Charles Laverne Singleton
Encyclopedia
Charles Laverne Singleton (March 29, 1959 – January 6, 2004) was a convicted murderer who lived on death row in Arkansas
longer than any other state inmate. He was executed by the State in 2004 for the June 1, 1979 murder of Hamburg
store owner Mary Lou York.
The evidence of Charles Singleton's guilt in the case was overwhelming. Patti Franklin (a relative of Singleton) and Lenora Howard, who both were witnesses at the scene, identified him as having attacked York. Prior to her death, en route to the hospital, York also identified Singleton as her attacker. She told both Police Officer Strother, first to arrive at the scene, and her personal physician, Dr. J.D. Rankin, that she was dying and that Singleton did it. He was 20 years old.
. In 1986 the U.S. Supreme Court
ruled in Ford v. Wainwright
that execution of the mentally insane was unconstitutional, as they could not understand the reality of, or reason for, their punishment. It thus constituted "cruel and unusual punishment."
The death sentence for Singleton drew global attention because he was considered legally sane only when treated with medication. His attorney argued that the State could not alter Singleton's mental state with medication in order to make him sane enough to be executed.
Singleton's execution was scheduled five times. In Singleton's final appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that he was taking his medication voluntarily and refused to overturn his sentence. In the end, Singleton asked his attorney not to do anything further to block his execution.
that Singleton has been taking anti-psychotic drugs that made him sane enough to be executed. Beebe told Huckabee that Singleton has no appeals pending and that nothing should prevent Singleton from being executed.
Singleton's final words were written, not spoken, and included many religious references. A part of his final statement read, "I am Charles Singleton, anointed by God, Victor Ra Hakim". He also wrote, "The blind think I’m playing a game. They deny me, refusing me existence. But everybody takes the place of another. You have taught me what you want done — and I will not let you down. God bless
."
After much public debate on the issue of clemency, the state executed Singleton by lethal injection
at 8:02 p.m. at the Cummins Unit
of the Arkansas Department of Correction on Tuesday, January 6, 2004. Singleton was the 26th person executed by the state of Arkansas since Furman v. Georgia
, , after new capital punishment laws in Arkansas came into force on March 23, 1973.
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
longer than any other state inmate. He was executed by the State in 2004 for the June 1, 1979 murder of Hamburg
Hamburg, Arkansas
Hamburg is a city in Ashley County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,039 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Ashley County.-Geography:...
store owner Mary Lou York.
The murder
Mary Lou York, was attacked in York’s Grocery Store, of which she was the owner. She died in the hospital from loss of blood as a result of two stab wounds in her neck.The evidence of Charles Singleton's guilt in the case was overwhelming. Patti Franklin (a relative of Singleton) and Lenora Howard, who both were witnesses at the scene, identified him as having attacked York. Prior to her death, en route to the hospital, York also identified Singleton as her attacker. She told both Police Officer Strother, first to arrive at the scene, and her personal physician, Dr. J.D. Rankin, that she was dying and that Singleton did it. He was 20 years old.
Appeals
After his conviction and imprisonment, Singleton was diagnosed as suffering from schizophreniaSchizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
. In 1986 the U.S. 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...
ruled in Ford v. Wainwright
Ford v. Wainwright
Ford v. Wainwright, ', was the case in which the United States Supreme Court upheld the common law rule that the insane cannot be executed; therefore the petitioner is entitled to a competency evaluation and to an evidentiary hearing in court on the question of his competency to be...
that execution of the mentally insane was unconstitutional, as they could not understand the reality of, or reason for, their punishment. It thus constituted "cruel and unusual punishment."
The death sentence for Singleton drew global attention because he was considered legally sane only when treated with medication. His attorney argued that the State could not alter Singleton's mental state with medication in order to make him sane enough to be executed.
Singleton's execution was scheduled five times. In Singleton's final appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that he was taking his medication voluntarily and refused to overturn his sentence. In the end, Singleton asked his attorney not to do anything further to block his execution.
Execution
After Singleton had spent 24 years in the appeal process due to his diagnosis of schizophrenia, Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe told Governor Mike HuckabeeMike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
that Singleton has been taking anti-psychotic drugs that made him sane enough to be executed. Beebe told Huckabee that Singleton has no appeals pending and that nothing should prevent Singleton from being executed.
Singleton's final words were written, not spoken, and included many religious references. A part of his final statement read, "I am Charles Singleton, anointed by God, Victor Ra Hakim". He also wrote, "The blind think I’m playing a game. They deny me, refusing me existence. But everybody takes the place of another. You have taught me what you want done — and I will not let you down. God bless
Bless you
Bless you, or God bless you, is a common English expression addressed to a person after they sneeze. The origin of the custom and its original purpose are unknown.An alternative response to sneezing is the German word Gesundheit....
."
After much public debate on the issue of clemency, the state executed Singleton 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...
at 8:02 p.m. at the Cummins Unit
Cummins Unit
The Cummins Unit is an Arkansas Department of Correction prison in unincorporated Lincoln County, Arkansas, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 65, near Grady, Gould, and Varner, south of Pine Bluff, and southeast of Little Rock.This prison farm is a correctional facility...
of the Arkansas Department of Correction on Tuesday, January 6, 2004. Singleton was the 26th person executed by the state of Arkansas since Furman v. Georgia
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...
, , after new capital punishment laws in Arkansas came into force on March 23, 1973.