BOOKS: ​“Anatomy of an Execution”

A new book authored by Todd Peppers and Laura Trevvett Anderson, “Anatomy of An Execution,” follows the story of Douglas Christopher Thomas, a juvenile offender who was executed in Virginia in 2000. Thomas was convicted of a double homicide in 1990 and sentenced to death in 1991. He was one of the last juveniles put to death before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the execution of those under the age of 18 at the time of their crime to be unconstitutional in 2005 (Roper v. Simmons). The authors explore a variety of death penalty issues surrounding the case, including the quality of court-appointed counsel, conditions on death row, and the reasons for excluding the execution of juveniles. The book was published by Northeastern University Press.

(T. Peppers and L. Anderson, “Anatomy of an Execution: The Life and Death of Douglas Christopher Thomas,” Northeastern University Press, 2009). Click here for other books on the death penalty. See also Juveniles.