Harold McQueen Jr.
Harold I. McQueen Jr. (July 25, 1952 – July 1, 1997) was the first criminal executed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky after the reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States in 1976. McQueen was sentenced to death on April 8, 1981 for shooting and killing an unarmed store clerk, Rebecca O'Hearn, while robbing the store in which she worked in Richmond, committed on January 17, 1981.
Harold McQueen Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Harold I. McQueen Jr. July 25, 1952 |
| Died | July 1, 1997 (aged 44) |
| Cause of death | Execution by electrocution |
| Resting place | Red Lick Cemetery, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Criminal status | Executed by electrocution at 12:07 AM, ET in Kentucky State Penitentiary on July 1, 1997 |
| Criminal charge | Armed Robbery Murder |
| Penalty | Death by electrocution |
| Imprisoned at | Kentucky State Penitentiary |
On July 1, 1997, at 12:07 a.m., McQueen was executed by electrocution at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville. In addition to being the first person executed in Kentucky since 1962, McQueen, as of May 2018, is also the last person executed in the state's electric chair and is the only person since 1976 executed in Kentucky involuntarily. McQueen's last words, spoken to his spiritual adviser, were "I love you, Father". During his execution, smoke was seen rising from the electrodes placed on his right ankle. He was declared dead eight minutes after the execution had begun.
See also
General Sources
- Harold McQueen, Jr.. The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney. Retrieved on November 12, 2007.
- Collins, Michael (January 13, 1998). "Killer's last plea: Stay off drugs". The Cincinnati Post. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on January 27, 2004.
