Family of south carolina boy put to death seeks exoneration. George and his older brother johnnie were arrested and taken away, even though their parents werent home. There is an unbroken string connecting the deaths of george stinney, a 14 yearold executed here in south carolina in 1944, and stephon clark, an. The youngest person executed, george junius stinney jr our.
The ghost of george stinney, jr how the justice system hasn. Standing 5 feet 1 inch 155 cm tall and weighing just over 90 pounds 40 kg, stinney was so small compared to the usual adult prisoners that law officers had difficulty securing him to the frame holding the electrodes. One of the most atrocious cases of injustice due to racial difference in the 20th century is george stinneys case. New witnesses have come forward in the case of a black 14yearold boy who was convicted of killing two white girls in south carolina in. He was so small he had to sit on a phone book in the electric chair. This book is a fictionalized account of the story of george stinney jr. The book won stout an edgar award for best first novel. In 1988, while working as a reporter, david stout published carolina skeletons, based on the true story of a 1940s doublemurder, for which fourteen yearold george stinney was controversially executed. George stinney the youngest person executed in the united.
October 21, 1929 june 16, 1944 was an africanamerican youth who at a flawed trial was convicted at age 14 of murder in 1944 in. George stinney was just 14 when he was executed by a jury on june 16, 1944. Dec 18, 2014 george stinney jr was executed in 1944 for the murder of two white girls. Judge says 1944 execution of 14yearold boy was wrong. In 1944, george stinney, a 14yearold african american boy, was accused of murdering two white girls and convicted within 10 minutes. The book became the basis for the 1992 movie of the same name starring lou gossett jr. During his trial in 1944, stinneys white lawyer did not present witnesses or.
Judge reverses guilty verdict in 1944 execution of 14yearold wsws. Stinney, who was black, was arrested on suspicion of murdering two white girls, betty june binnicker, age 11, and mary emma thames, age 8, in. Of course, in one respect an execution like george stinney s. Us judge overturns 1940s conviction of executed boy. October 21, 1929 june 16, 1944, was an african american youth convicted, at age 14, of murdering two white girls, ages 7 and 11, in his hometown of alcolu, south carolina. George stinney jr was executed in 1944 for the murder of two white girls. George stinney, 14 years old and 95 pounds, was convicted of beating. Dec 18, 2014 us judge overturns 1940s conviction of executed boy. Neither relative believes the push for a new trial is warranted. Stinney, who was executed at the age of 14 and proved innocent after 70 years, is the biggest factor in stephen kings writing the green mile. George stinney the youngest person executed in the. Last week a south carolina judge took the unprecedented step of vacating the 1944 conviction of a black 14yearold boy, the youngest person executed in the united states in the past century, on the grounds that he, george stinney, jr. George stinney, south carolina boy executed for 1944.
After a decadesold battle to clear the name of 14yearold george stinney jr. George stinney, reportedly the last person to see the girls as he tended to his familys cow when they stopped to ask for directions, quickly became the prime suspect and was taken in for questioning by police. George stinney and the lessons of history the justice blog. The character of george stinney in just mercy from litcharts. George stinney historical records and family trees. Advocates push for new trial to clear name of 14yearold killer niece of. Jan 20, 2014 george stinney, reportedly the last person to see the girls as he tended to his familys cow when they stopped to ask for directions, quickly became the prime suspect and was taken in for questioning by police.
Frierson carries around a book of old newspaper clippings and. South carolina still recognizes george stinney as a murderer. George stinney bio, facts, family famous birthdays. Seventy years after 14yearold george stinney became the youngest person in american history to be executed, he was exonerated today by a south carolina. Til when 14yearold george stinney was executed in the electric chair he was too short for the chair so he used his bible as a booster seat. Sep 18, 2016 the execution of george stinney was carried out at the central correctional institution in columbia on june 16, 1944, at 7. They held stinney for five days, then charged him after they said he confessed to the girls murders.
George stinney jr, the youngest person ever executed in south carolina. George stinney, youngest american executed was born october. Reports say he had to sit on a phone book in the electric. The ghost of george stinney, jr how the justice system. Executed teen george stinneys family praises exoneration.
Jan 21, 20 george stinney s story would be extraordinary on its own. New trial sought for george stinney, executed at 14 cnn. George was locked in a room with several white officers. Court acknowledges wrongful execution of 14year old george.
In march 1944, deep in the jim crow south, police came for 14yearold george stinney jr. At age 14, he was the youngest person executed in u. Nearly 70 years after 14yearold george stinney jr became the youngest person in recorded u. For those unfamiliar with the story, here is my version from my 2007 book, south carolina killers. There was no physical evidence to connect him to the crime. George stinney, 14 years old and 95 pounds, was convicted of beating two white girls to death after a threehour trial. Aug 31, 2016 leaders at the charleston school of law, along with 17 students, are beginning an effort to mount a civil rights case stemming from the 1944 execution of george stinney jr. George stinney, the black teen executed by electric chair in. Understanding shapes, he says, is a useful way to understand what is possible in design. Decades after georges death, an important white man in the community admitted to killing the girls. New evidence, old wounds in sc execution case al jazeera. May 28, 2018 katherine robinson, one of george stinneys sisters, testifies to what she remembers from the day of his arrest. Court acknowledges wrongful execution of 14year old. Dec 17, 2014 george stinney, 14 years old and 95 pounds, was convicted of beating two white girls to death after a threehour trial.
In 1944, there were no miranda rights to be read to the accused. He was executed by electric chair in june of that year. In march 1944, deep in the jim crow south, police came for 14yearold george stinney. Seventy years after he was executed in south carolina, george stinneys conviction was vacated by a state judge wednesday on the grounds that he had not received a fair trial stinney, a 14yearold black boy, was arrested in march 1944 for the murder of two white girls in clarendon county, s. Dec 26, 2014 last week a south carolina judge took the unprecedented step of vacating the 1944 conviction of a black 14yearold boy, the youngest person executed in the united states in the past century, on the grounds that he, george stinney, jr.
The black residents lived in one part of the town while the white residents lived in the other. Dec 17, 2014 an africanamerican boy, george stinney jr. The state of south carolina executed 14yearold george stinney in 1944, but a judge from the same court declared his innocence in 2014. He is a black boy arrested in the murder of two white girls in the rural town of alcolu, s. October 21, 1929 june 16, 1944 was an africanamerican youth who at a flawed trial was convicted at age 14 of murder in 1944 in his home town of alcolu, south carolina. Neither of georges parents were allowed to see him. A south carolina judge ruled he was denied due process. In this exclusive, fourpart series, stout revisits the novel. George stinneys sister says he was innocent us news sky news. However, his conviction was tossed by a south carolina judge, who said that the teen did not receive a far trial in the racially divided era. George stinney remains the youngest person executed in the us in 100 years.
Seven decades after the execution, the conviction was overturned on the grounds that his sixth amendment rights had been violated due to his lack of legal defense during the trial. George stinneys sister says he was innocent us news. Decades after george s death, an important white man in the community admitted to killing the girls. The youngest person in the united states ever put to death by the electric chair was an africanamerican 14yearold named george stinney jr. George stinneys conviction tossed out 70 years after.
Supporters of stinney have argued there wasnt enough evidence to find him guilty in 1944. Dec 18, 2014 after a decadesold battle to clear the name of 14yearold george stinney jr. Alcolu was a small mill town divided into two by railroad tracks. The question of stinneys guilt and the judicial process leading to his execution remain controversial. George stinney was a fourteenyearold african american boy executed in south carolina in the 1930s. At the time of georges arrest, he was home with his older brother and younger sister. Dec 17, 2014 george was taken to the sheriffs office, where he was interrogated.
It took 10 minutes to convict 14yearold george stinney. A 14yearold south carolina boy who was quickly convicted of murder and then executed in 1944 has been posthumously exonerated. Still, they said they believe the push to reopen the case is mostly about publicity in advance of a new movie in the works, 83 days. George stinney, execute a 14 ans, il serait finalement.
Today, some are pushing for the reopening of the case to exonerate stinney. What the deaths of george stinney and stephon clark have. Of course, in one respect an execution like george stinneys. George stinney was born circa 1930, at birth place, south carolina, to george stinney and annie stinney. It took 10 minutes to convict 14yearold george stinney jr. The separate but equal doctrine, which had been the law since the 1890s, forced blacks throughout the south to use separate public bathrooms, water fountains, restaurants. George helped a search party look for two missing white girls and was later falsely arrested for their murders. The execution of george stinney was carried out at the central correctional institution in columbia on june 16, 1944, at 7. What matters, however, is that this is a story based on true facts. George stinney historical records and family trees myheritage. Africanamerican boy who was executed as a 14yearold after being convicted of murdering a pair of white girls. George stinneys story would be extraordinary on its own.
Stinney, who was so small at the time of his execution by electric chair that he had to sit on a phone book, is often cited as the youngest american to be put to death by the state in the 20th century. Lawyers for george stinneys family are appealing for a new trial, saying new witnesses and new evidence will prove the boys innocence. Us judge overturns 1940s conviction of executed boy bbc news. Credit sc department of archives and history, via associated press seventy years after he was executed in south carolina, george stinneys conviction was vacated by a state judge wednesday on the grounds that he had not received a fair trial. Information about african americans in the 1950s as the 1950s began. The youngest person executed, george junius stinney jr. A modern understanding of a long ago confession and a boys. Court acknowledges wrongful execution of 14year old george stinney 12. Opinion pursuing justice for all the new york times.
Recently a judge vacated stinneys conviction 70 years too late. The court refused to hear his appeal, and the appeals on his behalf to the governor for clemency were denied. King, with his ingenious use of language and elements that enrich the story, has created a work that will not be scraped from memory for years. Sc judge says 1944 execution of 14yearold boy was wrong npr. Jan 22, 2014 lawyers for george stinney s family are appealing for a new trial, saying new witnesses and new evidence will prove the boys innocence. Without any physical evidence or eyewitnesses, stinney was charged with the firstdegree murders of 11 year old betty. The case has opened in sumter, south carolina, with 100. He became americas youngest person to be executed by the electric chair. Quest to clear george stinneys name draws new scrutiny to another. October 21, 1929 june 16, 1944 was, at age 14, the youngest person executed in the united states in the 20th century.
George stinney, the black teen executed by electric chair. Decades after georges death, an important white man in the community admitted to. Meet george stinney, the youngest person to be executed by. Did south carolina execute 14yearold george stinney. South carolina lawyers seek retrial for executed george.
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