7 Most Horrible Executions In History That Will Make Your Skin Crawl

Gruesome executions that will make you shudder.

For millennia, executions have been a part of history. Unfortunately, some of these executions were especially horrific and inhumane.

From beheadings to boiling alive, these seven horrible executions will make you shudder.

Read on to learn more about the gruesome and violent methods used throughout history to punish those accused of crimes.

7- Mary The Queen Of Scots — Beheading

One of the most tragic and notorious executions in history occurred in 1587, when Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded.

Mary had been the Catholic Queen of Scotland from 1542 until she was forced to abdicate her throne in 1567. She was then placed under house arrest in England by Queen Elizabeth I, who feared that Mary would attempt to overthrow her.

After numerous attempts to regain her crown failed, Mary was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. On February 8, 1587, Mary was brought to the scaffold at Fotheringhay Castle.

Before her beheading, delivered a powerful speech in which she proclaimed her innocence and thanked those who had supported her throughout her imprisonment.

Mary then knelt and prayed before the axe fell. Her executioners then cut off her head, ending the life of one of the most famous and controversial monarchs in history.

6- William Kidd — Hanging, 1701

William Kidd was a Scottish sailor who was executed in London in 1701. Found guilty of piracy and murder during his four-year voyage around the world.

According to some accounts, had murdered one of his crew members, John Moore. According to some accounts, had murdered one of his crew members, John Moore.

Kidd was hung on the gallows at Execution Dock in Wapping. This was a popular form of punishment for those convicted of high crimes at sea, as it was thought to act as a deterrent to other sailors.

Kidd was put in a gibbet, a metal frame, and his body was left hanging from it until the tide rose and washed away his corpse. This grisly event serves as a reminder of the harshness of justice in past centuries.

5- Robert-Francois Damiens — Dismemberment By Horse

In 1757, a French man by the name of Robert-Francois Damiens became the last person in history to be subjected to a gruesome form of execution known as dismemberment by horse.

The punishment was administered by four horses that had been harnessed together and were set to pull Damiens’ limbs apart in various directions.

It took over half an hour for him to eventually succumb to the agony and die from his injuries. After the execution, Damiens’ body was burned and his ashes were scattered to ensure that no one could create a shrine out of them.

Although it may seem like a horrific way for someone to die, it was not unique at the time. In France, it was commonly used for criminals deemed to have committed particularly heinous crimes.

4- William Kemmler —The First Person To Be Executed By Electrocution

On August 6, 1890, William Kemmler was the first person to be executed by electrocution in the United States. His death sentence had been handed down after he was convicted of killing his common-law wife with a hatchet.

To carry out his execution, an electric chair was built at Auburn Prison in New York. On the day of his execution, Kemmler was led into the prison’s execution chamber where he was strapped into the electric chair and electrocuted.

The process lasted 8 seconds and was declared a success. After his death, Kemmler became known as the “father of the electric chair.”

Despite the intended success, some argue that this method of execution violated the Eighth Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.

3- Ginggaew Lorsoongnem — Firing Squad

Ginggaew Lorsoongnem was a Thai prisoner, who faced execution by firing squad in 1979. A devout Buddhist was convicted of murder and kidnapping.

On the morning of her execution, Ginggaew Lorsoongnem refused to kneel in the traditional position, opting instead to stand against the wall.

Although, met her fate unflinchingly and accepted her death without resistance. As the rifles were raised and aimed at her chest, made a traditional Buddhist bow, as a sign of respect for his executioners.

Her death was not only significant for the fact that she defied tradition, but also because it was one of the first times in Thailand that a prisoner had been executed in this way. It has since become a common form of execution for those who have been convicted of serious crimes.

The memory of Ginggaew Lorsoongnem has lived on in Thai culture, as a symbol of courage and dignity in the face of certain death. Even today, more than 40 years after her execution, she is remembered and celebrated as a hero of sorts.

2- Stephen McCoy — The First Person To Be Executed By Lethal Injection

Stephen McCoy was the first person to be executed by lethal injection in the United States. His execution took place on May 25, 1989, in Texas. McCoy had been convicted of murdering a fellow inmate while in prison.

The state of Texas established lethal injection as its primary form of execution in 1982, and McCoy was chosen to be the first to die by this method. The injection was administered in a very public event, with news cameras set up around the perimeter of the prison grounds.

McCoy’s arms were strapped down and he received a series of injections that quickly rendered him unconscious. He was pronounced dead approximately seven minutes later.

McCoy’s execution brought up many ethical issues. While lethal injection is considered one of the more humane forms of execution, some argued that it did not provide a sufficient amount of due process for those convicted of serious crimes such as murder.

Furthermore, McCoy’s case raised questions about the fairness of Texas’ criminal justice system, as he had been convicted on the testimony of other inmates.

In the wake of McCoy’s execution, debate intensified over the appropriateness of the death penalty as a form of punishment for those convicted of serious crimes.

Despite McCoy’s execution being seen as a success for Texas’ new method of execution, it only served to spark further discussion over its moral implications and efficacy.

1- Joseph Lewis Clark — Lethal Injection

In 2006, Joseph Lewis Clark became the first person in Ohio to be executed via lethal injection. Convicted of the 1983 murder of a bartender during a robbery, Clark was pronounced dead at 10:21 PM on May 2nd, 2006.

His execution marked a turning point in Ohio’s history, as it was the first time the state had executed a prisoner using the three-drug lethal injection protocol.

In the lead-up to his execution, Clark exhausted every appeal option available and his request for clemency was denied by then-governor Bob Taft.

Though many hoped that Clark would use his last moments to apologize to the victim’s family, instead delivered a speech calling out the system that led to his execution.

Referred to his mental illness and stated that Ohio was not “the way of justice”. Clark’s speech lasted over seven minutes and concluded with him telling onlookers, “I am now ready to go.” His death was declared shortly after his final words.

Points To Ponder

It is hard to believe that such horrible executions have taken place in history. From the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots to the electrocution of William Kemmler, these executions are an example of a brutal and often misguided approach to justice.

Though lethal injection has become a more common form of execution in recent years, it is important to remember the grim histories of some of these extreme methods and the consequences of their use.

We can only hope that in future generations, we may find better and more humane solutions for dealing with capital punishment.

Join Medium Today

More from the author: