History of Capital Punishment in New Hampshire

By facebooker_4057212170966062

  • Early Form of Death Penalty Existed

  • Execution of Sarah Simpson and Penelope Kenny

  • Execution of Eliphaz Dow

  • Execution of Ruth Blay

  • Execution of Elisha Thomas

  • Execution of Thomas Powers

  • Execution of Josiah Burnham

  • Execution of Daniel Farmer

  • Execution of Abraham Prescott

  • Execution of Andrew Howard

  • Execution of Rev. Enos Dudley

  • Execution of Samuel Mills

  • Execution of Josiah Pike

  • Execution of Franklin B. Evans

  • Execution of Elwin Major

  • Execution of Joseph LaPage

  • Execution of John Pinkham

  • Execution of Joseph Buzzell

  • Execution of Thomas Samon

  • Execution of James Palmer

  • Execution of Frank Almy

  • Execution of Oscar Comery

  • Execution of Frederick Small

  • Execution of Howard Long

  • Furman v. Georgia

    invalidation of all death penalty laws

  • Gregg v. Georgia

    reinstated death penalty with stricter review criteria

  • New Hampshire Reversed Mandatory Status for Capital Crimes

  • New Hampshire State Prison dismantled its gallows

  • Governor Jeanne Shaheen vetoed legislation to abolish the death penalty.

  • Governor Craig Benson vetoed legislation that would have raised the minimum execution age.

  • The statutory mimimum age for execution was raised from 17 to 18

  • House Bill 556 (to repeal the death penalty) passed in the New Hampshire House but failed to pass in the Senate.

  • The New Hampshire State Senate and House both passed Senate Bill 593 (prospectively abolished the death penalty but did not apply to those already on death row).

  • HB 455 passed in both the New Hampshire Senate and House to outlaw the death penalty. New Hampshire last New England state to ban the death penalty.