Harold Lamont Otey

Harold Lamont Otey
Born(1951-08-01)August 1, 1951
Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedSeptember 2, 1994(1994-09-02) (aged 43)
Nebraska State Penitentiary, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Cause of deathExecution by electrocution
Conviction(s)First degree murder
Criminal penaltyDeath (June 20, 1978)
Details
VictimsJane McManus, 26
DateJune 11, 1977
CountryUnited States
State(s)Nebraska
Date apprehended
January 26, 1978
Imprisoned atNebraska State Penitentiary

Harold Lamont "Walkin' Wili" Otey (August 1, 1951 – September 2, 1994) was an American criminal convicted of the 1977 rape and murder of Jane McManus, a 26-year-old photography student, in Omaha, Nebraska.[1][2] Despite recanting his confession and maintaining his innocence for more than 15 years,[3] Otey became the first person to be executed in Nebraska since 1976 when the death penalty was reinstated. He was executed in 1994 by electrocution, becoming the first person to die in Nebraska's electric chair since Charles Starkweather was executed in 1959.[4] Otey's final days were documented by the CBS News program 48 Hours entitled "Death by Midnight".[5][6]

  1. ^ "35-Year Hiatus Ends As Nebraska Puts A Killer to Death". The New York Times. September 3, 1994. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Hammel, Paul (August 5, 2018). "Past executions in Nebraska brought demonstrations, and sober reality". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Harold Lamont "Wili" Otey". Lou Jones photography. Archived from the original on August 27, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
  4. ^ Hilt, Michael L. (March 22, 1999). "Mass Media and the Death Penalty: Social Construction of Three Nebraska Executions". AllBusiness.com. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
  5. ^ Wilson, Donna (September 6, 1996). "Execution Witnesses". University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Archived from the original on August 30, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
  6. ^ Goodman, Walter (December 14, 1994). "Television Review; Battling Over the Life of a Convicted Killer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.