# List of people executed by the District of Columbia

Capital punishment in the District of Columbia has been abolished since 1981. However, a number of executions were carried out under the District's jurisdiction before then.
Before 1973, the District of Columbia was exclusively governed by Congress, which included establishing all local laws. Until 1962, the District of Columbia was the last jurisdiction in the United States with mandatory death sentences for first-degree murder (the last U.S. state with mandatory death sentences for first degree murder was Vermont). Mandatory death sentences were abolished by the HR5143 (PL87-423), signed into law by President John F. Kennedy on March 22, 1962. Rape was also a capital offense.
The D.C. capital punishment law was nullified by the Supreme Court decision in Furman v. Georgia in 1972 and formally repealed by the D.C. Council in 1981.
The first recorded execution in the District of Columbia, was the hanging of James McGirk in 1802. Hanging was the method of execution used in the District until 1928, when it was replaced by the electric chair. The last execution under the authority of the District took place in 1957, when Robert Carter was executed. All executions were conducted at the D.C. Jail.
The president of the United States has sole pardoning power in the District.

## Listing of non-federal executions in the District of Columbia, 1900-1957

| Executed Person | Ethnicity | Age | Sex | Date of Execution | Crime | Presidential Administration |
| Benjamin Snell | White | 42 | Male | June 29, 1900 | Executed for the August 6, 1899, razor murder of a 13-year-old girl. | William McKinley |
| Nelson Vale | Black | 59 | Male | July 6, 1900 | Executed for the January 1900 shooting murder of a man in Tenleytown. | William McKinley |
| Frank Funk | White | 25 | Male | November 9, 1900 | Executed for June 1898 murder of elderly man in his home during robbery. | William McKinley |
| Elijah Chapman | Black | 33 | Male | May 23, 1902 | Executed for January 1, 1902, fatal stabbing of his alleged common-law wife during an argument. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| John St. Clair | Black | 26 | Male | January 30, 1903 | Executed for the April 1902 shooting murder of a woman during an argument. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Benjamin Hill | White | 52 | Male | July 24, 1903 | Executed for the November 1902 shooting murder of his wife. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| John Burley | Black | 43 | Male | August 26, 1904 | Executed for the rape of a four-year-old girl in April 1903. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Augustus Shaffer | White | 39 | Male | February 10, 1905 | Executed for cutting the throat of his divorced wife in August 1903. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| William Hamilton | Black | 27 | Male | February 2, 1906 | Executed for June 1904 murder of a woman. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Charles Edward Grant | Black | 21 | Male | November 16, 1906 | Executed for the murder his common-law-wife whom he stabbed with a knife during a quarrel. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| William Burge | Black | 23 | Male | April 23, 1907 | Executed for the January 1905 murder of his wife. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Joseph Paolucci | White | 31 | Male | March 23, 1908 | Executed for the September 1906 shooting of woman who had rejected him for a relationship. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Albert Brown | Black | 23 | Male | June 29, 1908 | Executed for the murder of his brother Harvey in November 1907. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Richard Gregory | Black | 37 | Male | February 15, 1909 | Executed for August 1907 murder of man with a club. | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Samuel Rauen | White | 25 | Male | February 14, 1913 | Executed for fatally shooting his wife and his brother in front of his wife's home in March 1912. | William Howard Taft |
| Nathaniel Green | Black | 23 | Male | June 9, 1913 | Executed for the Christmas Day, 1912, rape of a woman. | Woodrow Wilson |
| James Allen | Black | 36 | Male | September 12, 1917 | Executed for the November 1915 murder of his wife in their home in Georgetown. | Woodrow Wilson |
| James Jackson | Black | 27 | Male | March 2, 1920 | Executed for murder of young war worker in January 1919. | Woodrow Wilson |
| Frank Bowman | Black | 39 | Male | October 22, 1920 | Executed for 1916 murder of a paralyzed man. | Woodrow Wilson |
| William Campbell | Black | 22 | Male | March 11, 1921 | Executed for murder of woman in her home during burglary in March 1920. | Warren Harding |
| John McHenry | White | 19 | Male | March 17, 1922 | Executed for the murders of a Washington policeman and an auto accessory dealer. | Warren Harding |
| Earnest Shands | Black | 29 | Male | March 9, 1923 | Executed for August 1922 murder of his wife with an axe. | Warren Harding |
| George Banton | Black | 20 | Male | April 20, 1923 | Executed for August 1922 murder of a grocer during a robbery. | Warren Harding |
| Charles Price | Black | 32 | Male | May 3, 1923 | Executed for murdering man in May 1918 in dispute over bottle of liquor. | Warren Harding |
| George Epps | Black | 31 | Male | May 24, 1923 | Executed for December 1921 murders of his wife and her female friend at their home. | Warren Harding |
| Rufus Gordon | Black | 37 | Male | June 23, 1923 | Executed for September 1919 murder of grocer during a robbery. | Warren Harding |
| Ralph Thomas | Black | 40 | Male | January 15, 1925 | Executed for the murder of his wife, Sadie Thomas, on August 1, 1923. | Calvin Coolidge |
| Herbert Copeland | Black | 50 | Male | January 22, 1925 | Executed for murdering two policemen and a deputy sheriff in 1918. Last condemned inmate to be hanged in the District of Columbia. | Calvin Coolidge |
| Philip Jackson | Black | 30 | Male | May 29, 1928 | Executed for rape of woman on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. First condemned inmate to be electrocuted in the District of Columbia. | Calvin Coolidge |
| Nicholas Eagles | White | 34 | Male | June 22, 1928 | All three were executed for the murder of DC policeman Leo W. Karl Busch on September 28, 1926. | Calvin Coolidge |
| Samuel Mareno | White | 21 | Male | June 22, 1928 | All three were executed for the murder of DC policeman Leo W. Karl Busch on September 28, 1926. | Calvin Coolidge |
| John Proctor | White | 20 | Male | June 22, 1928 | All three were executed for the murder of DC policeman Leo W. Karl Busch on September 28, 1926. | Calvin Coolidge |
| Andrew Hawkins | Black | 31 | Male | June 5, 1930 | Executed for the December 1928 murder of his sweetheart. | Herbert Hoover |
| Cardoza Bell | Black | 24 | Male | March 6, 1931 | Executed for August 1929 shotgun murder of his 25 year old female companion. | Herbert Hoover |
| Alfred Aldridge | Black | 21 | Male | May 6, 1932 | Executed for murder of DC policeman Harry J. McDonald. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| John Borum | Black | 26 | Male | June 29, 1932 | Executed for the murder of Prohibition (ATF) federal agent Lamar Watson York in 1930. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| John Logan | Black | 24 | Male | June 29, 1932 | Executed for the murder of Prohibition (ATF) federal agent Lamar Watson York in 1930. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Charles Morris | Black | 33 | Male | March 12, 1932 | Executed for the murder of a woman in July 1930 on C&O Canal Bridge. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| William Robinson | Black | 20 | Male | October 27, 1933 | Both men were executed separately for the July 1931 murder of a taxi driver during a hold-up. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Charles Washington | Black | 23 | Male | November 24, 1933 | Both men were executed separately for the July 1931 murder of a taxi driver during a hold-up. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Benjamin Montague | Black | 29 | Male | December 1, 1933 | Executed for the murder of his common-law-wife in June 1932. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Ralph Holmes | Black | 25 | Male | January 12, 1934 | All three men were executed for the August 1932 beating death of U.S. Park Police Officer Milo J. Kennedy. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Joseph Jackson | Black | 20 | Male | January 12, 1934 | All three men were executed for the August 1932 beating death of U.S. Park Police Officer Milo J. Kennedy. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Irvin Murray | Black | 26 | Male | January 12, 1934 | All three men were executed for the August 1932 beating death of U.S. Park Police Officer Milo J. Kennedy. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Ernest Bolden | Black | 25 | Male | April 27, 1934 | Executed for the July 1932 murder of his estranged wife. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Joe Goodman | Black | 39 | Male | June 1, 1934 | Both men were executed for January 1933 murder of store owner during robbery of feed store in the Benning area of the District. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| George Pitmond | Black | 35 | Male | June 1, 1934 | Both men were executed for January 1933 murder of store owner during robbery of feed store in the Benning area of the District. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Albert Preston | Black | 38 | Male | March 20, 1936 | Executed for February 1935 fatal shooting of man in dispute over $1.50 gambling debt. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| John Cummings | Black | 27 | Male | April 23, 1937 | Both men were executed for the March 1935 fatal shooting of truck driver during robbery. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Willett Marcus | Black | 21 | Male | April 23, 1937 | Both men were executed for the March 1935 fatal shooting of truck driver during robbery. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Norman Robinson | Black | 29 | Male | March 18, 1938 | Executed for the September 1936 murder of lodging house proprietress. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Will Kinard | Black | 38 | Male | February 2, 1939 | Executed for the November 1936 murder of his wife during domestic argument. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| William Robinson | Black | 36 | Male | October 9, 1942 | Executed for rape of 15-year-old girl near Rock Creek Park in August 1941. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| William Mumforde | Black | 22 | Male | December 18, 1942 | Executed for the murder of dress shop owner in February 1941. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Jarvis Catoe | Black | 36 | Male | January 15, 1943 | Executed for the rape and murder of woman, suspected in numerous other similar crimes. | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Monroe Neely | Black | 37 | Male | December 14, 1945 | Executed for the murder of DC police officer Charles Johnston in May 1943. | Harry S. Truman |
| Earl McFarland | White | 25 | Male | July 19, 1946 | Executed for the rape and murder of 18-year-old woman in October 1944. | Harry S. Truman |
| William Copeland | Black | 38 | Male | December 20, 1946 | Executed for the February 1944 fatal shooting of his 43-year-old sister-in-law. | Harry S. Truman |
| Julius Fisher | Black | 34 | Male | December 20, 1946 | Executed for the March 1944 murder of 37-year-old librarian at the Washington National Cathedral. | Harry S. Truman |
| Joseph Medley | White | 45 | Male | December 20, 1946 | Executed for murder of 50-year-old female acquaintance. | Harry S. Truman |
| Alfred Hawkins | Black | 24 | Male | October 31, 1947 | Executed for murder of 33-year-old grocery store clerk during holdup robbery. | Harry S. Truman |
| Jesse Patton | Black | 23 | Male | December 10, 1948 | Both men were executed for the murder of a pharmacist during a June 1946 robbery of drugstore. | Harry S. Truman |
| Reginald Wheeler | Black | 28 | Male | December 10, 1948 | Both men were executed for the murder of a pharmacist during a June 1946 robbery of drugstore. | Harry S. Truman |
| Shirley Harris | Black | 25 | Male | January 14, 1949 | Executed for March 1947 murder of 54-year-old man during a holdup. | Harry S. Truman |
| John Hall | Black | 35 | Male | February 25, 1949 | Executed for October 1946 rape of 8-year-old girl. | Harry S. Truman |
| Theodore Holmes | Black | 22 | Male | March 15, 1949 | Executed for March 1948 rape of 9-year-old girl. | Harry S. Truman |
| George Garner | Black | 26 | Male | July 29, 1949 | Both men were executed for robbery-murder of taxi cab driver in February 1948. | Harry S. Truman |
| Lawrence Garner | Black | 24 | Male | July 29, 1949 | Both men were executed for robbery-murder of taxi cab driver in February 1948. | Harry S. Truman |
| Fred Pritchett | White | 41 | Male | February 15, 1952 | Executed for July 1949 murder of locomotive engineer on railroad property. | Harry S. Truman |
| William Tyler Jr. | Black | 20 | Male | July 26, 1952 | Executed for murder of two night watchmen at Lansburgh's department store during a burglary in April 1949. | Harry S. Truman |
| Albert Allen | Black | 25 | Male | March 20, 1953 | Convicted of robbery and murder of co-worker in January 1950. | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Robert Eugene Carter | Black | 28 | Male | April 26, 1957 | Convicted of July 1953 robbery and murder of an off-duty D.C. police officer, George Cassels. Last man to be executed in District of Columbia. | Dwight D. Eisenhower |