Scott Hain
Scott Hain | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 2, 1970 Larceny of an automobile (2 counts) Third degree arson |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | Michael Houghton, 27 Laura Sanders, 22 |
| Date | October 6, 1987 |
Date apprehended | October 9, 1987 |
Scott Allen Hain (June 2, 1970 – April 3, 2003) was the last person executed in the United States for crimes committed as a juvenile. Hain was executed by Oklahoma for a double murder–kidnapping he committed when he was 17 years old.
Crime
Hain was born in
On October 6, 1987, Hain and Robert Lambert
Court proceedings and executions
Hain and Lambert were arrested on October 9, 1987. At trial in 1988, they were both convicted of capital
In February 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a stay of execution that had been put in place by the
Hain's partner, Lambert, who had been convicted and sentenced in 1994, was retried, convicted and sentenced again to death. In 2005, however, Lambert's case went to the Oklahoma State Court of Criminal Appeals, where the court ruled him "mentally retarded". According to news reports, Lambert will serve a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole.[1]
Statistics
As a result of the 1976 Supreme Court decision in Gregg v. Georgia, capital punishment was allowed to resume in the United States. With his execution, Hain became:[2]
- The 22nd juvenile offender executed in the U.S. since 1976,
- 23rd murderer executed in the U.S. in 2003,
- 843rd murderer executed in the U.S. since 1976,
- 5th murderer executed in Oklahoma in 2003,
- And 60th murderer executed in Oklahoma since 1976.
Hain was the last person executed in the United States for crimes committed as a minor, prior to the 2005 Roper v. Simmons case in which the United States Supreme Court outlawed such executions.
End of juvenile offender executions in the United States
In March 2005, less than two years after Hain's execution, the
See also
- Capital punishment for juveniles in the United States
- Capital punishment in Oklahoma
- Capital punishment in the United States
- List of people executed in Oklahoma
- List of people executed in the United States in 2003
- Roper v. Simmons: 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the execution of those under 18 (at the time of committing the capital crime) is unconstitutional.
- Thompson v. Oklahoma: 1988 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the execution of those who committed their crime when under the age of 16 is unconstitutional.
References
External links
- Charlie Savage, "Executions barred for juvenile killers: In 5-4 ruling, justices invoke global standard", Boston Globe, 2005-03-02