Thomas Harrison Provenzano
Encyclopedia
Thomas Harrison Provenzano (6 June 1949 – 21 June 2000) was a convicted murderer executed by means of lethal injection
by the state of Florida
. Provenzano believed he was Jesus Christ and also compared his execution with Christ's crucifixion.
Provenzano was sentenced to death for a shooting at the Orange County
Courthouse in Orlando
, Florida in 1984 that killed 60-year-old bailiff William Arnie Wilkerson. Another bailiff, 53-year-old Harry Dalton, suffered brain damage and was partially paralyzed, dying from his injuries 7 years later. Provenzano also shot correctional officer Mark Parker, 19, who was hit in the spine and ended up being paralyzed from the neck down. Parker eventually died in March 2009 due to complications from his injuries.
In 1999, the state of Florida heard a petition from Provenzano that argued that the electric chair
was a cruel and unusual punishment
. During the proceedings, Michael Minerva, who had witnessed Jerry White
's execution, said that "White's body stiffened and was thrust upward and backward to the back of the electric chair" after the current had been switched on to the chair. He also said that he heard air moving through White's lips and throat, though he could not tell whether the air was going in or out. But even after the execution by electric chair of Allen Lee Davis
had caused many irregularities, the constitutionality of the electric chair remained upheld. However, by the time the inmate following Davis was to be executed, Florida inmates sentenced to death could choose between lethal injection and the electric chair. Everyone executed in Florida following Davis thus far has chosen lethal injection.
Ironically, the execution by lethal injection of Bennie Eddie Demps – who was the one executed immediately before Provenzano – caused many problems.
Provenzano had spent almost 16 years on death row
before being executed at Florida State Prison
in Starke
on 21 June 2000. He was the 48th murderer executed in Florida since that state's reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
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...
by the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Provenzano believed he was Jesus Christ and also compared his execution with Christ's crucifixion.
Provenzano was sentenced to death for a shooting at the Orange County
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
Courthouse in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida in 1984 that killed 60-year-old bailiff William Arnie Wilkerson. Another bailiff, 53-year-old Harry Dalton, suffered brain damage and was partially paralyzed, dying from his injuries 7 years later. Provenzano also shot correctional officer Mark Parker, 19, who was hit in the spine and ended up being paralyzed from the neck down. Parker eventually died in March 2009 due to complications from his injuries.
In 1999, the state of Florida heard a petition from Provenzano that argued that the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
was a 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...
. During the proceedings, Michael Minerva, who had witnessed Jerry White
Jerry White (criminal)
Jerry White was executed by electric chair by the state of Florida in 1995 for the murder of James Melson, a shopper in a grocery that Mr. White robbed in Orange County in 1981. Mr...
's execution, said that "White's body stiffened and was thrust upward and backward to the back of the electric chair" after the current had been switched on to the chair. He also said that he heard air moving through White's lips and throat, though he could not tell whether the air was going in or out. But even after the execution by electric chair of Allen Lee Davis
Allen Lee Davis
Allen Lee Davis was a convicted murderer executed for the May 11, 1982 Jacksonville, Florida murder of Nancy Weiler, who was three months pregnant at the time...
had caused many irregularities, the constitutionality of the electric chair remained upheld. However, by the time the inmate following Davis was to be executed, Florida inmates sentenced to death could choose between lethal injection and the electric chair. Everyone executed in Florida following Davis thus far has chosen lethal injection.
Ironically, the execution by lethal injection of Bennie Eddie Demps – who was the one executed immediately before Provenzano – caused many problems.
Provenzano had spent almost 16 years on death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
before being executed at Florida State Prison
Florida State Prison
Florida State Prison , formerly known as the Union Correctional Institution—East Unit, is a correctional institution located in unincorporated Bradford County, Florida. It is located on Florida State Road 16 right across the border from Union County. The institution opened in 1961, even though...
in Starke
Starke, Florida
Starke is a city in Bradford County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,593 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,769 ....
on 21 June 2000. He was the 48th murderer executed in Florida since that state's reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
See also
- List of individuals executed in Florida
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
- List of people who have claimed to be Jesus
Sources
- Inmate Release Information Detail – Inmate 094542. Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- Execution List: 1976 - present. Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- Clarence T. Johnson, Jr. (Senior Circuit Judge). Order Upholding Constitutionality of the Electric Chair. Florida Department of Corrections (1999-08-03). Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- Scott Talan. Death Penalty, Provenzano and Mental Illness. Capitol News Service. (2000-06-22). Archived from the original on 2002-06-26. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- Killer Who Said He Was Jesus Is Executed. CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
(2000-06-21). Retrieved on 2007-08-13. - Lise Fisher and George Hutchens. Convicted murderer executed. The Gainesville SunThe Gainesville SunThe Gainesville Sun is a newspaper published daily in Gainesville, Florida, United States, covering the North-Central portion of the state. It is a part of the New York Times Regional Media Group. The paper is published by James E...
. (2000-06-22). Archived from the original on 2000-07-11. Retrieved on 2007-08-13. - Christopher Goffard. Paralyzed victim to view execution. St. Petersburg TimesSt. Petersburg TimesThe St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
(2000-06-20). Retrieved on 2007-08-13. - Christopher Goffard. Execution halted. St. Petersburg TimesSt. Petersburg TimesThe St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
(2000-06-21). Retrieved on 2007-08-13. - Thomas Harrison Provensano. The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- Thomas Provenzano. A website with many copies of news articles about Provenzano. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.