Henry Ruhl
Encyclopedia
Henry Ruhl was the only person executed in Wyoming
by the United States Federal Government. This was also the second-to-last pre-Furman
execution in the state and third-to-last .
Ruhl was convicted for a murder committed on a government reservation, which made it a federal capital crime. Ruhl was put to death by gas chamber
in the Wyoming State Penitentiary (Rawlins
). He was 36 at time of his death.
Ruhl's execution was the first under new President
Harry S. Truman
.
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
by the United States Federal Government. This was also the second-to-last pre-Furman
Furman v. Georgia
Furman v. Georgia, was a United States Supreme Court decision that ruled on the requirement for a degree of consistency in the application of the death penalty. The case led to a de facto moratorium on capital punishment throughout the United States, which came to an end when Gregg v. Georgia was...
execution in the state and third-to-last .
Ruhl was convicted for a murder committed on a government reservation, which made it a federal capital crime. Ruhl was put to death by gas chamber
Gas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
in the Wyoming State Penitentiary (Rawlins
Rawlins, Wyoming
Rawlins is a city in Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,538 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County...
). He was 36 at time of his death.
Ruhl's execution was the first under new President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
.