Image source, Getty Images
August 14, 1936, Friday. Thousands gathered along a riverbank in Kentucky. A crowd of men, women, and children assembled to witness the public hanging of a Black man convicted of raping and murdering an elderly white widow.
It was a sweltering summer day in Owensboro, Kentucky. Fear of not finding space prompted some people to spend the night near the gallows.
Some gathered the night before for drinking, while teenagers sold popcorn and soda to spectators.
By the 5 a.m. execution time, the crowd had grown to nearly 20,000.
At that moment, Rainey Bethea, a 20-year-old orphan, ascended the gallows. He had been sentenced to death for the robbery, rape, and murder of 70-year-old Lischa Edwards.
The day before, his last meal had included fried chicken, pork chops, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, corn bread, lemon pie, and ice cream.
The Last Notorious Public Execution
Many present were journalists from distant cities such as Chicago and New York.
They had come specifically to see the famed “Lady Executioner.”
The local official responsible for carrying out hangings had died four months earlier, unexpectedly making his widow the successor.
However, she refused to pull the lever herself, so hired individuals performed the execution.
Image source, FPG/Staff/Getty
This was the last well-known public hanging conducted in the United States.
The event surrounding Bethea’s death embarrassed many in Kentucky, leading the state governor to ban public executions 18 months later.
By that time, due to changing social awareness, many states had ended the tradition of public executions.
In 1937, another public hanging in Missouri was witnessed by a few hundred people but received little publicity and remained the last public execution nationwide.
Why Is It Being Discussed Again Now?
Nearly 90 years after Bethea’s execution, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the public execution of Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 unarmed fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.
The Pentagon stated that the execution scheduled for December will be broadcast live.
Hegseth said, “People need to understand that such acts have serious consequences.”
Michael Radelet, Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado and long-time death penalty researcher, expressed shock over the announcement.
He said, “I never imagined another public execution.”
According to him, public support for the death penalty has significantly declined over time.
For example, in 1994, support stood at 80%, but it has dropped to 52% today.
“Especially when there is an option of ‘life imprisonment without parole,’ support drops sharply,” he added.
It will take time to gauge American public opinion on the live broadcast, but millions are likely to watch.
Radelet commented, “It turns the justification for the death penalty into entertainment… Bring popcorn, invite your friends.”
Live Broadcast!
Sonya Lea, who wrote a book on Bethea’s execution just last year, said upon hearing news of a live broadcast of a lethal injection, “This will be horrific for future generations.”
She said, “In 1936, it was called a ‘festival of cruelty.’ Today’s technology makes it even more terrifying.”
Her grandparents, married teenagers at the time, were among that crowd.
After her grandmother’s death in 2002, she learned about the chilling mention of Bethea’s neck breaking sound.
Recent research shows many Kentucky residents remain deeply affected by the execution’s legacy.
She said, “I truly thought we had moved on, but this is such horrific cruelty that only a few countries — like Iran, North Korea, and Afghanistan — still practice it.”
“It’s terrifying to think that the United States government might now be part of such a government.”
Why Is This Happening?
According to Curt Gray, professor of social psychology at Ohio State University, the polarization and expression conflicts in American politics may have set the stage for such a decision.
“Some Americans may feel a strong desire for revenge or violence, while many others are indifferent or desensitized,” he said.
“Thus, while they may not be enthusiastic supporters of public executions, they respond: ‘Well, this reflects our era.'”
Other studies suggest that the Hegseth administration may have misjudged the country’s actual sentiments.
Garen Wintermute, director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Berkeley, says survey data shows a decline in desire for retaliatory actions in the US.
“This morning, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops called it a barbaric act, reflecting popular sentiment,” he said.
“In my view, the key point is: public executions are not part of our national identity. We do not want to become that.”
Debate Within the White House
Image source, Bell County Sheriff’s Office/Reuters
On Friday, controversy swirled within the White House regarding Hegseth’s unexpected announcement.
Vice President JD Vance expressed uncertainty to reporters about whether the public execution would actually take place.
He said, “I’m not sure this will actually happen; if it is broadcast live, I won’t be watching.”
Hours later, President Donald Trump announced full support for the live broadcast plan.
However, the Pentagon said the process remains ongoing and Trump did not clarify whether he will watch Hasan’s execution.
“I don’t really care how it happens. The main thing is it has to happen,” Trump said. “I think the death penalty is an appropriate punishment for people like him.”
