utah firing squads

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.

January 25, 1995