Death Penalty
Latest Stories

Alabama executes man by nitrogen gas for the first time in the U.S.
Kenneth Smith, 58, died at 8:25 p.m. Thursday, after a slew of last-minute appeals to several courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, failed.

Families of executed prisoners want death penalty tapes made public
Virginia said it's keeping execution tapes secret to protect the privacy of the relatives of the prisoners the state recorded. But the families NPR talked with said they want the tapes published.

Politics
Outgoing Oregon governor commutes death row sentences, orders execution chamber dismantled
In her final weeks in office, Gov. Kate Brown is commuting the sentences of those on death row and dismantling the state execution chamber in an effort to effectively end capital punishment in Oregon.
Politics
Oregon governor candidates weigh in on death penalty
In the race to be Oregon's next governor, the Democratic candidate says she’ll continue Oregon’s moratorium on capital punishment, while the Republican and unaffiliated candidates indicate they will revoke it, which could allow the state to resume executions.

Melissa Lucio is scheduled to be executed for a crime that may not have occurred
Lucio is scheduled to be executed for the death of her 2-year-old daughter. Her supporters say she was forced into a false "confession" and that new evidence exists that proves her innocence.

Supreme Court reimposes Boston Marathon bomber’s death sentence
In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court reinstated the death sentence for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Oregon Supreme Court overturns death sentence of “Molalla Forest Killer”
The court's decision on Friday follows a ruling in October that found state lawmakers had fundamentally altered “prevailing societal standards” for executions when they changed the law in 2019.

Northwest prosecutors join in call to end federal executions
A former Washington judge and former Seattle police chief also signed on to the letter to the Biden administration, joining around 100 officials from around the country.

Think Out Loud
Washington State Representative Favors 'Swift And Sure' Capital Punishment
Washington Representative Brad Klippert says he opposes any kind of repeal effort in his Chamber. His support of the death penalty is rooted in his Christian faith and his experience in law enforcement.

Think Out Loud
Lars Larson | Washington Gov. Jay Inslee On The Death Penalty
We talk to local radio host Lars Larson who asked a question at the White House press briefing last week. And we talk to the Governor of Washington State about their death penalty moratorium.