Jesse Tafero | |
|---|---|
 Mug shot of Tafero | |
| Born | Jesse Joseph Tafero October 12, 1946 |
| Died | May 4, 1990 (aged 43) |
| Cause of death | Botched execution by electrocution |
| Criminal status | Executed (May 4, 1990) |
| Spouse | Sonia "Sunny" Jacobs |
| Children | 2 |
| Conviction(s) | First-degree murder (2 counts)[a] |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
Jesse Joseph Tafero (October 12, 1946 – May 4, 1990) was convicted of murder and executed via electric chair in the U.S. state of Florida for the murders of 39-year-old Florida Highway Patrol officer Phillip A. Black (who served 9 years with Florida Highway Patrol) and 39-year-old Ontario Provincial Police Corporal Donald Irwin (who served 18 years with Ontario Provincial Police), a visiting Canadian constable and friend of Black. The officers were killed during a traffic stop where Tafero, his wife Sunny Jacobs and their children were passengers. Tafero's execution was botched; his head burst into flames during the execution by electric chair. After Tafero's execution, the driver, Walter Rhodes, confessed to shooting the officers,[1] but later retracted his testimony.
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- ^ Qureshi, Huma (June 22, 2013). "Former death row couple: 'Life turned out beautifully'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 June 2013.