Joseph Carl Shaw
Encyclopedia
Joseph Carl Shaw was the first person to be put to death by the State of South Carolina
after the U.S. Supreme Court
reauthorized the use of capital punishment
by the states in 1976.
Known by his nickname of "J.C.", Joseph Carl Shaw grew up in the small town of Jeffersontown, Kentucky
. He attended St. Edward Catholic grade school, where he served as an altar boy and played tackle on the football team. After leaving St. Edward he moved on to Jeffersontown High School, but dropped out before graduating. He married Karen Neigrich but the relationship didn't last long, and J.C. moved on to join the U.S. Army as a military policeman.
It was during this period in 1977 that Shaw, then aged 22, committed the crimes which would land him on South Carolina's death row. Shaw and two teenaged accomplices, James Terry Roach
, 17, and Ronald Mahaffey, 16, participated in the murders of three people in Columbia, SC. The first victim was a fellow serviceman's wife, Betty Swank, who was raped and then killed. The other two victims were a teenaged couple, Thomas Scofield Taylor, 17, and Carlotta Hartness, 14. Carlotta Hartness was raped repeatedly before being killed. Shaw allegedly returned to the scene of the crime over a period of several days to have sex with the corpse.
Shaw was electrocuted at the Central Correctional Institution in Columbia
, on January 11, 1985 at the age of 29.
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
after the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
reauthorized the use of capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
by the states in 1976.
Known by his nickname of "J.C.", Joseph Carl Shaw grew up in the small town of Jeffersontown, Kentucky
Jeffersontown, Kentucky
Jeffersontown is a city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. Before Louisville and Jefferson County were consolidated in 2003, it was the county's largest city outside of Louisville. The population was 26,633 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. He attended St. Edward Catholic grade school, where he served as an altar boy and played tackle on the football team. After leaving St. Edward he moved on to Jeffersontown High School, but dropped out before graduating. He married Karen Neigrich but the relationship didn't last long, and J.C. moved on to join the U.S. Army as a military policeman.
It was during this period in 1977 that Shaw, then aged 22, committed the crimes which would land him on South Carolina's death row. Shaw and two teenaged accomplices, James Terry Roach
James Terry Roach
James Terry Roach was the second person to be executed by the state of South Carolina following the 1976 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court reauthorizing the use of capital punishment by the states...
, 17, and Ronald Mahaffey, 16, participated in the murders of three people in Columbia, SC. The first victim was a fellow serviceman's wife, Betty Swank, who was raped and then killed. The other two victims were a teenaged couple, Thomas Scofield Taylor, 17, and Carlotta Hartness, 14. Carlotta Hartness was raped repeatedly before being killed. Shaw allegedly returned to the scene of the crime over a period of several days to have sex with the corpse.
Shaw was electrocuted at the Central Correctional Institution in Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, on January 11, 1985 at the age of 29.
Sources
- U.S. Executions Since 1976. The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
- Condemned Man Rejects Further Appeal Efforts. The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
(1985-01-11). Retrieved on 2007-11-12. - Katya Lezin and Stephen B. Bright (1991). Finding Life on Death Row: Profiles of Six Inmates. Northeastern University Press. ISBN 978-1555534059.