at the 2000 census. Griswold contains one borough, Jewett City, and also contains the villages of Doaneville,Rixtown, Glasgo, Hopeville, and Pachaug... |
|
| 7 | Shelley, Leslie | 14 | Griswold, Connecticut Griswold, Connecticut Griswold is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,807 at the 2000 census. Griswold contains one borough, Jewett City, and also contains the villages of Doaneville,Rixtown, Glasgo, Hopeville, and Pachaug... |
|
| 8 | Baribeault, Wendy | 17 | Griswold, Connecticut Griswold, Connecticut Griswold is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,807 at the 2000 census. Griswold contains one borough, Jewett City, and also contains the villages of Doaneville,Rixtown, Glasgo, Hopeville, and Pachaug... |
Ross was apprehended on June 29, 1984, and confessed to all of the murders. He was tried and convicted of four of them: the Stavinsky, Brunais, Shelley, and Baribeault murders. He was sentenced to death on July 6, 1987, and spent the next 18 years on Connecticut's death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
. Though he opposed the death penalty, Ross strongly supported his own death sentence in the last year of his life, saying that he wanted to spare his victims' families any more pain. Despite this, an hour before the execution was to take place in the early hours of January 26, 2005, Ross' lawyer, acting on behalf of Ross' father, obtained a two-day stay of execution
Stay of execution
A stay of execution is a court order to temporarily suspend the execution of a court judgment or other court order. The word "execution" does not necessarily mean the death penalty; it refers to the imposition of whatever judgment is being stayed....
. Ross was then scheduled to die by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
on January 29, 2005, at 2:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. However, earlier in the day, the execution was again postponed because of doubts that Ross was mentally competent; having fought against his death sentence for 17 years, he suddenly waived his right to appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
. His lawyers claimed that Ross was incompetent to waive his appeals because he was suffering from death row syndrome
Death row phenomenon
The death row phenomenon, also known as the death row syndrome, is a term used to refer to the emotional distress felt by prisoners on death row. Concerns about the ethics of inflicting this distress upon prisoners have led to some legal concerns about the constitutionality of the death penalty in...
. Ross was executed by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
on May 13, 2005, at Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers, Connecticut
Somers, Connecticut
Somers is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, USA. The population was 10,417 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place...
. He was 45 years old. Ross did not request a special last meal
Last meal
The last meal is a customary part of a condemned prisoner's last day. Often, the day of, or before, the appointed time of execution, the prisoner receives a last meal, as well as religious rites, if they desire. In the United States, inmates generally may not ask for an alcoholic drink...
before facing his execution, thereby dining on the regular prison meal of the day: turkey a la king with rice, mixed vegetables, white bread, fruit, and a beverage. When asked if he would like to make a last statement, Ross did not say anything. Ross was pronounced dead at 2:25 a.m. His remains were buried at the Benedictine Grange Cemetery in Redding, Connecticut
Redding, Connecticut
Mark Twain, a resident of the town in his old age, contributed the first books for a public library which was eventually named after him.-Government:...
. His execution was the first in Connecticut (and in the whole of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
) since 1960.
Inmates sentenced to death
There are currently ten inmates sentenced to death in Connecticut.| # | Name | Race | Sex | Date of birth | Current age | Date of offense | Age at offense | Date in prison | Years in prison | Date of sentencing | Age at sentencing | Years on death row | Location | Capital felony | Aggravating factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashby, Lazale | Black | Male | Hartford Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making... |
Murder during sexual assault | Heinous, cruel, or depraved murder | |||||||||
| 2 | Breton, Robert | White | Male | Waterbury Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City... |
Murder with multiple victims | Heinous, cruel, or depraved murder | |||||||||
| 3 | Campbell, Jessie | Black | Male | Hartford Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making... |
Murder with multiple victims | Murder creating risk of death to others | |||||||||
| 4 | Cobb, Sedrick | Black | Male | Waterbury Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City... |
Murder, Kidnapping, and Rape | ||||||||||
| 5 | Hayes, Steven | White | Male | Cheshire Cheshire, Connecticut Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire. In 2009 Cheshire was ranked 72 in Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live.Likewise, in 2011 Cheshire was ranked 73 in... |
Six capital felonies | Heinous, cruel, or depraved murder | |||||||||
| 6 | Peeler, Russell | Black | Male | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Reynolds, Richard | Black | Male | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Rizzo, Todd | White | Male | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Santiago, Eduardo | White | Male | December, 2000 | |||||||||||
| 10 | Webb, Daniel | Black | Male |
Crimes
- Lazale Delane Ashby — Ashby was condemned to death on March 28, 2008; he was convicted of raping and murdering his 21-year-old neighbour, Elizabeth Garcia, in her Hartford apartment on December 2, 2002. The crime occurred four days after Ashby's 18th birthday.
- Robert Breton, Sr. — Breton was sentenced to death on October 27, 1989. He was convicted of two counts of murder and one count of capital felony for the December 13, 1987, beating and stabbing deaths of his 38-year-old ex-wife, JoAnn Breton, and their 16-year-old son, Robert Breton, Jr. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2001/rpt/olr/htm/2001-r-0521.htm
- Jessie Campbell III — Campbell was condemned to death on August 16, 2007; he was convicted of capital felony, murder, attempted murder, first-degree assault, and weapons violations for the August 26, 2000, shooting deaths in Hartford of 20-year-old LaTaysha Logan and 18-year-old Desiree Privette and the shooting of Privette's aunt, Carolyn Privette.
- Sedrick "Ricky" Cobb — Cobb was sentenced to death on August 13, 1991. The former deliveryman from Naugatuck was convicted of the rape and murder of 23-year-old Julia Ashe of WatertownWatertown, ConnecticutWatertown is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 21,661 at the 2000 census. The zip code for Watertown is 06795. It is a suburb of Waterbury. It borders the towns of Woodbury, Middlebury, Litchfield, Plymouth, Bethlehem, and Thomaston.-Founding History:More...
, whom he kidnapped from a WaterburyWaterburyWaterbury is a city in Connecticut in the United States.Waterbury may also refer to any one of the following:-Places:United States*Waterbury, Nebraska*Waterbury, Vermont*Waterbury , Vermont,a village within the town of Waterbury, Vermont....
department store parking lot on December 16, 1989. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2001/rpt/olr/htm/2001-r-0521.htm
- Russell Peeler, Jr. — Peeler was condemned to death on December 10, 2007; he was convicted of ordering his younger brother to kill Karen Clarke and her eight-year-old son, Leroy "B.J." Brown, Junior, in their BridgeportBridgeportBridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut.Bridgeport may also refer to:-Places:In Canada:* Bridgeport, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:* Bridgeport, Alabama* Bridgeport, California, in Mono County...
duplex on January 8, 1999. The boy was expected to be the key witness against Peeler in the fatal shooting of Clarke's boyfriend. Peeler is the only inmate on Connecticut's Death Row who did not actually commit murder. Rather, he ordered his brother to commit the murder.
- Richard Reynolds — Reynolds, a Brooklyn, New York, crack dealer, was condemned to death on April 13, 1995. He was convicted in the December 18, 1992, murder of 34-year-old WaterburyWaterburyWaterbury is a city in Connecticut in the United States.Waterbury may also refer to any one of the following:-Places:United States*Waterbury, Nebraska*Waterbury, Vermont*Waterbury , Vermont,a village within the town of Waterbury, Vermont....
Police Officer Walter T. Williams. While being searched by Williams, Reynolds bumped against him to determine if the officer was wearing a bulletproof vest. Reynolds then shot Williams point-blank in the head with a handgun.
- Todd Rizzo — Rizzo confessed to, and was convicted and condemned to death on August 13, 1999 for, the September 30, 1997 murder of 13-year-old Stanley Edwards of WaterburyWaterburyWaterbury is a city in Connecticut in the United States.Waterbury may also refer to any one of the following:-Places:United States*Waterbury, Nebraska*Waterbury, Vermont*Waterbury , Vermont,a village within the town of Waterbury, Vermont....
. He lured Edwards into his backyard under the guise of hunting snakes and then hit him 13 times with a three-pound sledgehammer. He was not yet 19 years old at the time of the crime.
- Eduardo Santiago — Santiago was condemned to death on January 31, 2005; he was convicted of capital felony and murder charges after shooting Joseph Niwinski in the left temple as he slept in his West Hartford apartment in December 2000. Prosecutors say Santiago carried out a murder-for-hire scheme in which he agreed to kill Niwinski in exchange for a broken snowmobile and his credit card debt being paid off.
- Daniel Webb — Webb was condemned to death on September 12, 1991; he was convicted of kidnapping, rape and murder for the August 24, 1989 slaying in Hartford of Diane Gellenbeck, a 37-year-old Connecticut National Bank vice president. Prior to this, Webb already had an extensive criminal record including a 1983 robbery conviction, a 1984 rape and kidnapping conviction, and an arrest in 1987 for rape. While out on bail after the 1987 arrest, he raped and murdered Gellenbeck.
Inmates removed from death row
- Colon, Ivo — In 2000, a jury sentenced Ivo Colon to death for the 1998 murder of his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter, Keriana Tellado, in Waterbury. In 2004, the Connecticut Supreme CourtConnecticut Supreme CourtThe Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol...
overturned Colon's death sentence and ordered a new penalty hearing. The State's Attorney eventually decided not to seek the death penalty again. In a subsequent retrial of the penalty hearing, a plea bargain was reached, and Colon received two life sentences.
- Courchesne, Robert — Courchesne was convicted of capital felony by a three-judge panel in the September 15, 1998, deaths of Demetris Rodgers and her baby. Rodgers was eight months pregnant when she was stabbed over a $410 drug debt. Her baby, Antonia, was delivered by emergency Caesarean section minutes after her death, and supposedly died 42 days later. However, on June 4, 2010, Courchesne's death sentence was overturned by the Connecticut Supreme Court, who ruled that the state did not show that Antonia was born alive after he stabbed her pregnant mother to death; upheld his conviction in Rodgers' murder; and ordered a new trial.
- Johnson, Terry — In 1993, Terry Johnson was sentenced to death for the June 5, 1991, murder of Connecticut State Trooper Russell Bagshaw in Windham. In May 2000, his sentence was reduced to life in prison without the possibility of release. Terry Johnson, and his brother Duane Johnson, were convicted of murdering Bagshaw while burglarizing a gun shop. Trooper Bagshaw interrupted the Johnson brothers as they were stealing guns from the shop. Terry Johnson fired 19 times in the darkness with a semiautomatic pistol, killing Bagshaw before he could get out of his cruiser. One bullet found a gap in the trooper's bulletproof vest.
See also
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
- List of individuals executed in Connecticut
- Methods of execution: Electric chairElectric chairExecution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
, HangingHangingHanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
, Lethal injectionLethal injectionLethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide... - Ocuish, HannahHannah OcuishHannah Ocuish was executed at the age of twelve years and nine months, being hanged on 20 December 1786, in New London, Connecticut. She is believed to be the youngest person legally executed in America....
- Ross, Michael Bruce
- Taborsky, Joseph "Mad Dog"
- Young, AchsahAlse YoungAlse Young of Windsor, Connecticut, was the first person in the records executed for witchcraft in the thirteen American colonies.-Background:...
External links
- List of Connecticut Executions 1639-1960
- Executions in Connecticut Since 1894
- Legislation and History of Capital Punishment in Connecticut at the Connecticut State Library.
- Summary of Crimes Committed by Death Row Inmates
- Summary of Connecticut Death Penalty Laws
- Summary of Death Penalty Appeals and Habeas Proceedings
- Photographs of Connecticut's Death Row Inmates
- Regional Studies of Executions: The Northeast
- Study by the State of Connecticut Commission on the Death Penalty
- Michael Bruce Ross at Find A Grave
- Photograph of Connecticut Electric Chair
- Photograph of Connecticut Lethal Injection Table
- Department of Correction Directives on Administration of Capital Punishment
- Death Penalty Information Center
