The 16-year-old who survived a botched execution by electrocution
In short: In 1946, Louisiana attempted to execute Willie Francis using the electric chair. This video explores the surreal legal battle that followed after a botched execution left the teenager alive, eventually bringing his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The case centers on Willie Francis, the youngest of 13 children from a poor Black family in Louisiana. He was accused of murdering 53-year-old pharmacist Andrew Thomas in St. In 1944, within Martinville, Thomas was discovered having been shot five times at short distance right outside his residence.
After a failed attempt at electrocution in 1946, Francis's legal journey reached the U.S. Supreme Court, highlighting the profound implications of botched state executions.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Boy Who was Executed Twice
- Also: A Prisoner Sentenced to Two Deaths : NPR
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