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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


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…

Deterrence

Jan 07, 2021

St. Louis County Prosecutor: Death Penalty is ‘Ineffective, Racially Biased, Hypocritical and Inhumane’

Calling the death penal­ty ​“inef­fec­tive, racial­ly based, hyp­o­crit­i­cal and inhu­mane,” St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell (pic­tured) has renewed his pledge to nev­er autho­rize a cap­i­tal pros­e­cu­tion. In a December 23, 20…

St. Louis County Prosecutor: Death Penalty is ‘Ineffective, Racially Biased, Hypocritical and Inhumane’

Upcoming Executions

Dec 03, 2020

COVID-19 Prison Outbreaks Kill Death-Row Prisoners in Ohio and Missouri and Infect At Least 11 on Tennessee’s Death Row

New COVID-19 out­breaks on the nation’s death rows have killed pris­on­ers in Ohio and Missouri and sick­ened at least 11 men on Tennessee’s death row. James Frazier (pic­ture…

COVID-19 Prison Outbreaks Kill Death-Row Prisoners in Ohio and Missouri and Infect At Least 11 on Tennessee’s Death Row

Representation

Oct 26, 2020

Capital Case Roundup — Death Penalty Court Decisions the Week of October 19, 2020

NEWS (10/​22/​20) — Florida: The Florida Supreme Court has upheld the con­vic­tion and death sen­tence for Daniel Craven, Jr.

Recent Legislative Activity

Aug 19, 2020

In Move Raising Race, Gender, and Political Issues, Missouri Governor Seeks Authority for Attorney General to Prosecute St. Louis Homicide Cases

In a polit­i­cal maneu­ver that fur­ther inject­ed issues of race, gen­der, and polit­i­cal dis­en­fran­chise­ment into local law enforce­ment pol­i­cy, Missouri’s Republican Governor Mike Parson has asked state law­mak­ers to grant Republican sta…

In Move Raising Race, Gender, and Political Issues, Missouri Governor Seeks Authority for Attorney General to Prosecute St. Louis Homicide Cases

Public Opinion

Aug 05, 2020

Reform Prosecutor Kimberly Gardner Wins St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Primary Election

In a pri­ma­ry elec­tion that was regard­ed by many as a ref­er­en­dum on reform pros­e­cu­tors, St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner (pic­tured) beat back a chal­lenge by the circuit’s for­mer chief homi­cide prose…

Reform Prosecutor Kimberly Gardner Wins St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Primary Election

Arbitrariness

May 21, 2020

First Execution, New Death Sentence During Coronavirus Pandemic Highlight Grave Flaws in U.S. Capital Punishment System

The first new death sen­tence and first exe­cu­tion since pub­lic health con­cerns aris­ing from the coro­n­avirus pan­dem­ic shut­tered most court pro­ceed­ings across the coun­try have high­light­ed sev­er­al of the gravest con­cerns about the death penal­ty in the…

First Execution, New Death Sentence During Coronavirus Pandemic Highlight Grave Flaws in U.S. Capital Punishment System

Innocence

May 15, 2020

As Blood Spatter Evidence Causes Jurors to Question His Guilt, Missouri Prepares to Execute Walter Barton

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has vacat­ed a stay of exe­cu­tion for Missou…

As Blood Spatter Evidence Causes Jurors to Question His Guilt, Missouri Prepares to Execute Walter Barton

Innocence

May 01, 2020

Missouri Supreme Court Denies Stay of May 19 Execution for Brain-Damaged Man Tried Five Times for the Same Murder

In a case long marred by pros­e­cu­to­r­i­al mis­con­duct, the Missouri Supreme Court has denied a stay of exe­cu­tion for Walter Barton (pic­tured), reject­ing his claims of inno­cence and incom­pe­tence to be exe­cut­ed. The cou…

Missouri Supreme Court Denies Stay of May 19 Execution for Brain-Damaged Man Tried Five Times for the Same Murder
View More

View Information by State

Additional Information


  • Death Penalty: Yes
  • Number of Executions Since 1976: 90
  • Number of Executions Before 1976 (may include federal and military executions): 285
  • Current Death Row Population: 22
  • 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: 5,988,927
  • Murder Rate (per 100,000 population): 9.8
  • 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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