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List of people executed in the United States in 1954

Eighty-three people, eighty-one male and two female, were executed in the United States in 1954, sixty-seven by electrocution, twelve by gas chamber, and four by hanging.[1]

The state of Vermont conducted its final executions this year, before abolishing capital punishment in 1965.

List of people executed in the United States in 1954

[edit]
No. Date of execution Name Age of person Gender Ethnicity State Method Ref.
At execution At offense Age difference
1 January 7, 1954 Walter Griffen 26 25 1 Male White New York Electrocution [2]
2 Maurice O'Dell 28 27
3 January 15, 1954 Dovie Blanche Dean 55 54 Female Ohio [3]
4 January 22, 1954 Will Hardie 54 52 2 Male Black Alabama [4]
5 Paul Wright 19 18 1 Georgia [5]
6 January 29, 1954 Evan Charles Thomas 30 28 2 White California Gas chamber [6]
7 February 5, 1954 Doyle Franklin Scott 31 30 1 Georgia Electrocution [7]
8 Luther Carlyle Wheeler 25 23 2 Mississippi [8]
9 February 8, 1954 Francis Herbert Blair 32 30 Vermont [9]
10 February 19, 1954 Henry Ford McCracken 36 34 California Gas chamber [10]
11 Arthur Fay Johnson 57 54 3 New Mexico Electrocution [11]
12 Walter Collins Green 25 24 1 Texas [1]
13 March 5, 1954 Joseph Arthur Daugherty 54 52 2 California Gas chamber [12]
14 Florentino Ortega 26 25 1 Hispanic [13]
15 Lander Ray Gantt 31 27 4 White South Carolina Electrocution [14]
16 Shelton H. Gainey 24 19
17 March 11, 1954 Henry Louis Allen 19 17 2 Black New York [1]
18 John Martin 29 27
19 March 12, 1954 Otis Glenn 23 22 1 South Carolina [15]
20 March 15, 1954 Oscar C. McGrew 28 26 2 Pennsylvania [1]
21 March 25, 1954 Charles D. Clark 43 41 White Texas
22 March 27, 1954 Tom Ingham 31 Unknown Unknown Black West Virginia
23 March 29, 1954 Clyde Vernon Ensminger 35 34 1 White Pennsylvania [16]
24 April 2, 1954 Henry Frank Decaillet 52 51 California Gas chamber [17]
25 April 5, 1954 William Patskin 46 43 3 Pennsylvania Electrocution [1]
26 April 23, 1954 Arthur Lee Grimes 23 21 2 Black Alabama
27 Albert Lee Jones
28 Ferdinand A. Bourdlais 27 25 White Nevada Gas chamber [18]
29 Willie Lee Gage 42 40 Black Texas Electrocution [19]
30 May 7, 1954 William C. Jenkins Native American Arkansas [20]
31 Raymond Carney 38 37 1 Black South Carolina [21]
32 May 17, 1954 Joseph Bibalo 24 20 4 White Pennsylvania [1]
33 May 21, 1954 Nathaniel Germany 29 22 7 Black Kansas Hanging [22]
34 May 25, 1954 Lindsey Heard 20 19 1 Georgia Electrocution [1]
35 May 26, 1954 John Clay Kensinger 29 28 White Virginia [23]
36 June 3, 1954 Charles Edward Mauck Klinedinst 27 2 Texas [24]
37 June 4, 1954 Jessie Frank Jackson 23 22 1 Black Alabama [25]
38 Thomas William Reed 45 34 11 Kentucky [26]
39 June 11, 1954 Ozzie Jones 30 28 2 Georgia [27]
40 George Edward Grammer 36 35 1 White Maryland Hanging [1]
41 June 12, 1954 Betty Evelyn Butler 26 24 2 Female Black Ohio Electrocution [28]
42 June 15, 1954 Willie Jackson Jr. 17 16 1 Male Georgia [29]
43 Herman Lee Miller 18 17
44 June 24, 1954 Jimmy Richardson 32 31 Texas [30]
45 July 2, 1954 Charles Leo McGarry 66 65 White California Gas chamber [31]
46 July 9, 1954 Russell George Muskus 33 29 4 Ohio Electroctution [1]
47 July 14, 1954 Charles Waymon Barnes 24 23 1 Black Texas
48 July 15, 1954 Leroy Leonard Linden 34 34 0 White Nevada Gas chamber [32]
49 Frank Alfonso Pedrini 46 46
50 Emile Hendricks Scott 21 20 1 Black New York Electrocution [33]
51 July 16, 1954 William Merle Martin 44 42 2 White Kansas Hanging [34]
52 July 17, 1954 Marvin Rayson 28 27 1 Black Texas Electrocution [35]
53 July 22, 1954 William J. Vander Wyde 40 38 2 White New York [1]
54 July 27, 1954 Theodore Walker 22 21 1 Black New Jersey [36]
55 July 30, 1954 Joseph Jerry Johansen 26 25 White California Gas chamber [37]
56 James Franklin Wolfe 42 41
57 July 31, 1954 Bernard John O'Brien 34 32 2 U.S. military Hanging [38]
58 August 6, 1954 Sylvester Seymour 35 33 Black Georgia Electrocution [39]
59 Samuel Brothers Nettles 31 30 1 Ohio [1]
60 August 12, 1954 Gerhard Arthur Puff 40 38 2 White Federal government [40]
61 August 17, 1954 James Beard 38 37 1 Black New Jersey [41]
62 August 26, 1954 John Dale Greene 24 22 2 White New York [42]
63 Barry Jacobs 22 20
64 August 27, 1954 Willie Hayden 45 45 0 Black South Carolina [1]
65 September 1, 1954 Walter Eberle Whitaker Jr. 22 20 2 White Texas [43]
66 September 10, 1954 Alfred Sylvanus Dusseldorf 33 28 5 Black California Gas chamber [44]
67 September 17, 1954 Howard Leroy Booker 35 33 2 Georgia Electrocution [1]
68 September 28, 1954 Tanner Brock 57 55 White Florida [45]
69 Orion Nathaniel Johnson 19 16 3 Black [46]
70 September 29, 1954 Maurice Sampson 21 19 2 Texas [47]
71 October 4, 1954 George Bailey Jr. 36 35 1 Florida [48]
72 James Henderson 47 46
73 Avon Elwood North Sr. 37 34 3 White [49]
74 October 14, 1954 Sterling Groom 43 40 Black Virginia [1]
75 October 29, 1954 Frederick Wallace Richard Heisler 33 30 White New Mexico [50]
76 November 5, 1954 Elliott Simon 55 55 0 Black Georgia [1]
77 November 8, 1954 Abraham Beard 18 16 2 Florida
78 Leroy Williams 37 33 4
79 November 10, 1954 James Dewey Johnson 30 30 0 White Mississippi [51]
80 November 19, 1954 Joe Lee Jones 17 16 1 Black Georgia [52]
81 Charles L. King 19 18
82 December 8, 1954 Donald Edward DeMag 31 29 2 White Vermont [53]
83 December 12, 1954 Calvin Eugene Davis 19 Unknown Unknown Black Georgia [54]

Demographics

[edit]
Gender
Male 81 98%
Female 2 2%
Ethnicity
Black 41 49%
White 40 48%
Hispanic 1 1%
Native American 1 1%
State
Georgia 12 14%
California 9 11%
Texas 9 11%
New York 8 10%
Florida 7 8%
South Carolina 5 6%
Alabama 4 5%
Ohio 4 5%
Pennsylvania 4 5%
Nevada 3 4%
Kansas 2 2%
Mississippi 2 2%
New Jersey 2 2%
New Mexico 2 2%
Vermont 2 2%
Virginia 2 2%
Arkansas 1 1%
Federal government 1 1%
Kentucky 1 1%
Maryland 1 1%
U.S. military 1 1%
West Virginia 1 1%
Method
Electrocution 67 81%
Gas chamber 12 14%
Hanging 4 5%
Month
January 6 7%
February 6 7%
March 11 13%
April 6 7%
May 6 7%
June 9 11%
July 13 16%
August 7 8%
September 6 7%
October 5 6%
November 6 7%
December 2 2%
Age
10–19 9 11%
20–29 28 34%
30–39 25 30%
40–49 13 16%
50–59 7 8%
60–69 1 1%
Total 83 100%

Executions in recent years

[edit]
Number of executions
1955 79
1954 83
1953 63
Total 225

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Executions in the U.S. 1608-2002: The ESPY File" (PDF). Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  2. ^ "Forgotten Crimes: Canadian bandits murder jeweler in 'brutal' Main St. holdup". Buffalo News. July 6, 2017.
  3. ^ "Dovie Dean, the last woman put to death in Clermont County". The Clermont Sun. October 27, 2021.
  4. ^ "Hardie v. State". Justia Law.
  5. ^ "Wright v. State". vLex.
  6. ^ "People v. Thomas". Stanford Law School.
  7. ^ "Death Sentence Given in South Georgia Slaying". Rome News-Tribune. May 20, 1953. p. 5.
  8. ^ "Wheeler v. State". Justia Law.
  9. ^ "State v. Blair". Justia Law.
  10. ^ "People v. McCracken". Stanford Law School.
  11. ^ "Slayer Executed In New Mexico". Eugene Register-Guard. February 20, 1954. p. 5.
  12. ^ "People v. Daugherty". Justia Law.
  13. ^ "People v. Ortega". Justia Law.
  14. ^ "2 Electrocuted At Columbia In Death of Driver". The Gaffney Ledger via newspapers.com. March 11, 1954. p. 8.
  15. ^ "Otis Glenn Executed At State Penitentiary". The Times and Democrat via newspapers.com. March 13, 1954. p. 8.
  16. ^ "Execution Ends Ensminger Case Less Than 9 Months After Date of His Crime". The Sentinel via newspapers.com. March 30, 1954. p. 1.
  17. ^ "People v. Decaillet". Justia Law.
  18. ^ "State v. Bourdlais". Justia Law.
  19. ^ "Gage v. State". Justia Law.
  20. ^ "Jenkins v. State". Justia Law.
  21. ^ "Death Penalty Paid By Carney". The Robesonian via newspapers.com. May 7, 1954. p. 1.
  22. ^ "State v. Germany". Justia Law.
  23. ^ "Murderer, 29, Executed at Penitentiary". Richmond News Leader. May 26, 1954. p. 25.
  24. ^ "Texas Executes Pa. Man In Rape". The Evening Sun via newspapers.com. June 3, 1954. p. 4.
  25. ^ "Jackson v. State". Justia Law.
  26. ^ "Summary of the execution of Thomas Reed". M. E. Grenander Special Collections & Archives.
  27. ^ "Georgia fights move to save doomed man". Baltimore Afro-American. April 6, 1954. p. 33.
  28. ^ "Rosary Held By Slayer Of Woman In Lake At Sharon Woods". The Cincinnati Enquirer via newspapers.com. June 12, 1954. p. 3.
  29. ^ "Electrocute two youths in Georgia". The Afro American. June 15, 1954. p. 44.
  30. ^ "Richardson v. State". Justia Law.
  31. ^ "People v. McGarry". Stanford Law School.
  32. ^ "Murderer joked to end at execution". Daily Mirror. July 16, 1954. p. 9.
  33. ^ "Murderer Executed". Spokane Daily Chronicle. July 16, 1954. p. 46.
  34. ^ "Man Confesses Before Hanging". Spokane Daily Chronicle. July 16, 1954. p. 46.
  35. ^ "Rayson v. State". Justia Law.
  36. ^ "State v. Walker". Justia Law.
  37. ^ "People v. Wolfe". Stanford Law School.
  38. ^ "Army Officer Hanged For Murder of Wife". Youngstown Vindicator. July 31, 1954. p. 5.
  39. ^ "Seymour v. State". Justia Law.
  40. ^ "Gerhard A. Puff, Appellant-petitioner, v. United States, Respondent.united States, Respondent, v. Gerhard A. Puff, Appellant-defendant, 214 F.2d 821 (2d Cir. 1954)". Justia Law.
  41. ^ "State v. Beard". Justia Law.
  42. ^ "APPEALS COURT DOOMS 2; New Yorkers Sentenced to Die for Killing in Car Theft". The New York Times. January 16, 1954.
  43. ^ "Lubbock's first execution in September, 1954". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. April 8, 2018.
  44. ^ "People v. Miller". Stanford Law School.
  45. ^ "Brock v. State". Justia Law.
  46. ^ "Johnson v. State". CaseMine.
  47. ^ "Sampson v. State". vLex.
  48. ^ "Henderson v. State". Justia Law.
  49. ^ "North Dies In Chair Maintaining Innocence". The Tampa Times via newspapers.com. October 5, 1954. p. 5.
  50. ^ "State v. Heisler". vLex.
  51. ^ "Johnson v. State". vLex.
  52. ^ "Summary of the execution of Charles King, Joe Jones". M. E. Grenander Special Collections & Archives.
  53. ^ "State v. Demag". Justia Law.
  54. ^ "Davis v. State". vLex.
Preceded by
1953 		   List of people executed   
   in the United States in   
1954 		Succeeded by
1955