Executing the Mentally Retarded
-- By Denise Madden
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this term on Atkins v. Virginia. The precise question that is being considered reads like this: "Does the execution of persons with mental retardation violate current American standards of decency?"
A ruling could come down as early as Monday, May 20, 2002. Or a ruling could come down any time during the month of June (likely on a Monday or Tuesday). A ruling is not likely during the last week of May, due to the Memorial Day holiday.
When the Supreme Court accepted the Atkins case, and then again when the Atkins case was argued on February 20, 2002, some old figures were distributed to the media regarding the number of mentally retarded people who have been executed. One number floating around was 24. Another number floating around was 30. One Texas official actually was quoted as saying that no mentally retarded people had been executed in that state.
The most current figure regarding people with mental retardation who have been executed in the United States since 1976 is 44. This number comes from Robert Perske, who earlier this year updated his article, "People with mental retardation are dying, legally," published in 1997 in the journal Mental Retardation. It is important to note -- as Perske does -- that the number 44 is extremely conservative. In some cases, claims of mental retardation were ignored. In other cases, the claims were inadequately pursued.
Defendants with Mental Retardation Executed Since Death Penalty Reinstated in 1976
| Number |
Name of Executed Person |
State |
Race |
Retardation or I.Q. |
Execution Date |
| 1. |
Arthur F. Goode, III |
FL |
W |
60-63 |
04/05/84 |
| 2. |
Ivon Ray Stanley |
GA |
B |
62 |
07/12/84 |
| 3. |
James Dupree Henry |
FL |
B |
Low 70s |
09/20/84 |
| 4. |
Morris Odell Mason |
VA |
B |
62-66 |
06/25/85 |
| 5. |
James Terry Roach |
SC |
W |
69-70 |
01/10/86 |
| 6. |
Jerome Bowden |
GA |
B |
59-65 |
06/24/86 |
| 7. |
Willie Celestine |
LA |
W |
77 (68-81) |
07/20/87 |
| 8. |
John Brogdon |
LA |
W |
Mild MR |
07/30/87 |
| 9. |
Horace Dunkins |
AL |
B |
65-69 |
07/14/89 |
| 10. |
Alton Waye |
VA |
B |
Probable MR |
08/30/89 |
| 11. |
Johnny Ray Anderson |
TX |
W |
70 |
05/17/90 |
| 12. |
Dalton Prejean |
LA |
B |
71-76 |
05/18/90 |
| 13. |
Ricky Ray Rector |
AR |
B |
MR from lobotomy |
01/24/92 |
| 14. |
Johnny Frank Garrett |
TX |
W |
Dual MR/MI |
02/11/92 |
| 15. |
Billy Wayne White |
TX |
B |
66-69 |
04/23/92 |
| 16. |
Nollie Lee Martin |
FL |
W |
Dual MR/MI |
05/12/92 |
| 17. |
Ricky Lee Grubbs |
MO |
W |
72 |
10/21/92 |
| 18. |
Cornelius Singleton |
AL |
B |
55-67 |
11/20/92 |
| 19. |
Robert Wayne Sawyer |
LA |
W |
65-68 |
03/05/93 |
| 20. |
William Henry Hance |
GA |
B |
Mild MR |
03/31/94 |
| 21. |
Mario Marquez |
TX |
L |
65 |
01/17/95 |
| 22. |
Willie Clisby |
AL |
B |
Mild MR |
04/28/95 |
| 23. |
Varnell Weeks |
AL |
B |
Mild MR |
05/12/95 |
| 24. |
Girvies Davis |
IL |
B |
Low-borderline MR |
05/17/95 |
| 25. |
Sylvester Adams |
SC |
B |
65-69 |
08/18/95 |
| 26. |
Barry Lee Fairchild |
AR |
B |
60-63 |
08/31/95 |
| 27. |
Walter Milton Correll |
VA |
W |
68 |
01/04/96 |
| 28. |
Luis Mata |
AZ |
L |
68-70 |
08/22/96 |
| 29. |
John Earl Bush |
FL |
B |
Low-borderline MR |
10/21/96 |
| 30. |
Frank Middleton |
SC |
B |
68-69 |
11/22/96 |
| 31. |
Terry Washington |
TX |
B |
58-69 |
05/06/97 |
| 32. |
Tony Mackall |
VA |
B |
64 |
02/20/98 |
| 33. |
Reginald Powell |
MO |
B |
65 |
02/25/98 |
| 34. |
Robert Carter |
TX |
B |
Mild MR |
05/18/98 |
| 35. |
Dwayne Allen Wright |
VA |
B |
MR/MI |
10/14/98 |
| 36. |
Ronald Yeats |
VA |
W |
70 |
04/29/99 |
| 37. |
Norman Lee Newsted |
OK |
W |
MR/MI |
07/08/99 |
| 38. |
Raymond James Jones |
TX |
B |
MR |
09/01/99 |
| 39. |
David R. Leisure |
MO |
W |
74 |
09/01/99 |
| 40. |
Charles Anthony Boyd |
TX |
B |
64 |
08/5/99 |
| 41. |
Willie Sullivan |
DE |
B |
58-70 |
09/24/99 |
| 42. |
Oliver Cruz |
TX |
L |
64-76 |
08/09/00 |
| 43. |
Wanda Jean Allen |
OK |
B |
69 |
01/11/00 |
| 44. |
Robert Clayton |
OK |
W |
68 |
03/01/01 |
