VADP

There have been 103 people executed since reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.

Virginia is 2nd in the nation in executions behind Texas; 1st per capita with states that have populations of more than 1 million people.

2009 Executions

Edward Nathaniel Bell - February 19

2008 Executions

Christopher Scott Emmett - July 24 

Kent Jackson - July 10 

Robert Yarbrough - June 25 

Kevin Green - May 27 

2007 Executions

(no execution)

2006 Executions

Dexter Lee Vinson - April 27

Brandon Hedrick - July 20

Michael Lenz - July 27

John Yancey Schmitt - November 9

2005 Executions

(no executions)

2004 Executions

Brian Lee Cherrix - March 18

Dennis Mitchell Orbe - March 31

Mark Wesley Bailey - July 22

James Bryant Hudson - August 18

James Reid - September 9

2003 Executions

Bobby Swisher - July 22

Earl Bramblett - April 9

2002 Executions

James Earl Patterson - March 14

Daniel Lee Zirkle - April 2

Walter Mickens, Jr. - June 12

Aimal Kahn Kasi - November 14

2001 Executions

Thomas Akers - March 1

Christopher Beck - October 18

2000 Executions

Douglas Thomas - January 10

Steve Roach - January 13

Lonnie Weeks, Jr. - March 16

Michael Clagett - July 6

Russel Burket - August 30

Derek Barnabei - September 14

Bobby Lee Ramdass - October 10

Christopher Goins - December 6

1999 Executions

Mark Sheppard - January 20

Tony Fry - February 2

George Quesinberry - March 9

David Lee Fisher - March 25

Carl Chichester - April 13

Arthur Jenkins - April 20

Eric Payne - April 28

Ronald Yeatts - April 29

Thomas Strickler - July 21

Marlon Dewayne Williams - August 17

Everett Mueller - September 16

Jason Joseph - October 19

Thomas Royal, Jr. - November 9

Andre Graham - December 9

1998 Executions

Tony Mackall - February 10

Douglas Buchanan - Mar. 18

Ronald Watkins - March 25

Angel Breard - Apr. 14

Dennis Eaton - June 18

Danny King - July 23

Lance Chandler - August 20

Johnile DuBois - August 31

Kenneth Stewart, Jr. - September 23

Dwayne Wright - October 14

Ronald Fitzgerald - October 21

Kenneth Wilson - November 17

Kevin Cardwell - December 3

Virginia Breaks Single Year Record...Again

For the 3rd consecutive year, Virginia has broken its number of executions by killing 13 people in 1998. In 1997, 9 were executed and 8 were executed in 1996. While still remaining behind Texas in the total number of executions since reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, Virginia now has passed Texas with the most executions per capita with states having populations of 1 million or more.

1998 also saw Virginia in the spotlight of the world when on April 14th, Angel Breard, a Paraguayan national was executed, as Virginia snubbed the World Court and the U.S. State Department. Their arguments that international treaties which call for countries to notify the governments of their citizens being incarcerated were broken, were rejected. Not since 1924 had Virginia executed a person who was a juvenile when he committed the crime. Dwayne Wright, who was 17 and had mental disorders when he murdered Saba Tekle, was executed on October 14.

VADP would like to extend its condolences to the families and friends who lost the following loved ones in 1998, in the name of the state. Anthony Mackall, Douglass Buchanan, Ronald Watkins, Angel Breard, Dennis Eaton, Danny King, Lance Chandler, Johnile Dubois, Kenneth Stewart, Jr., Dwayne Wright, Ronald Fitzgerald, Kenneth Wilson, and Kevin Cardwell.

..And while 13 cells were emptied this year, 9 of them were refilled. This is the most sentenced to death in one year since reinstatement. The following men entered Death Row in 1998. Eric Payne and Darrick Walker in Richmond, Mir Aimal Kasi in Fairfax, Bobby Swisher in Augusta County, James Reid in Montgomery County, Brian Cherrix in Accomack County, Darryl Adkins and Dennis Orbe in York County, and Brandon Hedrick in Appomattox.

Anyone who wishes to become a pen pal to anyone on Virginia's Death Row can write them at Sussex I State Prison, PO Box 288, Waverly VA. 23890.

1997 Executions

Michael George - February 6

Coleman Gray - February 26

Roy Bruce Smith - July 17

Joseph Roger O'Dell - July 23

Carlton Jerome Pope - August 19

Mario Murphy - September 17

Dawud Mu'Min - November 13

Michael Charles Satcher - December 9

Thomas Beavers - December 11

Executions in Virginia Reach Modern-Day Record in 1997

The last time more than 9 people were executed in Virginia in a single year was 1909. 17 were executed in that year. And once again Virginia executed 2 or more men between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 4 were killed during that time period last year. The news for the immediate future does not look any better. At the Annual Meeting of Virginians For Alternatives to the Death Penalty held at the end of October, a group of nearly 50 activists were informed that close to 30 men were in the later stages of their appeals.

As it appeared that things were going to get better with the reduction of death sentences as a result of Virginia abolishing parole, 5 men were sentenced to death in November. Only 3 had been sentenced to death in the last 2 years.

Gov. George Allen in his 4 years as Governor (Virginia law states that a Gov. can only serve 1 consecutive term of 4 years.) was responsible for 24 executions. On the other hand he did commute the death sentence of Joseph Payne 3 hours before he was to be executed in Nov. of last year and most recently commuted the death sentence of William Saunders this past September, 2 days before he refused to commute Mario Murphy's death sentence. Mario's case became high profile and there was a good case for commutation. Instead the Gov. commuted Saunders' "out of the blue" and allowed the execution of Murphy.

Virginia remains in 2nd place behind Texas in executions since reinstatement of the death penalty with 46. There are nearly 50 people remaining on death row.

1996 Executions

If leading the country in executions with 8 in 1996 wasn't enough, Virginia surpassed Florida for second place in total executions since reinstatement of the DP in 1976 by executing Coleman Gray on February 26. This was the second execution this year. Michael George was executed on Feb. 6. Virginia's 3rd execution of the year will most likely take place on April 8 when Doug Buchanon is scheduled to die by lethal injection. Last year Virginia broke its own modern day record for executions by executing the following 8 people:

Walter Correll - January 4

Richard Townes - January 23

Joseph Savino - July 17

Ronald Bennett - November 21

Greg Beaver - December 3

Larry Stout - December 10

Lem Tuggle - December 12

Ronald Hoke - December 16

This was the 2nd time Virginia has executed on International Human Rights Day. (Timothy Bunche was executed in 1992.) About 40 people, including AI Board member Abe Bonowitz and representatives from AI's Mid Atlantic Regional office joined Virginians to protest Virginia's use of the death penalty on International Human Rights Day.

On the legislative front, the usual death penalty expansion bills passed including the willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing of more than one person, within 5 years of another killing, the murder of an out of state police officer, and the death penalty for drug kingpins when a murder has occurred. The Capital Case Bill of Review which would have repealed the 21 day rule was killed in a sub-committee of the House Courts of Justice. This was a disappointment since the 21 day rule was a major focus of the Journey of Hope last Fall.

Executions Since 1976

(Race: w=white; b=Afro-American; a=asian; h=hispanic. Sex:m=male; f=female)
*Foreign - Mexican national
**Foreign - Paraguayan national
~ Foreign- Vietnamese national
~1 Foreign- Moroccan national
~2 Foreign- Pakistani national

Condemned Prisoners who
Committed Suicide on the Row

Died While Incarcerated on Death Row