Charles Campbell
Encyclopedia
Charles Rodman Campbell was a convicted murderer who was executed in 1994 by the state of Washington.
Campbell was charged with the April 1982 killing of Renae Wicklund, her eight-year old daughter Shannah, and her neighbor Barbara Hendrickson, in Clearview
, Snohomish County, Washington
. He was convicted and sentenced to death.
However, that was not the first time Campbell had harmed the Wicklund household: he had been previously convicted and sentenced for raping
Wicklund in 1974. In that trial, she had testified that Campbell had attacked and sodomized
her and held a knife to her baby's throat while forcing sex upon her. Campbell served six years of a 30-year sentence in a Washington prison, and while on work-release (which Wicklund did not know about) tracked down Ms. Wicklund and committed the three murders.
In 1982, he was convicted on charges of capital murder
and was sentenced to death. Campbell had been given a choice between hanging
and lethal injection
, but refused to make a choice, so under state law
, the then-default method of hanging was used upon him. Later in 1996, Washington state law was amended to make lethal injection the default method of execution.
By 1984, the case had gone through the entire state court system, and the conviction and sentence was affirmed by the Washington Supreme Court
. He was sentenced to death on December 17, 1984, but appeal
ed his conviction and sentence for 12 years (a total of three appeals).
On November 7, 1988, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to hear the appeal. Afterwards, however, it was again appealed to the Supreme Court in 1993 by the state, which wished to conclude the case. There was debate over whether hanging was cruel and unusual punishment
and thus unconstitutional.
lifted the stay of execution. On May 3, 1994, Campbell asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put another stay on his execution and rule on his claim that hanging was unconstitutional, but his request went unanswered. His execution was set for May 27.
Twenty-four hours before the execution Campbell was given his last shower. His last meal was served two hours before the hanging took place, and he refused to eat most of it. He spent his last hours talking to friends and relatives. Campbell’s was the second hanging in 2 years, after serial child killer Westley Allen Dodd. When the time for his execution arrived, Campbell refused to cooperate and resorted to passive resistance, refusing to get up off the floor of his cell when instructed, finally having to be removed from his cell using pepper spray. Campbell wouldn’t stand up and Corrections officers had to strap him to a board. Afterwards, Campbell repeatedly rotated his head so that neither the cloak nor noose could be put on easily. It took prison officials 90 seconds to place a hood on his head and to fix the noose before the trap was opened. Later the authorities found a four-inch piece of metal in his holding cell which he had been sharpening into a blade.
Campbell was charged with the April 1982 killing of Renae Wicklund, her eight-year old daughter Shannah, and her neighbor Barbara Hendrickson, in Clearview
Clearview, Washington
Clearview is a small unincorporated community located on both sides of State Route 9, where it intersects 180th Street SE in Snohomish County, Washington, United States...
, Snohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...
. He was convicted and sentenced to death.
However, that was not the first time Campbell had harmed the Wicklund household: he had been previously convicted and sentenced for raping
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
Wicklund in 1974. In that trial, she had testified that Campbell had attacked and sodomized
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
her and held a knife to her baby's throat while forcing sex upon her. Campbell served six years of a 30-year sentence in a Washington prison, and while on work-release (which Wicklund did not know about) tracked down Ms. Wicklund and committed the three murders.
In 1982, he was convicted on charges of capital murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and was sentenced to death. Campbell had been given a choice between hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
and lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
, but refused to make a choice, so under state law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, the then-default method of hanging was used upon him. Later in 1996, Washington state law was amended to make lethal injection the default method of execution.
By 1984, the case had gone through the entire state court system, and the conviction and sentence was affirmed by the Washington Supreme Court
Washington Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. of the Court are elected to six-year terms...
. He was sentenced to death on December 17, 1984, but appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
ed his conviction and sentence for 12 years (a total of three appeals).
On November 7, 1988, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to hear the appeal. Afterwards, however, it was again appealed to the Supreme Court in 1993 by the state, which wished to conclude the case. There was debate over whether hanging was cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment is a phrase describing criminal punishment which is considered unacceptable due to the suffering or humiliation it inflicts on the condemned person...
and thus unconstitutional.
Execution
On April 14, 1994, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
lifted the stay of execution. On May 3, 1994, Campbell asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put another stay on his execution and rule on his claim that hanging was unconstitutional, but his request went unanswered. His execution was set for May 27.
Twenty-four hours before the execution Campbell was given his last shower. His last meal was served two hours before the hanging took place, and he refused to eat most of it. He spent his last hours talking to friends and relatives. Campbell’s was the second hanging in 2 years, after serial child killer Westley Allen Dodd. When the time for his execution arrived, Campbell refused to cooperate and resorted to passive resistance, refusing to get up off the floor of his cell when instructed, finally having to be removed from his cell using pepper spray. Campbell wouldn’t stand up and Corrections officers had to strap him to a board. Afterwards, Campbell repeatedly rotated his head so that neither the cloak nor noose could be put on easily. It took prison officials 90 seconds to place a hood on his head and to fix the noose before the trap was opened. Later the authorities found a four-inch piece of metal in his holding cell which he had been sharpening into a blade.
External links
- Charles' son, Jacob Campbell's experiences regarding father