The Last Public Execution in the U.S.

Rainey Bethea was the last person publicly executed in the United States. The criminal confessed to the rape and murder of 70-year-old Lischia Edwards. On August 14, 1936, Bethea was publicly hanged in Owensburg, Kentucky.

On June 7, 1936, Bethea broke into the East Fifth Street home of Lischia Edwards by crawling through her bedroom window. Bethea removed the screen, waking the woman. He then choked her and raped her. Once unconscious, Bethea stole several pieces of jewelry. In the process, he accidentally removed his celluloid prison ring and did not retrieve it before leaving the home.

He hid the stolen jewelry inside a bar nearby the Edwards home and fled the scene.

The body of Ms. Edwards was discovered later in the morning by the neighbor who used a ladder to access the home. The Smith family who lived downstairs notified the neighbor that they had not heard from her and were growing worried.

Officers found muddy footprints at the scene as well as Bethea’s prison ring. Several residents in the neighborhood reported to police that the ring belonged to Bethea. He had a long criminal record, giving police a way to identify him: through fingerprints.

Police searched the bedroom for fingerprints that would tie Bethea to the murder. Once they retrieved this evidence, they searched for the man for four days until a man working noticed him lying underneath bushes. The man then called police, but Bethea had moved to Koll’s Grocery by then. Policemen thought they closed in on Bethea at a drugstore, but he again avoided capture.

Police cornered Bethea on a riverbank later that afternoon. He initially denied that his name was Bethea, saying instead his name was James Smith. Police played along with this hoping he would provide more information. He was later identified by a scar on the left side of his head.

Bethea Confesses

While Bethea was transported to jail, he admitted that he had raped and strangled Edwards. He also flourished on the fact that he made such a big mistake by leaving his ring at the scene.

He confessed to the rape and murder a second time while behind bars. A notary public named Robert M. Morton and reporter George H. Koper were the witnesses this time.

A third confession came after he told the jail gourds where he had hid the jewelry. Police found the jewelry when they searched the barn where Bethea said it would be.

Only Charged With Rape

To avoid dilemmas due to laws at this time, prosecutors charged Bethea only with the crime of rape. Bethea changed his plea the day prior to the start of the trial. Prosecutors requested the death penalty for Bethea. The jury sentenced him to death by hanging.

Former Louisville police officer Arthur L. Hash offered his services to perform the execution free of charge. The sheriff who had been tasked with the execution accepted the offer, asking Hash to keep his name out of the public.

Change of Location

Lt. Governor of Kentucky Keen Johnson, acting as governor, signed a second warrant allowing the moving of the location of the hanging from the courthouse to an empty lot in order to allow Hash to carry out the execution.

At 1 a.m. on August 13, sheriff deputies transported Bethea from Louisville to Owensboro, Kentucky. Professional hangman Phil Hanna instructed Bethea to stand on the X marked on the trapdoor.

About 20,000 spectators gathered to watch the execution.

Hash wore a white suit complete with a white Panama hat.

Bethea Arrives for Execution

At 5:21 a.m. Bethea arrived, walking with an escort from two deputies to the scaffold. Two minutes later, he removed his shoes, put on socks and stood on the X on the trapdoor as instructed.

Bethea made a final confession to Father Lammers of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville. Officers placed a black hood over this face, fastened three large straps across his arms, chest, ankles, and thighs and placed a noose around his neck. The signal to shoot was given.

Hash Was Too Drunk

The drunken Hash only stood there. Shouting to Hash to “Do it!” a sheriff took matters into his own hands and leaned on the trigger, opening the trap door. Bethea fell 8-feet, his neck breaking instantly. Two doctors confirmed his death before his body was transported to Andrew & Wheatley Funeral Home. Against his wishes, he was buried at the Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery in Owensboro.

The spot where the scaffold stood is now part of a drop-off/pick-up lane in front of the Owensboro Convention Center.

This execution marked the final public execution in the United States.