The Boy Who Was Executed Twice
This photograph was taken in 1947 and shows convicted teenager Willie Francis sitting in his prison cell. He is seen holding a calendar with his execution date circled. At just 16 years old, Francis was sentenced to death for the fatal shooting of a drug store owner, who was also his employer.
Willie faced Louisiana's electric chair for the first time on 3rd May 1946, however an intoxicated prison guard botched the set-up of the chair - known as "Gruesome Gertie" - and the execution was not successful. Rather than succumbing to the volts surging through his body, Francis screamed “I am not dying!” from behind the leather hood that had been placed over his head. The execution was stopped and Francis was returned to his cell. His survival made this the first failed execution in the United States involving the electric chair.
A second attempt at execution was deemed constitutional and a new death date was set for 9th May 1947. This time, Francis was sent to the electric chair without error, and he died at 18 years of age.
