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Inside the execution chamber at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas.

The Death Penalty

After declines in executions, waning political support and difficulty securing lethal injection drugs, some officials want to revive the death penalty, especially President Donald Trump. We report on cases that reveal the changing dynamics and that shape the future of capital punishment.

KADIR VAN LOHUIZEN/NOOR
St. Louis
Their Dads Were on Death Row in Missouri. Here’s How They Faced Goodbyes, Executions and Grief.
The children of Lance Shockley, Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams Sr. and Kevin Johnson shed light on oft-forgotten experiences.
A White woman in a black shirt smiles for a picture as she hugs her father, who is wearing a white prison uniform.
A balding White man wearing a white prison uniform talks on a phone, hand outstretched toward the camera, from behind protective glass at a Texas prison.
Death Sentences October 9
5 Things to Know About Robert Roberson’s Stayed Execution in Texas
The state wanted to put him to death by lethal injection. Then a court intervened.
By
Robert Roberson, a White man wearing a prison uniform, sits in a phone booth behind glass at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit.
Death Sentences October 6
Did the ‘Psychopath Test’ Help Send an Innocent Man to His Execution?
The case against Robert Roberson, whose execution is scheduled for Oct. 16, is the latest to raise questions about a controversial diagnosis.
By
A photo of a small red building situated on a grassy landscape dotted with trees is overlaid on a monochrome photo of a campus dotted with buildings and trees.
Feature July 14
Dozens of Teens Who Spent Time at Abusive Florida Reform School Ended Up on Death Row
At least 34 boys from the Dozier School were later sentenced to death. Did abuse make them more violent?
By Leonora Lapeter Anton
An illustration shows the back of a judge sitting on a chair. The head is a white, hollow silhouette. A paper stack is placed in the bottom right corner.
St. Louis June 26
Judges in Missouri Can Levy Death if Juries Deadlock. Some Say the Law Is Unconstitutional.
Missouri is one of two states where a judge can hand down death when juries cannot agree unanimously on a sentence.
By
Fulton, a White woman with blonde hair, sits on a gray couch next to picture frames holding photos that show her daughter Desiree, a young White girl.
Death Sentences March 7
She’s Waited Decades for David Wood’s Execution. Now, Evidence Casts Doubt on His Guilt.
The case of a victim’s mother and one of the longest-serving death row prisoners shows how capital appeals can seem both endless and rushed.
By
George Hall, a White man, smokes a cigarette while sitting in the driver's seat of a car.
Death Sentences February 25
He Refused to Become a Jailhouse Snitch. Can He Stop David Wood’s Execution?
Texas plans to execute Wood in March. George Hall claims police wanted him to say that Wood confessed six Texas murders to him in prison.
By
ABILENE - TX October 17th, 2024: Portrait of Doctor James Williams Taken in side of his office on Wednesday, October 17th
Death Sentences February 4
Why This Physician Testifies in Favor of the Firing Squad
James Williams is an ER doctor, a hunter, a gunshot victim — and the go-to expert for death row prisoners seeking an alternative to lethal injection.
By
Two men wearing black uniforms clasp their hands behind their backs as they walk through a fenced pathway.
Closing Argument February 1
How the U.S. Turned Away From the Death Penalty and Toward ‘Death by Incarceration’
The number of people imprisoned for life continues to climb, even as the overall prison population declines.
By
Trump, a White man in a navy suit and a red and navy tie, signs a document while sitting in the Oval Office.
Analysis January 22
Trump’s New Order to Expand the Death Penalty Misses Key Details
The order shows the president’s desire for more executions. But it’s unclear how the administration will carry out its plans, legal experts say.
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