Dalton Prejean | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 10, 1959 Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | May 18, 1990 (aged 30) |
| Cause of death | Execution by electrocution |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder (May 3, 1978) |
| Criminal penalty | Death (May 11, 1990) |
| Details | |
| Victims | John Doucet Donald Cleveland, 25 |
| Date | June 1974 July 2, 1977 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Louisiana |
Dalton Prejean (December 10, 1959 – May 18, 1990) was one of 22 people in the United States executed for crimes committed as a juvenile prior to the decision Roper v. Simmons in 2005.[1] He was tried, convicted, and executed in the electric chair in Louisiana for the murder of Louisiana State Police Trooper Donald Cleveland.
The case received international attention because the defendant was a black man convicted by an all-white jury; had brain damage and tested just above mental retardation; and was age 17 at the time of the crime.[2]
Prejean's son, Dalton Prejean Jr., born while his father was awaiting execution, was himself convicted of the 2001 death of his 14-month old stepson. Prejean Jr. is currently serving a 60-year sentence in the same prison his father was executed in.[3][4]