Karla Faye Tucker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 18, 1959 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | February 3, 1998 (aged 38) Huntsville Unit, Huntsville, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Spouses |
Dana Lane Brown (m. 1995) |
| Parent(s) | Larry and Carolyn Tucker[1] |
| Conviction(s) | Capital murder[1] (1984) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims |
|
| Date | June 13, 1983 3:00 A.M. |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Texas |
| Location(s) | Houston[2] |
| Weapons | Pickaxe[1] |
Date apprehended | July 20, 1983 |
Karla Faye Tucker (November 18, 1959 – February 3, 1998) was an American woman sentenced to death for killing two people with a pickaxe during a burglary.[2] She was the first woman to be executed in the United States since Velma Barfield in 1984 in North Carolina, and the first in Texas since Chipita Rodriguez in 1863.[3] She was convicted of murder in Texas in 1984 and executed by lethal injection after 14 years on death row.[4] Due to her gender and widely publicized conversion to Christianity, she inspired an unusually large national and international movement that advocated the commutation of her sentence to life without parole, a movement that included a few foreign government officials.[5][6]
- ^ a b c d Verhovek, Sam Howe (February 4, 1998). "Execution in Texas: The Overview; Divisive Case of a Killer of Two Ends as Texas Executes Tucker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ a b Grumman, Cornelia (February 4, 1998). "Karla Tucker Put To Death In Texas". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Hanson, Michael (April 9, 2014). "Death Penalty in Texas: Hernandez-Llanas' Execution Set Today". Texas Evidence. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Walt, Kathy (February 2, 2003). "Tucker dies after apologizing | Despite legal blitz, woman executed for pickax slayings". HUNTSVILLE: Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 2, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Leung, Rebecca (February 3, 2000). "Texas Executes Tucker – Case Raised Questions About Women and the Death Penalty". ABC News. Associated Press contributed. Archived from the original on March 3, 2001. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Smith, Jordan (August 20, 2004). "No Mercy – The case of James Allridge raises familiar questions about the Texas justice system". The Austin Chronicle. Austin Chronicle Corp. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2017.