Mitchell Rupe
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Mitchell Edward Rupe (1955 – February 7, 2006) was a convicted murderer who achieved notoriety when his death sentence was overturned after a judge determined that Rupe was too obese to hang.
On the morning of September 17, 1981 Rupe fatally shot
At his trial, Rupe denied any involvement in the crime and blamed a friend of his. A psychologist testified that he had given Rupe a diagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder and a secondary diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder, and that these disorders caused Rupe to make a false confession. Mitchell Rupe was found guilty of aggravated murder and sentenced to death.
His death sentence was overturned twice, the second time being in 1994 when United States federal judge Thomas S. Zilly ruled that Rupe was too heavy to hang. Rupe was over 425 pounds at the time (as high as the scale went) and the judge was concerned that execution by hanging could cause Rupe to be decapitated, which would constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
Rupe was re-sentenced a third time in 2000 by a new jury. After a two-week sentencing hearing, Rupe escaped a new
Rupe died of liver disease in the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington on February 7, 2006.