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Inside the execution chamber at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas.

Executions

KADIR VAN LOHUIZEN/NOOR
St. Louis
Their Dads Were on Death Row in Missouri. Here’s How They Faced Goodbyes, Executions and Grief.
The children of Lance Shockley, Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams Sr. and Kevin Johnson shed light on oft-forgotten experiences.
A White woman in a black shirt smiles for a picture as she hugs her father, who is wearing a white prison uniform.
A balding White man wearing a white prison uniform talks on a phone, hand outstretched toward the camera, from behind protective glass at a Texas prison.
Death Sentences October 9
5 Things to Know About Robert Roberson’s Stayed Execution in Texas
The state wanted to put him to death by lethal injection. Then a court intervened.
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Robert Roberson, a White man wearing a prison uniform, sits in a phone booth behind glass at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit.
Death Sentences October 6
Did the ‘Psychopath Test’ Help Send an Innocent Man to His Execution?
The case against Robert Roberson, whose execution is scheduled for Oct. 16, is the latest to raise questions about a controversial diagnosis.
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An illustration shows the back of a judge sitting on a chair. The head is a white, hollow silhouette. A paper stack is placed in the bottom right corner.
St. Louis June 26
Judges in Missouri Can Levy Death if Juries Deadlock. Some Say the Law Is Unconstitutional.
Missouri is one of two states where a judge can hand down death when juries cannot agree unanimously on a sentence.
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ABILENE - TX October 17th, 2024: Portrait of Doctor James Williams Taken in side of his office on Wednesday, October 17th
Death Sentences February 4
Why This Physician Testifies in Favor of the Firing Squad
James Williams is an ER doctor, a hunter, a gunshot victim — and the go-to expert for death row prisoners seeking an alternative to lethal injection.
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Trump, a White man in a navy suit and a red and navy tie, signs a document while sitting in the Oval Office.
Analysis January 22
Trump’s New Order to Expand the Death Penalty Misses Key Details
The order shows the president’s desire for more executions. But it’s unclear how the administration will carry out its plans, legal experts say.
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Robert Roberson, a light-skinned man wearing a white prison uniform, looks through visitation room glass. A phone hangs on either side of the divider.
Closing Argument September 18, 2024
Robert Roberson’s Death Penalty Case Shows How Justice System Fails People With Autism
He was convicted in his daughter’s death. Those who believe he’s innocent argue his diagnosis helps explain how he ended up facing execution.
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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks during a conference at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City on Aug. 1, 2024. Bailey has aggressively pushed back on efforts by local prosecutors and judges to toss out convictions of people with innocence claims.
Closing Argument August 17, 2024
How Prosecutors Fight Exonerations
As laws are passed to support the wrongfully convicted, some officials in the legal system push back.
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A light-skinned Hispanic man with close-cropped hair and tattoos on his arms uses the phone at the Polunsky Unit prison facility.
Life Inside June 24, 2024
A Death Row Prisoner’s Parting Interview
Days before his scheduled execution in Texas, Ramiro Gonzales speaks on faith, legacy — and apologizing to the family of his victim, Bridget Townsend.
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Brian Dorsey, a White man with glasses wearing a white shirt, at the Potosi Correctional Center.
Death Sentences April 3, 2024
He Faces Execution. His Lawyers May Have Earned Less Than $4 per Hour.
Some death penalty lawyers get paid the same no matter how long they work on a case. Critics say it’s a perverse incentive when a life is at stake.
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