“I am Jerome Bowden, and I would just like to state that my execution is about to be carried out. And I would like to thank the people at this institution for taking such good care of me in the way that they did. And I hope that by my execution being carried out that it may bring some light to this thing that is wrong. And I would like to have a final prayer with Chaplain [name] if that is possible. Thank you very much.”

— Jerome Bowden, convicted of murder, electric chair, Georgia.
Executed June 24, 1986

Bowden, who had an IQ of 65, was convicted of murdering ifty-five-year-old Kathryn Striker during a robbery in her home. His case drew protests from groups concerned about mental retardation and from rock stars such as Lou Reed, Sting, and the band U2. Two years later, the state of Georgia banned executions of murderers found “guilty but mentally retarded.”

“I’ve already spoken the truth, but because it was spoken by someone accused, the truth was not respected. It must come from the man who spoke the lie. I am not the killer. I myself did not kill anyone. I go to my death without begging for my life. I will not humiliate myself. I will let no man break me. It just can’t be done. There is a price to be paid. I want people to wake up to the reality of executions. The price to be paid will be a dear one.”

— James Smith, convicted of murder, lethal injection, Texas.
Executed June 26, 1990

A former retail merchant, Smith saw his execution as a “point of honor” and requested a “lump of dirt” as his last meal, a request that was denied. Smith was found guilty of shooting insurance company employee Larry Don Rohus during a robbery in an office building. Smith had been arrested in a nearby apartment complex after being chased by Rohus’s coworker, a man on the street, and workers inside the complex. He would later escape the courthouse during the jury selection for his trial, only to be apprehended again by an officer several blocks away.

“I want to give out a message to the people of Albany. They double-crossed me, but I’m a better man than they are. I thank you, warden.”

— Leonard Scarnici, convicted of murder, electric chair, New York.
Executed June 27, 1935

Scarnici and five of his gang held up a Rensselaer County Bank with a machine gun and a slew of pistols. Unbeknownst to the robbers, they had tripped the silent alarm, which brought two police detectives running to the scene. Detective James A. Stevens was gunned down the instant he passed through the bank doors, and a deafening exchange of fire ensued. Two of Scarnici’s men were shot dead and the rest escaped with two thousand dollars.