Wallace Wilkerson | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1834[2] Quincy, Illinois, U.S.[3] |
| Died | May 16, 1879 (aged 45) |
| Cause of death | Exsanguination caused by botched firing squad execution |
| Occupation(s) | Stockman, horse breaker, military drummer[3] |
| Criminal status | Executed (May 16, 1879)[5] |
| Conviction(s) | Murder – 1877[1] |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
Wallace Wilkerson (c. 1834 – May 16, 1879)[2] was an American stockman who was sentenced to death by the Territory of Utah for the murder of William Baxter. Wilkerson professed his innocence,[3][7] but chose to die by firing squad over hanging or decapitation.[1] The execution was botched; Wilkerson took up to 27 minutes to die because the firing squad missed his heart.[2][5]
His case, Wilkerson v. Utah, was heard by the Supreme Court of the United States and continues to be cited in present-day case law involving cruel and unusual punishment.[8]
- ^ a b "The Death Penalty for Murder". Deseret Evening News. George Q. Cannon, Brigham Young. May 16, 1879. p. 2. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c Elder, Robert K.; Terkel, Studs (2010). Last Words of the Executed. University of Chicago Press. p. 110. ISBN 9780226202693. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c Gillespie, L. Kay (1997). The Unforgiven: Utah's Executed Men. Signature Books. p. 47. ISBN 9781560850984. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NYTimes-18790516-legallywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Schindler, Hal (January 28, 1996). "Taylor's Death Was Quick . . . But Some Weren't So Lucky". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Legal-Executions-2010was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Clifford, Nathan (October 1878). "Wilkerson v. Utah". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ King, Gilbert (April 23, 2008). "Cruel and Unusual History". New York Times. Retrieved October 29, 2010.