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State And Federal Info

Missouri

History of the Death Penalty

The death penalty was first used in Missouri in 1810 when Peter Johnson was hanged for murder. Missouri carried out a total of 285 executions from 1810 to 1965. Hanging was the primary method of execution until 1936, when lethal gas came into use from 1937 until 1987. Starting in 1987, lethal injection was added as an option for inmates in addition to lethal gas.

Famous Cases

Roper v. Simmons (2005): Christopher Simmons was 17 years old when he and two other teenagers, broke into the home of Shirley Crook, kidnapped her, and pushed her off a bridge into the Meremac River. Simmons bragged about the murder to friends, and eventually confessed to police. He was convicted of the crime and sentenced to death. Simmons appealed the death sentence on the basis that he was only 17 years old at the time of the crime, and the execution of a juvenile was cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled in favor of Simmons, overturning his death sentence and sentencing him to life in prison without parole. The State of Missouri appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court ruled that execution of individuals who were under 18 at the time of their crime was unconstitutional. In its decision, the Court noted a “national consensus” against the practice of executing juvenile offenders; just 20 states allowed the juvenile death penalty by statute, and only 3 had executed a juvenile offender in the last 10 years.

Notable Exonerations

Joseph Amrine was serving time for robbery and burglary in Missouri State Penitentiary when he was accused of stabbing fellow inmate Gary Barber, in 1986. No physical evidence linked Amrine to the crime, and he was convicted primarily based on tesimony from other inmates and was sentenced to death. Amrine appealed his death sentence and the Missouri Surpreme Court found “clear and convincing evidence of actual innocence.” Three inmates who had previously testified recanted their statements, saying they lied in exchange for protection. Six other inmates testified to seeing Amrine playing cards at the time of the murder. The court ordered that Amrine be released within 30 days unless he was charged with another crime. Missouri prosecutor Bill Tackett brought new murder charges on Amrine, but dropped the charges a month later after DNA tests conducted on blood stains from the crime were inconclusive. Amrine was freed in August 2003.

Notable Commutations/Clemencies

Darrell Mease was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of his former drug partner, Lloyd Lawrence, Lawrence’s wife, and Lawrence’s grandson. He was scheduled to be executed in 1999. Pope John Paul II was visiting Missouri at the time and made a personal plea to Governor Carnahan to grant Mease mercy. The day before Mease’s execution, Governor Carnahan granted Mease clemency, commuting his sentence to life without parole.

Jasper County Courthouse.  Photo by Abe Ezekowitz.
Jasper County Courthouse. Photo by Abe Ezekowitz.

Resources

  • American Bar Association Missouri Death Penalty Assessment Report
  • Department of Corrections
  • Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
  • Missouri Office of Prosecution Services
  • Public defender’s office
  • Victims’ services
  • Missouri Death Row
  • 2015 Annual Report from Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Missouri Execution Totals Since 1976

News & Developments


Apr 29, 2022

Missouri Plans to Execute Prisoner Whose Death Sentence Was Reversed Three Times and Reinstated on a Technicality

Carman Deck (pic­tured) has been sen­tenced to death three times. Each of those death sen­tences were over­turned — once by the U.S. Supreme Court — as a result of prej­u­di­cial con­sti­tu­tion­al vio­la­tions in his tri­als. Nonetheless, he f…

Missouri Plans to Execute Prisoner Whose Death Sentence Was Reversed Three Times and Reinstated on a Technicality

Sentencing Data

Apr 19, 2022

Missouri Capital Defendant Argues that State’s First Jury Vote for Death in Nine Years Is Based on a Nonexistent Aggravating Factor

A Missouri cap­i­tal defen­dant whose jury was the first in nine years to rec­om­mend the death penal­ty in the state is chal­leng­ing the ver­dict as based sole­ly on a nonex­is­tent aggra­vat­ing fac­tor. On April 1, 2022, a St. Charl…

Missouri Capital Defendant Argues that State’s First Jury Vote for Death in Nine Years Is Based on a Nonexistent Aggravating Factor

Innocence

Nov 24, 2021

Kevin Strickland Exonerated 42 Years After Wrongful Capital Murder Conviction in Missouri

More than 42 years after his wrong­ful cap­i­tal mur­der con­vic­tion in June 1979, a Missouri judge has set Kevin Strickland (pic­tured) free. On November 23, 2021, Judge James Welsh grant­ed a…

Kevin Strickland Exonerated 42 Years After Wrongful Capital Murder Conviction in Missouri

Oct 21, 2021

Missouri Judge Denies St. Louis City Prosecutor’s Request for Outside Prosecutors to Handle Death-Eligible Cases

A St. Louis Circuit Court judge has denied St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner’s (pic­tured) July 2021 request for spe­cial pros­e­cu­tors to han­dle three death-eli­gi­ble homi­cide cas­es in her juris­dic­tion. On October 15, 2…

Missouri Judge Denies St. Louis City Prosecutor's Request for Outside Prosecutors to Handle Death-Eligible Cases

Intellectual Disability

Oct 01, 2021

Missouri Moves to Execute Intellectually Disabled Death-Row Prisoner, As Former Governor, Court Justice, and Faith and Rights Leaders Seek Mercy

As the exe­cu­tion date nears for a Missouri man wide­ly regard­ed to be intel­lec­tu­al­ly dis­abled, a for­mer Missouri Governor, Supreme Court Justice, and papal envoy have joined faith and civ­il rights lead­ers, and the prisoner’s lawyer…

Missouri Moves to Execute Intellectually Disabled Death-Row Prisoner, As Former Governor, Court Justice, and Faith and Rights Leaders Seek Mercy

Arbitrariness

Aug 20, 2021

Commentary: How Federal Habeas Corpus Law Enables States to Commit Miscarriages of Justice

1990s amend­ments to fed­er­al law that severe­ly restrict­ed fed­er­al judi­cial review of state con­vic­tions are enabling states to com­mit mis­car­riages of jus­tice that risk the lives and free­dom of inno­cent peo­ple across the coun­try, writes Washingto…

Commentary: How Federal Habeas Corpus Law Enables States to Commit Miscarriages of Justice

Arbitrariness

May 31, 2021

Capital Case Roundup — Death Penalty Court Decisions the Week of May 24, 2021

NEWS (5/​24 and 5/​26/​21) — Washington, D.C.: The U.S. Supreme Court issued rul­ings in two death-penal­ty cas­es, deny­ing a defense p…

Arbitrariness

May 10, 2021

Capital Case Roundup — Death Penalty Court Decisions the Week of May 3, 2021

NEWS (5/​6/​21) — Florida: The Florida Supreme Court issued two deci­sions deny­ing relief in cap­i­tal cas­es. In 

Costs

Apr 15, 2021

Arizona DoC Paid $1.5 Million for Execution Drugs While Facing a Budget Crisis

At a time in which the Arizona Department of Corrections is fac­ing crit­i­cism for crum­bling infra­struc­ture, sub­stan­dard med­ical care, and under­staffing, the depart­ment has spent $1.5 mil­lion to pur­chase the lethal-injec­tion drug pe…

Arizona DoC Paid $1.5 Million for Execution Drugs While Facing a Budget Crisis

Representation

Apr 05, 2021

Capital Case Roundup — Death Penalty Court Decisions the Week of March 29, 2021

NEWS (3/​31/​21) — Florida: After find­ing that Florida death-row pris­on­er William Greg Thomas was enti­tled to present an untime­ly habeas cor­pus peti­tion because his pri­or lawyer had aban­doned him, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh C…

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View Information by State

Additional Information


  • Death Penalty: Yes
  • Number of Executions Since 1976: 92 state executions, 3 federal executions
  • Number of Executions Before 1976 (may include federal and military executions): 285
  • Current Death Row Population: 20
  • Women on Death Row: 0
  • Number of Innocent Persons Freed From Death Row: 4
  • Number of Clemencies Granted: 4
  • Date of Reinstatement (following Furman v. Georgia): September 28, 1975
  • First Execution After Reinstatement: 1989
  • Location of Death Row: Mineral Point (Women: Fulton)
  • Location of Executions: Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre
  • Capital: Jefferson City
  • Region: Midwest
  • Population: 6,137,428
  • Murder Rate (per 100,000 population): 9.25
  • Is Life Without Parole an Option: Yes
  • Can a defendant get death for a felony in which s/he was not responsible for the murder?: No
  • Method of Execution: Choice of lethal injection or gas
  • How is Sentence Determined?: Jury
  • Clemency Process: Governor has authority to grant clemency with nonbinding advice of Board of Pardons and Paroles
  • Governor: Michael Parson

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