The last public execution in the US occurred in 1936 in Kentucky. Rainey Bethea was hanged for rape, supervised by the first female sheriff. Negative media coverage contributed to the end of public executions. Pennsylvania stopped public executions in 1834, and over 270 death row inmates have been pardoned since 1976. The US was one of the top five countries for executions in 2012.
The last public execution in the United States took place in 1936 in Owensboro, Kentucky. Rainey Bethea was sentenced to public hanging after being convicted of raping a 70-year-old woman. The event attracted media attention mainly because it was the first execution supervised by a female sheriff, Florence Thompson. The crowd was estimated at 20,000, including journalists, photographers and spectators. Media coverage following the execution was negative and portrayed the mob as a bloodthirsty mob. Although the research debunked the media coverage, with witnesses saying the crowds were quiet during the event, many believe the negative press contributed to the demise of public executions in the United States.
Read more about capital punishment in the United States:
In 1834, Pennsylvania became the first state to stop public executions and carry them out exclusively in prisons.
More than 270 death row inmates have been pardoned since 1976, when the US Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment.
In 2012, the United States was one of the top five countries for most executions, after China and three Middle Eastern countries: Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
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