Executions since 1976 | Suicides | Natural deaths
   As of September 9, 2004, 94 people have been executed in Virginia since reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.
Virginia is 2nd in the nation in executions behind Texas;
1st per capita with states that have populations of more than 1 million people.
 

Scroll down for a complete list of those executed
PLEASE NOTE: FOR INFORMATION ON UPCOMING EXECUTIONS

      For the 3rd consecutive year, Virginia has broken its number of executions by killing 13
      people in 1998.  In 1997, 9 were executed and 8 were executed in 1996. While still
      remaining behind Texas in the total number of executions since reinstatement of the
      death penalty in 1976, Virginia now has passed Texas with the most executions per
      capita with states having populations of 1 million or more.
      1998 also saw Virginia in the spotlight of the world when on April 14th, Angel Breard,
      a Paraguayan national was executed, as Virginia snubbed the World Court and the U.S.
      State Department. Their arguments that international treaties which call for countries to
      notify the governments of their citizens being incarcerated were broken, were rejected.
      Not since 1924 had Virginia executed a person who was a juvenile when he committed
      the crime.  Dwayne Wright, who was 17 and had mental disorders when he murdered
      Saba Tekle, was executed on October 14.
      VADP would like to extend its condolences to the families and friends who lost the
      following loved ones in 1998, in the name of the state. Anthony Mackall, Douglass
      Buchanan, Ronald Watkins, Angel Breard, Dennis Eaton, Danny King, Lance Chandler,
      Johnile Dubois, Kenneth Stewart, Jr., Dwayne Wright, Ronald Fitzgerald, Kenneth
      Wilson, and Kevin Cardwell.
      ..And while 13 cells were emptied this year, 9 of them were refilled. This is the most
      sentenced to death in one year since reinstatement. The following men entered Death
      Row in 1998. Eric Payne and Darrick Walker in Richmond, Mir Aimal Kasi in Fairfax,
      Bobby Swisher in Augusta County, James Reid in Montgomery County, Brian Cherrix in
      Accomack County, Darryl Adkins and Dennis Orbe in York County, and Brandon
      Hedrick in Appomattox.
      Anyone who wishes to become a pen pal to anyone on Virginia’s Death Row can write
      them at Sussex I State Prison, PO Box 288, Waverly VA. 23890.

EXECUTIONS IN VIRGINIA REACH MODERN DAY RECORD IN 1997 The last time more than 9 people were executed in Virginia in a single year was 1909. 17 were executed in that year. And once again Virginia executed 2 or more men between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 4 were killed during that time period last year. The news for the immediate future does not look any better. At the Annual Meeting of Virginians For Alternatives to the Death Penalty held at the end of October, a group of nearly 50 activists were informed that close to 30 men were in the later stages of their appeals.  As it appeared that things were going to get better with the reduction of death sentences as a result of Virginia abolishing parole, 5 men were sentenced to death in November. Only 3 had been sentenced to death in the last 2 years.  Gov. George Allen in his 4 years as Governor (Virginia law states that a Gov. can only serve 1 consecutive term of 4 years.) was responsible for 24 executions. On the other hand he did commute the death sentence of Joseph Payne 3 hours before he was to be executed in Nov. of last year and most recently commuted the death sentence of William Saunders this past September, 2 days before he refused to commute Mario Murphy's death sentence. Mario's case became high profile and there was a good case for commutation. Instead the Gov. commuted Saunders' "out of the blue" and allowed the execution of Murphy.  Virginia remains in 2nd place behind Texas in executions since reinstatement of the death penalty with 46. There are nearly 50 people remaining on death row.  1996 Executions If leading the country in executions with 8 in 1996 wasn't enough, Virginia surpassed Florida for second place in total executions since reinstatement of the DP in 1976 by executing Coleman Gray on February 26. This was the second execution this year. Michael George was executed on Feb. 6. Virginia's 3rd execution of the year will most likely take place on April 8 when Doug Buchanon is scheduled to die by lethal injection. Last year Virginia broke its own modern day record for executions by executing the following 8 people:

(Race: w=white; b=Afro-American; a=asian; h=hispanic. Sex:m=male; f=female)
*Foreign - Mexican national
**Foreign - Paraguayan national
~ Foreign- Vietnamese national
~1 Foreign- Moroccan national
~2 Foreign- Pakistani national