James French (murderer)

James D. French (circa 1936 – 10 August 1966) was an American criminal who was the last person executed under Oklahoma's death penalty laws prior to "Furman v. Georgia". He was the only prisoner executed in the United States that year.Staff report. (Feb. 17, 1967) [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:E3ILiL1jb-AJ:www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839461,00.html%3Fpromoid%3Dgooglep+%22James+D.+French%22+1966&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us&client=firefox-a The Dying Death Penalty.] "Time"] Already in prison for life, but allegedly afraid to commit suicide, French murdered his cellmate, apparently to compel the state to execute him.van Wormer, Katherine (12/8/1995). Execution-inspired murder a form of suicide? "Journal of Offender Rehabilitation" Volume: 22 Issue: 3/4 ]

French has been attributed with famous last words before his death by electric chair: "How's this for a headline? 'French Fries'".Tibballs, Geoff (2004). "The Mammoth Book of Zingers, Quips, and One-Liners." Carroll & Graf. ISBN 978-0786714070]

This was the last pre-Furman execution by electric chair before John Spenkelink was electrocuted in 1979 in Florida.

References

External links

*Amnesty International (24 April 2001). [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR510532001 The illusion of control: "Consensual" executions, the impending death of Timothy McVeigh, and the brutalizing futility of capital punishment.]
*" [http://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=55486 French v. State] ", 1966 OK CR 84 416 P.2d 171.