Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth left the stage after introducing President Donald Trump at an event for Anduril Industries at Sparrows Point Shipyard in Maryland. As the event unfolded, discussions about public executions resurfaced. The last prominent public execution in the U.S. occurred with the 1936 hanging of Rainey Bethea in Owensboro, Kentucky. About 20,000 people gathered to witness workers build gallows near the riverfront. The atmosphere was described as festive, with people celebrating and consuming food and drinks.
Despite the mood in Owensboro, the event sparked national outrage, leading to no public executions in the U.S. since 1938. Recently, however, a planned execution threatened to break this streak. Hegseth announced the public livestreaming of Nidal Hasan’s execution, which Trump initially approved. Hasan was sentenced for murdering 13 people and wounding 32 at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. Following backlash, Trump reversed the decision and canceled the live broadcast.
Reflecting on the situation, a former prosecutor and state senator from South Carolina shared insights from his experiences. He supported the death penalty in limited circumstances, emphasizing that public executions do not deter crime. As someone who prosecuted and argued cases for execution, he believed execution served only to prevent further criminal acts by the condemned. He recounted the execution of Donald ‘Pee Wee’ Gaskins as necessary to end further murders.
Despite supporting the death penalty in some cases, he argued against making executions public spectacles. He did not attend an execution himself, believing it unnecessary and akin to falling to the condemned person’s level. He understood victims attending for closure but never saw it achieved personally.
He condemned those who wanted spectacle executions, likening them to the condemned rather than victims. The proposed public execution would have turned death into entertainment, mirroring the ‘Hunger Games.’ Trump and Hegseth’s desire for broadcasting such events illustrated a devaluation of life and character.
Stopping the public execution plans was not indicative of a change in mindset but a momentary defeat of those in favor. The decision highlighted issues surrounding public execution and the importance of maintaining human dignity, even when carrying out legal penalties.
The piece was authored by Dick Harpootlian, a South Carolina defense attorney and former state senator who prosecuted Donald ‘Pee Wee’ Gaskins. He detailed his views in his book, ‘Dig Me a Grave.’ Harpootlian stressed the lack of joy in capital punishment, emphasizing the seriousness of such state actions.