Virginia Christian | |
|---|---|
 Photograph of Virginia Christian in 1912 | |
| Born | August 15, 1895 Hampton City, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | August 16, 1912 (aged 17) |
| Cause of death | Execution by electrocution |
| Resting place | First Baptist Church-Hampton Cemetery Hampton City, Virginia, U.S. |
| Other names | Gennie |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
Virginia Christian (August 15, 1895 – August 16, 1912) was the first female criminal executed in the 20th century in the state of Virginia, and a juvenile offender executed in the United States. She was also the only female juvenile executed by electric chair and, to date, the last female criminal executed in the electric chair by the Commonwealth of Virginia. She was the last female criminal executed by the Commonwealth until September 23, 2010, when Teresa Lewis became the first female criminal in nearly a century to be executed in the US state of Virginia.[1]
Christian, a black maid, was convicted of the murder of her employer Ida Belote, a 52-year-old white woman, in her home at Hampton on March 18, 1912.[2][3] Shortly after she was arrested, it is said she confessed that she hit Belote, but that she had never intended to kill her.
- ^ Hartenstein, Meena (2010-09-20). "First woman to be executed by Virginia in nearly 100 years". New York Daily News.
- ^ Lundin, Leigh (2010-09-26). "Virginia, Virginia". Capital Punishment. Criminal Brief.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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