Lavinia Burnett
Encyclopedia
Lavinia Burnett was the first woman
to be executed in the state of Arkansas
.
Burnett, her husband Crawford, and their son John, were arrested, tried
, and convicted of the murder
of Jonathan Selby, who lived near Fayetteville, Arkansas
, and who allegedly kept large sums of money at his residence. John Burnett was actually implicated as the suspect who killed Selby. One of Lavinia and Crawford's daughters informed authorities that all three were involved in the plan, and all three were present when it was carried out.
Lavinia and Crawford Burnett were tried in October 1845 and sentenced to be hanged on November 8, 1845. The hanging was reportedly well attended. John Burnett was arrested in Missouri
and was found guilty on December 4, 1845. He was hanged on December 26, 1845.
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
to be executed in the state of Arkansas
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...
.
Burnett, her husband Crawford, and their son John, were arrested, tried
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
, and convicted of 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 Jonathan Selby, who lived near Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
, and who allegedly kept large sums of money at his residence. John Burnett was actually implicated as the suspect who killed Selby. One of Lavinia and Crawford's daughters informed authorities that all three were involved in the plan, and all three were present when it was carried out.
Lavinia and Crawford Burnett were tried in October 1845 and sentenced to be hanged on November 8, 1845. The hanging was reportedly well attended. John Burnett was arrested in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and was found guilty on December 4, 1845. He was hanged on December 26, 1845.