Ronald Ryan | |
---|---|
Born | Ronald Edmond Thompson 21 February 1925 Carlton, Victoria, Australia |
Died | 3 February 1967 HM Prison Pentridge, Coburg, Victoria, Australia | (aged 41)
Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
Spouse | Dorothy Janet (née George) |
Parent(s) | John and Cecilia (née Young) Ryan |
Conviction(s) | Murder |
Criminal penalty | Death |
Ronald Joseph Ryan (21 February 1925 – 3 February 1967) was the last person to be legally executed in Australia. Ryan was found guilty of shooting and killing warder George Hodson during an escape from Pentridge Prison, Victoria, in 1965. Ryan's hanging was met with public protests by those opposed to capital punishment. Capital punishment was abolished in all states by 1985.[1]