List of people executed in Maine

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{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

The following is a list of people executed by the U.S. state of Maine, or within present-day Maine prior to statehood.{{Cite web |title=Executions in Maine - 1644-1885 - DeathPenaltyUSA, the database of executions in the United States |url=https://deathpenaltyusa.org/usa1/state/maine.htm |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=deathpenaltyusa.org}} Capital punishment was sparsely used in Maine, and fully abolished in 1887.{{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=Bruce E. R. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Capital_Punishment/yQBgEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Maine+capital+punishment&pg=PA182&printsec=frontcover |title=Capital Punishment |date=2009-06-25 |publisher=Greenhaven Publishing LLC |isbn=978-0-7377-4633-4 |language=en}} The only method of execution used in Maine was hanging.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+

!Name

!Race

!Age

!Sex

!Date of execution

!County

!Crime

!Victim(s)

!Governor

Mrs. Cornish

|White

|

|F

|1644

|

|Murder

|Mr. Cornish, white (husband){{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Ann |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Women_Who_Kill/yKd9DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Mrs.+Cornish+1644&pg=PT47&printsec=frontcover |title=Women Who Kill |date=2009-10-01 |publisher=The Feminist Press at CUNY |isbn=978-1-55861-652-3 |language=en}}

| rowspan="5" |N/A (Province of Massachusetts Bay)

Joseph Quasson

|Native

|

|M

|June 29, 1726

|

|Murder

|Jonathan Boler, Native{{Cite book |last=Hearn |first=Daniel Allen |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Legal_Executions_in_New_England/qA1eCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Joseph+Quasson+1726&pg=PA119&printsec=frontcover |title=Legal Executions in New England: A Comprehensive Reference, 1623-1960 |date=2015-08-13 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-0853-2 |language=en}}

Patience Sampson

|Native

|23

|F

|July 31, 1735

|York

|Murder

|Benjamin Trott, 8, white{{Cite journal |date=1735-07-31 |title=Summary of the execution of Patience Sampson |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/1544c6064?locale=en |language=en}}

Solomon Goodwin

|White

|

|M

|November 12, 1772

|Cumberland

|Murder

|Male, race unknown{{Cite book |last=Society |first=Maine Historical |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Collections_of_the_Maine_Historical_Soci/JfKhKokyfp4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Solomon+Goodwin+Maine&pg=PA162&printsec=frontcover |title=Collections of the Maine Historical Society |date=1890 |publisher=The Society |language=en}}

James McCormic

|White

|

|M

|1773

|Cumberland

|Murder

|Reuben Bishop, race unknown

Jeremiah Baum

|White

|

|M

|1780

|Knox

|Treason

|N/A{{efn|Accused of "conducting a marauding British party". Baum was of "feeble intellect" and many supporters of the revolution sought a pardon for "manifestly inoffensive" Baum, regretting the execution.}}

| rowspan="5" |N/A (District of Maine)

Thomas Bird

|White

|

|M

|June 25, 1790

|Cumberland (Federal){{Cite journal |last=Genesio |first=Jerry |date=2006 |title=The Trial and Execution of Thomas Bird in Portland, Maine, 1790: The First Execution under the United State Constitution |url=https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mainehistoryjournal/vol42/iss4/2/ |journal=Maine History |language=en |volume=42 |issue=4 |pages=199–214 |issn=1090-5413}}

|Murder

|Capt. John Connor, white

Edmund Fortis

|Black

|

|M

|September 25, 1794

|Lincoln

|Murder-Rape

|Pamela Tilton, 14, white{{Cite web |title=Edmund Fortis, d. 1794 The Last Words and Dying Speech of Edmund Fortis, a Negro Man, Who Appeared to Be between Thirty and Forty Years of Age, but Very Ignorant. He Was Executed at Dresden, on Kennebeck River, on Thursday the Twenty-Fifth Day of September, 1794, for a Rape and Murder, Committed on the Body of Pamela Tilton, a Young Girl of about Fourteen Years of Age, Daughter of Mr. Tilton of Vassalborough, in the County of Lincoln. |url=https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/fortis/menu.html |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=docsouth.unc.edu}}

Joseph Drew

|White

|24

|M

|July 21, 1808

|Cumberland

|Murder

|Ebenezer Parker, white (deputy sheriff){{Cite journal |date=1808-07-21 |title=Summary of the execution of Joseph Drew |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/d791t0160?locale=en |language=en}}

Ebenezer Ball

|White

|

|M

|October 31, 1811

|Hancock

|Murder

|John Tileston Downes, white{{Cite book |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/rbpe.02601100/ |title=[Lines] made on Ebenezer Ball, who was executed at Castine, October 31st, 1811, for the murder of Mr. John Tileston Downes. [Two poems. One written the day before his execution, and the other written the day he was executed.] |date=1811 |language=english}}

Seth Elliott

|White

|

|M

|February 3, 1825

|Knox

|Murder

|John Wilson Elliott, 3, white (son){{Cite journal |date=1825-02-03 |title=Summary of the execution of Seth Elliott |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/rn301j73c?locale=en |language=en}}

|Parris

Joseph Sager

|White

|

|M

|January 2, 1835{{efn|Last public execution in Maine.}}

|Kennebec

|Murder

|Female, white (wife){{Cite journal |date=1835-01-02 |title=Summary of the execution of Joseph Sager |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/zw12zp666?locale=en |language=en}}

|Smith

Abram Cox

|Black

|

|M

| rowspan="2" |August 27, 1860

| rowspan="2" |Androscoggin

| rowspan="2" |Murder

| rowspan="2" |Four people, races unknown{{Cite journal |date=1860-08-27 |title=Summary of the execution of Abram Cox, Peter Williams |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/6h441b241?locale=en |language=en}}{{efn|Capt. Daniel Humphrey, two mates, and a seaman.}}

| rowspan="2" |Morrill

Peter Williams

|White

|

|M

Francis Spencer

|White

|

|M

|June 24, 1864{{efn|First execution at Maine State Prison.}}

|Knox

|Murder

|Mr. Tinker, white (warden){{Cite journal |date=1864-06-24 |title=Summary of the execution of Francis Spencer |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/5t34t2784?locale=en |language=en}}

|Cony

Clifton Harris

|Black

|20

|M

|March 12, 1869

|Androscoggin

|Murder-Rape-Robbery

|Mrs. Justin Kingsley and Polly Caswell, white{{Cite journal |date=1869-03-12 |title=Summary of the execution of Clifton Harris |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/xs55mw30x?locale=en |language=en}}

|Chamberlain

Louis Wagner

|White

|

|M

|June 25, 1875

|York

|Murder-Rape-Robbery

|Anetha and Karen Christiansen, white{{Cite journal |date=1875-06-25 |title=Summary of the execution of Louis Wagner |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/vd66wg952?locale=en |language=en}}

| rowspan="2" |Dingley

John Gordon

|White

|

|M

|June 25, 1875

|Waldo

|Murder

|Three people, white{{Cite journal |date=1875-06-25 |title=Summary of the execution of John Gordon |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/5d86ph17c?locale=en |language=en}}{{efn|His 24-year-old brother Almon, Almon's wife Emma, and their two-year-old daughter.}}

Raffaele Capone

|White

|27

|M

| rowspan="2" |April 17, 1885

| rowspan="2" |Penobscot

| rowspan="2" |Murder-Robbery

| rowspan="2" |Pasquale Coscia, white{{Cite journal |date=1885-04-17 |title=Summary of the execution of Raffaele Capone, Carmine Santore |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/vh53xd71x?locale=en |language=en}}

| rowspan="3" |Robie

Carmine Santore

|White

|44

|M

Daniel Wilkinson

|White

|39

|M

|November 20, 1885

|Sagadahoc

|Murder

|William Lawrence, white (policeman){{Cite journal |date=1885-11-20 |title=Summary of the execution of Daniel Wilkinson |url=https://archives.albany.edu/concern/daos/4t64h553m?locale=en |language=en}}

See also

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{CapPun-US}}

*

Maine

Executed

Executed

Executed