This week in 1996
“Merry Christmas.”
— Lem Tuggle, convicted of rape and murder, lethal injection, Virginia.
Executed December 12, 1996
Sporting an arm tattoo saying “Born to Die,” Tuggle was the final man to be executed out of the six who pulled off the largest deathrow escape in U.S. history. Already on death row for the rape and murder of a fifty-two-year-old woman, Tuggle, along with five other inmates, used stolen uniforms to escape in a prison van. Within three weeks all six were apprehended, and by 1993 all but Tuggle had been executed.
This week in 2001
“You people over there. You know what these people are doing. By them executing me ain’t doing nothing right. I don’t weigh 180 pounds and 5’7”. Take care, love y’all… ”
— Vincent Cooks, convicted of murder, lethal injection,Texas.
Executed December 12, 2001
Cooks stood 6’3″ and weighed three hundred pounds. Witnesses of a robbery in which a police officer was killed identified a significantly shorter, slimmer man as the perpetrator. However, Cooks stood trial and was convicted of murder.
This week in 1931
“O my God, I am sorry for having offended thee.”
— Willie Green, convicted of murder, electric chair, Illinois.
Executed December 11, 1931
The Chicago Daily Tribune recorded little about Green, age thirtyone, who faced the electric chair for killing grocer Max Newman. He was executed the same day as three other convicted murderers at the Southern Illinois Penitentiary in Menard. He delivered his last words while shaking hands with a priest.
