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List of people executed in the United States in 1985

Eighteen people, all male, were executed in the United States in 1985, eleven by electrocution, and seven by lethal injection.[1][2] Charles Rumbaugh became the first of 22 juvenile offenders to be executed in the United States in the modern before the Supreme Court banned capital punishment for juvenile offenders under Roper v. Simmons in 2005.

List of people executed in the United States in 1985

[edit]
No. Date of execution Name Age of person Gender Ethnicity State Method Ref.
At execution At offense Age difference
1 January 4, 1985 David Dene Martin 32 25 7 Male White Louisiana Electrocution [3]
2 January 9, 1985 Roosevelt Green Jr. 28 20 8 Black Georgia [4]
3 January 11, 1985 Joseph Carl Shaw 29 22 7 White South Carolina [5]
4 January 16, 1985 Doyle Edward Skillern 48 38 10 Texas Lethal injection [6]
5 January 30, 1985 James David Raulerson 34 25 9 Florida Electrocution [7]
6 February 20, 1985 Van Roosevelt Solomon 41 35 6 Black Georgia [8]
7 March 6, 1985 Johnny Paul Witt 42 30 12 White Florida [9]
8 March 13, 1985 Stephen Peter Morin 34 4 Texas Lethal injection [10]
9 March 20, 1985 John C. Young 28 18 10 Black Georgia Electrocution [11]
10 April 18, 1985 James Dyral Briley Jr. 23 5 Virginia [12]
11 May 15, 1985 Jesse De La Rosa 24 18 6 Hispanic Texas Lethal injection [13]
12 May 29, 1985 Marvin Francois 39 31 8 Black Florida Electrocution [14]
13 June 25, 1985 Charles Milton 34 26 Texas Lethal injection [15]
14 Morris Odell Mason 31 24 7 Virginia Electrocution [16]
15 July 9, 1985 Henry Martinez Porter 43 33 10 Hispanic Texas Lethal injection [17]
16 September 11, 1985 Charles Francis Rumbaugh 28 17 11 White [18]
17 October 16, 1985 William Earl Vandiver 37 34 3 Indiana Electrocution [19]
18 December 6, 1985 Carroll Edward Cole 47 39 8 Nevada Lethal injection [20]
Average: 35 years 27 years 8 years

Demographics

[edit]
Gender
Male 18 100%
Female 0 0%
Ethnicity
White 9 50%
Black 7 39%
Hispanic 2 11%
State
Texas 6 33%
Florida 3 17%
Georgia 3 17%
Virginia 2 11%
Indiana 1 6%
Louisiana 1 6%
Nevada 1 6%
South Carolina 1 6%
Method
Electrocution 11 61%
Lethal injection 7 39%
Month
January 5 28%
February 1 6%
March 3 17%
April 1 6%
May 2 11%
June 2 11%
July 1 6%
August 0 0%
September 1 6%
October 1 6%
November 0 0%
December 1 6%
Age
20–29 6 33%
30–39 7 39%
40–49 5 28%
Total 18 100%

Executions in recent years

[edit]
Number of executions
1986 18
1985 18
1984 21
Total 57

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Execution List 1976-1986". Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  2. ^ "U.S. Executions Since 1976". The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  3. ^ "One-Time Sidewalk Evangelist Executed for Murders of Four". Los Angeles Times. January 4, 1985.
  4. ^ "Roosevelt Green is executed while mother watches". UPI. January 9, 1985.
  5. ^ "Former Altar Boy Executed in S. Carolina". Los Angeles Times. January 12, 1985.
  6. ^ "CONVICT IN TEXAS DIES BY INJECTION". The New York Times. January 16, 1985.
  7. ^ "FLORIDA EXECUTES KILLER OF OFFICER". The New York Times. January 31, 1985.
  8. ^ "Van Roosevelt Solomon, a former minister who was once..." UPI. February 20, 1985.
  9. ^ "SLAYER OF TAMPA BOY ELECTROCUTED IN FLORIDA". The New York Times. March 7, 1985.
  10. ^ "MURDERER OF THREE WOMEN IS EXECUTED IN TEXAS". The New York Times. March 14, 1985.
  11. ^ "GEORGIA CONVICT IS EXECUTED FOR 3 FATAL BEATINGS IN 1974". The New York Times. March 20, 1985.
  12. ^ "James Briley Dies In Electric Chair". The Washington Post. April 18, 1985.
  13. ^ "PRISONER IN TEXAS DIES FOR MURDER". The New York Times. May 16, 1985.
  14. ^ "FLORIDA PRISONER DIES FOR SLAYINGS". The New York Times. May 30, 1985.
  15. ^ "Charles Milton, who shot and killed a woman during..." UPI. June 25, 1985.
  16. ^ "'Killer for Eastern Shore' Executed After Gov. Robb Denies Final Pleas". The Washington Post. June 26, 1985.
  17. ^ "KILLER PUT TO DEATH IN TEXAS". The New York Times. July 10, 1985.
  18. ^ "TEXAN PUT TO DEATH FOR A MURDER COMMITTED AT 17". The New York Times. September 12, 1985.
  19. ^ "Killer's Electrocution Takes 17 Minutes in Indiana Chair". The Washington Post. October 17, 1985.
  20. ^ "CONFESSED MURDERER OF 13 IS EXECUTED IN NEVADA". The New York Times. December 7, 1985.
Preceded by
1984 		   List of people executed   
   in the United States in   
1985 		Succeeded by
1986