Minnesota’s Last Death Penalty – A Botched Execution

It's been a long, long time since Minnesota had the death penalty. To put it into perspective, William Howard Taft was the President of the United States, Henry Ford's Model-T was only three years old, and the Titanic had yet to sail on its infamous maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

The year was 1911 and the man who was executed was William Williams. But the story behind this notorious crime is one every Minnesotan should know about.

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The Botched Execution of William Williams

On February 13, 1906, the state of Minnesota executed William Williams for murdering his lover. When his hanging went awry, newspapers broke state law to report the graphic story, and the botched execution caused renewed fervor against the death penalty. Williams was the last person legally executed by the state, and capital punishment was formally repealed in 1911.

-Minnesota Historical Society

Why was William Williams being executed in the first place? Well, that goes back to the year 1905, when Williams was having an argument with his mother, Mary and 16-year-old, Johnny Keller at their home in St. Paul. Keller and Williams had been in a romantic relationship for two years.

During the heated argument, Williams shot both Keller and his own mother. Keller died within a day, while it took his mother eight agonizing days to pass away. Almost immediately after his mother died, William Williams confessed his crimes to police.

Not long after Williams botched execution, the Governor of the state of Minnesota, A.O. Eberhart, signed a bill into law, abolishing the death penalty forever within the state's borders.

To learn more about the execution of William Williams and its aftermath, check out the YouTube video below. You can also find more information on this moment in history from the Minnesota Historical Society.

Note: This video is age restricted. You can find a link to the video here.

Story Sources: Minnesota Historical Society Website