Thomas Harrison Provenzano

Thomas Harrison Provenzano (6 June 1949 – 21 June 2000) was a convicted murderer executed by means of lethal injection by the state of Florida.

Provenzano was sentenced to death for a shooting at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida in 1984 that killed 60-year-old bailiff William Arnie Wilkerson. Another bailiff, 53-year-old Harry Dalton, suffered brain damage and was partially paralyzed, dying from his injuries 7 years later. Provenzano also shot correctional officer Mark Parker, 19, who was hit in the spine and ended up being paralyzed from the neck down.

In 1999, the state of Florida heard a petition from Provenzano that argued that the electric chair was a cruel and unusual punishment. During the proceedings, Michael Minerva, who had witnessed Jerry White's execution, said that "White's body stiffened and was thrust upward and backward to the back of the electric chair" after the current had been switched on to the chair. He also said that he heard air moving through White's lips and throat, though he could not tell whether the air was going in or out. But even after the execution by electric chair of Allen Lee Davis had caused many irregularities, the constitutionality of the electric chair remained upheld. However, by the time the inmate following Davis was to be executed, Florida inmates sentenced to death could choose between lethal injection and the electric chair. Everyone executed in Florida following Davis thus far (as of October 2007) has chosen lethal injection.

Ironically, the execution by lethal injection of Bennie Eddie Demps – who was the one executed immediately before Provenzano – caused many problems.

Provenzano had spent almost 16 years on Death Row before being executed at Florida State Prison in Starke on 21 June 2000. He was the 48th murderer executed in Florida since that state's reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.

ee also

* List of individuals executed in Florida
* Capital punishment in the United States

ources

* [http://www.dc.state.fl.us/InmateReleases/inmateaction.asp?DataAction=GetInmate&DCNumber=094542 Inmate Release Information Detail – Inmate 094542] . "Florida Department of Corrections". Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
* [http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/deathrow/execlist.html Execution List: "1976 - present"] . "Florida Department of Corrections". Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
* Clarence T. Johnson, Jr. (Senior Circuit Judge). [http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/deathrow/drorder.html Order Upholding Constitutionality of the Electric Chair] . "Florida Department of Corrections" (1999-08-03). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
* Scott Talan. [http://web.archive.org/web/20020626091147/http://www.flanews.com/archives2000/622exe.htm Death Penalty, Provenzano and Mental Illness] . "Capitol News Service". (2000-06-22). Archived from [http://www.flanews.com/archives2000/622exe.htm the original] on 2002-06-26. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
* [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/06/21/national/main208099.shtml Killer Who Said He Was Jesus Is Executed] . "CBS News" (2000-06-21). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
* Lise Fisher and George Hutchens. [http://web.archive.org/web/20000711050332/http://gainesvillesun.com/news/articles/06-22-00a.shtml Convicted murderer executed] . "The Gainesville Sun". (2000-06-22). Archived from [http://gainesvillesun.com/news/articles/06-22-00a.shtml the original] on 2000-07-11. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
* Christopher Goffard. [http://www.sptimes.com/News/062000/State/Paralyzed_victim_to_v.shtml Paralyzed victim to view execution] . "St. Petersburg Times" (2000-06-20). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
* Christopher Goffard. [http://www.sptimes.com/News/062100/news_pf/State/Execution_halted.shtml Execution halted] . "St. Petersburg Times" (2000-06-21). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
* [http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/provenzano647.htm Thomas Harrison Provensano] . "The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney". Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
* [http://www.angelfire.com/ia/justice/thomasprovenzano.html Thomas Provenzano] . A website with many copies of news articles about Provenzano. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.