Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban From: thf2@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank) Subject: Utah Firing Squads and Blanks Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 14:27:12 GMT "The Unforgiven," a book detailing the entire history of capital punishment in the state of Utah, by L. Kay Gillespie, confirms that one member of the firing squad is given blanks for the execution. pp.21-23. Also: the reason Utah allows firing squads is because of a Mormon belief that, for a shedder of blood to forgiven by God, his blood must be spilled, so allowing condemned men to choose death by firing squad allows them to ease their souls or something like that. p.1. The author served on the Utah Board of Pardons, was a witness at at least one Utah execution, and the book seems fairly comprehensive and well-researched. There are, no doubt, other execution stories in the entire book that may or may not confirm execution ULs that have been discussed here.