In the 20th century, the youngest person executed in the United States was George Stinney Jr. At just 14 years old, he was executed in the electric chair. From the day of his trial until his execution, the young man held a Bible in his hands, constantly proclaiming his innocence.
Stinney was charged with murdering two white girls. One victim was 11-year-old Betty and the other was 7-year-old Mary. Their bodies were found near their own homes. During the trial, all the jurors were white and the proceedings lasted only two hours. Just 10 minutes into the trial, the death sentence was handed down. Stinney's parents were threatened with death and were not allowed to give their son any comfort in the courtroom. They were subsequently forced to leave their town.
George Stinney spent 81 days in prison before his death and was never allowed to see his parents during that time. He was held in solitary confinement about 50 miles from his hometown. His execution was carried out by applying 5,380 volts of electricity.
Seventy years after his death, a South Carolina judge has proven George Stinney innocent. The two girls had been killed by a beam weighing more than 40 pounds, which would have been impossible for 14-year-old Stinney to lift, let alone use to inflict lethal blows. The entire case against him was fabricated, and Stinney was targeted simply because he was black.
George Stinney Jr., at 14, was the youngest person executed in the U.S. in the 20th century. He was convicted of killing two white girls, Betty and Mary, despite proclaiming his innocence. His trial lasted only two hours, with an all-white jury, and he was sentenced to death just 10 minutes in. Stinney’s parents were not allowed to comfort him, and he spent 81 days in solitary confinement. His execution was carried out with a high-voltage electric chair. In 2014, a judge ruled Stinney innocent, revealing that the evidence against him was fabricated and he was targeted because of his race.
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