Executions in the United States

Posted: February 04, 2003

Execution Database - Fully searchable database of all modern era executions

Executions by State, from 1608-1976 (Compiled from the Espy database)

Executions by County

States and jurisdictions with no recent executions

Historical Executions: The Espy File - Executions in the United States, 1608-2002, viewable in PDF format

Methods of Execution - Description of each method, with state procedures and numbers of executions by method

Botched Executions - Incidences of serious problems in the actual execution of inmates since 1976

State Execution Rates (states ranked by per capita execution rate)

Executions per Death Sentence by State (states ranked by the likelihood of a death sentence resulting in an execution)

Those Executed Who Did Not Directly Kill the Victim

Information on Defendants Who Were Executed Since 1976 and Designated as "Volunteers"

"Killing the Willing: 'Volunteers,' Suicide and Competency," by J. Blume, Michigan Law Review, 2005.

State by State database of general information

Clustering of the Death Penalty Execution and sentencing Data

Execution News and Developments - Current Year

Execution News and Developments - Previous Years

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004-1998

Execution Facts - Modern Era

By Year Since 1976	By State
By Region of the country	By Race

List of Defendants Executed by Year

1976-1986 1987-1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

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From DPIC

Click the above video to see the latest developments in the death penalty.

LATEST NEWS (May 22): Colorado's governor indefinitely stayed the execution of Nathan Dunlap. In ordering the stay, Gov. Hickenlooper said, "It is a legitimate question whether we as a state should be taking lives," and referred to the death penalty as an "inequitable system." (Denver Post).

(May 14). A bill to repeal Nebraska's death penalty was not able to overcome a filibuster vote and will not be voted on this year. The vote to end the filibuster was 28-21, but 33 votes were needed. This was the first time since 1979 that a majority of senators sided with those seeking to end the death penalty. (Journal Star).

Clustering of the Death Penalty

A new section of DPIC's website demonstrates that capital punishment is actually carried out in only a small percentage of U.S. jurisdictions. For example, one map shows that less than 1% of counties in death penalty states accounted for 30% of the executions in the U.S. since 1976. Similarly, less than 1% of the counties were responsible for 27% of current death row inmates and 35% of recent death sentences.

Click maps to enlarge

NEWS: (May 7). Mississippi Supreme Court granted a stay of execution for Willie Manning just hours before he was to receive a lethal injection. (Jackson Free Press). (May 6) The U.S. Department of Justice notified Mississippi authorities that FBI testimony submitted in Manning's case was in error: "We have determined that the microscopic hair comparison analysis testimony or laboratory report presented in this case included additional statements that exceeded the limits of science and was, therefore, invalid." The FBI has offered to perform DNA testing on evidence from the crime before Manning is executed. (See A. Cohen, The Atlantic, May 6, 2013).

(May 2). Gov. Martin O'Malley of Maryland signed the bill repealing the death penalty for future offenses. The death penalty had been part of Maryland's law for over 300 years.
Read DPIC's Press Release on MARYLAND's DEATH PENALTY REPEAL

Related Items

Further Information about Executions:

Dean Golding, Professor at West Chester University, has put together Excel spreadsheets regarding executions in the United States. These spreadsheets include information on those who have been executed as well as states that have the death penalty. If you have any questions regarding this information please contact Dean Golding.

Note: As these statistics were created by a source outside of DPIC, DPIC cannot vouch for its accuracy. These statistics are not updated with each execution as DPIC's data is.