Christina Marie Riggs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Christina Marie Thomas[1] September 2, 1971 Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | May 2, 2000 (aged 28) |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Occupation | Licensed practical nurse |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Capital murder (2 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Death (June 30, 1998) |
| Details | |
| Victims | Justin Dalton Thomas, 5 Shelby Alexis Riggs, 2 |
| Date | November 4, 1997 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Arkansas |
Christina Marie Riggs (September 2, 1971 – May 2, 2000) was convicted of the November 1997 murders of her two children, Justin Dalton Thomas (age 5) and Shelby Alexis Riggs (age 2).[2][3] Riggs was a licensed practical nurse, and she planned to kill the children with injections of drugs she obtained from her hospital. When she injected her son with potassium chloride, it caused pain but not death, so she smothered both children to death, then attempted suicide.
Defense attorneys mentioned Riggs's depression and post-traumatic stress disorder during her trial, but Riggs did not put up a defense in the penalty phase. She waived her appeals and was executed by lethal injection less than two years after her convictions. She was the first woman to be executed in Arkansas since 1845.[4]
- ^ "Christina Marie Thomas Riggs (1971–2000) - Find A..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
- ^ "Document". 13 April 2000.
- ^ "FindLaw's Supreme Court of Arkansas case and opinions". Findlaw.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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