John Arthur Bennett | |
|---|---|
 Bennett shortly after his arrest | |
| Born | April 10, 1936 Chatham, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | April 13, 1961 (aged 25) |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Attempted premeditated murder Rape |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Military career | |
| Buried | Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1953–1955 |
| Rank | Private (E-1) |
John Arthur Bennett (April 10, 1936 – April 13, 1961) was a U.S. Army soldier who remains the last person to be executed after a court-martial by the United States Armed Forces.[1] The 19-year-old private was convicted of the rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl in Austria.[2] Despite last minute appeals for clemency and pleas to President John F. Kennedy by the victim's family to spare his life,[a] Kennedy refused; Bennett was hanged at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in 1961.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Timeswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Serrano, Richard A. (July 12, 1994). "Last Soldier to Die at Leavenworth Hanged in an April Storm". Los Angeles Times. p. 14. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
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