June 18, 2024 • 33 mins
In this compelling episode of In Time Crime, host Robin Bagayoko takes us back to June 16th, 1944, unraveling the heart-wrenching story of George Stinney. At just 14 years old, George became the youngest person in U.S. history to be executed, wrongfully convicted for the murders of two young white girls in a deeply segregated South Carolina.
With a gripping narrative, we explore the harrowing details of George's unfair trial, the racial prejudices of the time, and the heart-breaking final moments of a boy who was too small for the electric chair. Despite the overwhelming injustice, the story doesn't end there. Seventy years later, the case is re-examined, leading to the overturning of his conviction, shedding light on the deep-seated racial injustices of the era.
Join us as we reflect on the significance of George Stinney's case in history, the fight for justice by his family and civil rights advocates, and the broader implications for the death penalty in the United States. This episode is not just a recount of a tragic past but a call to remember and learn from the injustices faced by African-Americans. Tune in for a profound and poignant journey through time.
Don't forget to follow us on:
All links are in our LINKTREE for easier access- https://linktr.ee/intimecrime
This podcast is available on most podcast platforms including, apple podcast, spotify, podbean, amazon, iHeart radio, player fm, samsung, pod chaser and boomplay.
Please feel free to email us with cases for dates already covered or comments at Robin@intimecrime.org
Music by- Jeremy Blake
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
A black 14-year-old boy is wrongfully executed for the murder of two young white girls.
He is the youngest person in the United States history to be executed.
70 years later, his conviction would be overturned. term.
(00:20):
Tune in to this episode of In Time Crime, where we go back in time to June 16th
of 1944 to cover the case of George Stinney.
Music.
(00:55):
Hello and welcome back to another episode of In Time Crime.
I'm your host, Rubbin' Buggy Yoko.
Welcome again. Welcome again. It is a Tuesday. I know it's not a Sunday.
It is a Tuesday. So So thank you guys so much again for tuning in.
(01:18):
And like I said, today we're covering a very sad case of the youngest Black
person in the United States history to be executed by electric chair.
It was a very sad case. And of course, you know how history was back in the day.
(01:40):
It was pretty sad times for colored people.
So, today's case is, I'm pretty sure you've heard of it.
It's in the history book somewhere. So, we're going to get into it today.
And it's a long one. So, you know, get your drinks, get your food,
(02:04):
whatever you need to get so you can tune in and be comfortable to listen because
this one is very important as a part of history. is very important.
And it's very sad. It's a very sad situation to have happened to an innocent young man.
But yes, let us begin.
(02:25):
Okay, so George Julius Dane Jr.
Was a 14-year-old African-American boy who was wrongfully convicted and executed
for the murders of two young white girls, Betty Jean Beneker and Mary Emma Thorms.
In his hometown of Alkaloo, South Carolina, in 1944.
(02:50):
Despite an unfair trial, he was sentenced to death and executed by electric
chair, making him the youngest person in the 20th century to receive the death
penalty and be executed.
After a re-examination of his case, it was determined in 2014,
17 years after his execution, that he had not received a fair trial and was wrongfully executed.
(03:19):
At the time of his arrest, George Stinney was a small 14-year-old boy living
in a working-class mill town with his family, where racial segregation was prevalent.
His case shed light on the injustices faced by African-Americans in the legal system during that era.
(03:42):
Okay, so on March 23rd of 1944,
the bodies of Betty June Beniker and Mary Emma Thorms were discovered in a ditch
on the African-American side of Alcaloo when they did not return home the night before.
The girls had been beaten with a blunt metal object or a railroad spike,
(04:08):
resulting in severe blunt force trauma and penetration of their skulls.
The medical examiners' report indicated that the wounds were inflicted by a
blunt instrument with a round head, similar to a hammer.
There was no evidence of sexual assault on the younger girl.
(04:30):
Nuri, but the older girl had a slight bruise on her genitalia.
So the older one was Betty June Benneker.
She was 11, and the younger one was Mary Anna Thorms. She was 8.
So they said that the older one had slight bruises on her genitalia.
(04:52):
The girls were last seen riding their bicycles looking for flowers and had interacted
with George Tenney and his sister Amy on the day of the murders.
Stern was later arrested after confessing and leading officers to a hidden piece of iron.
Okay, so George and his older brother, John, were both suspected of murdering the girls.
(05:18):
While John was released by the police, George was kept in custody and not permitted
to use his parents until after his trial and conviction.
According to a handwritten statement by his arresting officer,
George confessed and revealed the location of a piece of iron he had disposed of.
In 1995, George's seventh grade teacher, W.L.
(05:44):
Hamilton, made statements about George alleging his involvement in the crime.
However, George's sister disputed these claims and accused Hamilton of being paid to say them.
After George's arrest, his father lost his job and the family had to leave their
(06:06):
home due to safety concerns.
Throughout his confinement and trial, George was not provided any support or legal counsel.
This was before the landmark 1963 Supreme Court ruling that mandated legal representation
for criminal proceedings.
On April 24th of 1944, the entire legal process involving George Stinney,
(06:34):
including jury selection, occurred.
George was represented by Charles Plowden, a tax commissioner seeking election to local office.
Despite his role as George's counsel, Clodin did not challenge the three police
(06:54):
officers who testified that George confessed to the two murders.
Additionally, he did not contest.
The prosecution's presentation of two different versions of George's verbal
confession, nor did he put up all the funds for George.
(07:15):
There is no written record of George's confession apart from Deputy Moon's statement.
During the trial, prosecutors called three witnesses, Reverend Frances Batson,
who discovered the bodies of the two girls, and two doctors who who conducted
the post-mortem examination.
(07:36):
The court allowed discussion of the possibility of rape due to boozing on Benneker's genitalia.
Georgia's counsel did not present any witnesses, did not cross-examine the witnesses,
and offered little to no defense.
The trial presentation lasted two and a half hours.
(07:59):
Over 1,000 white Americans filled the courtroom room while no Black Americans
were permitted to attend, as was customary for the time.
Stinney, sorry, I'm going to refer to him as George always, George was tried
before an all-white jury.
As in 1944, most African Americans in the South were disenfranchised and therefore
(08:24):
not eligible rule to serve on juries.
After deliberating for under 10 minutes, under 10, let me repeat,
under 10 minutes, the jury convicted George of murder.
Judge Philip H. Stoll then sentenced George to death by electrocution.
(08:48):
The trial was not transcribed, and Georgia's counsel did not file an appeal.
Georgia's family, churches, and the NAACP sought mercy from Judge Olin D.
Johnston due to the young age of the boy.
(09:09):
Majority of pleas for leniency came from white women in South Carolina. right now. Sorry.
Some of these pleas from white individuals expressed support for white supremacy,
but were uncomfortable with the idea of executing someone so young.
(09:32):
Others urged the governor to allow the execution to proceed, which he did.
Governor Johnston visited George in the death house two days after his execution on June 14th.
In response to a plea for clemency, he stated that George had admitted to killing a girl to rape another,
(09:56):
then killing the second girl and attempting to rape her after she had died.
However, it was reported that these claims were merely rumors and were not supported
by the autopsies of the girls.
Between the time of George's arrest and his execution, his parents were only
(10:20):
allowed to see him once after the trial, when he was held in the Columbia Penitentiary.
Due to the threat of lynching, they were prohibited from visiting him at any other time.
The execution of a 14-year-old was extremely rare in the United States history,
(10:40):
particularly for Black children in the Jim Crow South convicted of murdering
or raping white victims.
Many sources assert that George was the youngest person executed in the U.S.
In the 20th century.
(11:01):
However, this claim might be might not be accurate, as in a little-known 1915 case.
Joe Persons, a black boy, was executed in Georgia for the rape of an eight-year-old
white girl at an age between 12 and 14.
(11:23):
Varying sources reported Joe's age differently, but all sources from 1915 asserted his guilt.
The state execution The execution registry claimed that Joe, Joe's own father,
supported his execution and a newspaper in Kentucky stated that Joe had admitted
(11:48):
to his crime and was prepared to die.
So on Friday, June 16th of 1944,
at 7.30 a.m., George was executed via the electric chair with a Bible used as
a booster seat due to his small size.
He was restrained and asked if he had any last words, to which he silently shook his head.
(12:16):
Oh, this is so sad.
Oh my God, heart-wrenching, heart-wrenching. The executioner then proceeded
with the process, causing George to sob as he was unable to fit into the face mask properly.
Loader accounts have disputed the details of the execution, suggesting it was
(12:41):
different than originally reported.
George was buried in an unmarked grave in Crowley.
That's this part right here especially where they said
him they had to put him on a bible a bible
though as a booster okay in 2004 local historian george fryster together with
(13:06):
south carolina lawyers steve mckenzie and matt burgess began investigating the
case their efforts were supported by others,
including the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project,
CRRJ.
At Northeastern University School of Law.
(13:28):
Freister and the lawyers worked to seek relief through the Pardon and Parole
Board of South Carolina and later filed a motion for new trial.
They aim to present evidence and witnesses to demonstrate Georgia's innocence,
highlighting the lack of proper legal representation and the reliance on a questionable
(13:52):
confession to secure the conviction.
Friesen mentioned a rumored confession from a now-deceased person from a prominent white family,
suggesting potential culpability in the crimes for which George was convicted.
(14:13):
The CRRJ also emphasized the lack of proper legal proceedings and the reliance
on a questionable confession in their amicus briefs.
Advocating for the reconsideration of Georgia's case.
So fresh evidence presented during the January 2014 court hearing included accounts
(14:39):
from Georgia's siblings who testified that he was with them at the time of the murders.
Additionally, an affidavit from Reverend Francis Batson, who discovered the
girls and pulled them from the water-filled ditch, was introduced.
In his statement, he recalled a lack of significant blood in or around the ditch,
(15:02):
suggesting that the murders may have taken place elsewhere and the bodies moved.
Wilford Johnny Hunter, a former prison mate of George's,
testified that George told him he was coerced into confessing and consistently
maintained his innocence.
(15:25):
Oh my lord. Oh my lord. Is this not some mess? Is this not some mess? Okay.
Ernest A. Finney III, the solicitor for the state of South Carolina who opposed
George's exoneration, argued the case.
It's worth noting that he is the son of Ernest A.
(15:47):
Finney, Jr., who served as South Carolina's first African-American state Supreme
Court justice following Reconstruction.
On December 16th of 2014, Circuit Court Judge Carmen Mullen did not approve a new trial,
but instead vocated Georgia's conviction.
(16:12):
Judge Mullen determined that Georgia's sixth amendment rights had been violated
and that he did not receive a fair trial due to insufficient defense.
The judgment was an uncommon use of the legal remedy of corum nobis.
(16:34):
So by definition, coronavis is a Latin term applied in common law to call to
the court's attention facts that would have changed the judgment but were outside
the record and unknown to the court at the time of judgment.
I honestly learned something new today. Okay, so Judge Merlin found that Stinney's
(16:57):
confession was likely coerced and therefore inadmissible.
She also concluded that executing a 14-year-old was cruel, sorry for how I'm
pronouncing this word, cruel.
An unusual punishment, and that his attorney had failed to call witnesses who
(17:21):
could have cleared his name or to preserve his right to appeal.
Judge Mullen clarified that her ruling pertained to the fairness of the prosecution
process and acknowledged that George may well have committed the crime.
(17:41):
In her statement referring the legal process, she emphasized the injustice of
a 14-year-old child being charged,
tried, convicted, and executed within a mere 14 days.
Ultimately, she highlighted the insufficient efforts made on George's behalf
(18:04):
when his life was in jeopardy, which honestly,
hearing this whole case, it's just, it's so terrible all around.
It was so terrible all around. It took 80 days.
80 days. There are people who have actually committed multiple murders.
(18:24):
Mind you, this was back in 1944. And as of today, people that have committed
multiple murders, I'm talking massacre kills.
Serial killers sitting on death row for years and years and years,
using up our tax dollars to feed, eat, sleep, do absolutely nothing, worth nothing in life.
(18:50):
But they are sitting on death row for years, some of them 20 plus years on death row.
And they have actually been convicted and proven for the murders that they have been convicted of.
But these, but this young man, 80 days.
80 days. Do you see how terrible it was for black people back in the day?
(19:12):
I mean, it's still some things that are of injustice as of today.
But back in 1944, look what happened to George. 80 days. 80 days.
And this kid was convicted. What is it? What is it? Let's go back.
This child was convicted of the crime. he was
(19:36):
charged he was tried and then
he was executed in 80
days all of this was done the
bodies were found he was convicted tried charged executed in 80 days but people
who have actually done horrible shit and have actually been known for the crap
(20:00):
that they've done today are sitting been on death row for years and years and years.
Okay, let us continue. Okay, so while George's family and advocates for civil
rights celebrated the decision to overturn his conviction,
the relatives of Betty Bunk Bumaker and Mary Thorns, these were the victims,
(20:24):
expressed pressed disappointment with the court's ruling.
They maintained their belief in Georgia's guilt and expressed that,
despite the controversy surrounding his execution at the age of 14,
they never doubted his culpability.
Binnicker's niece asserted that her family had thoroughly researched the case
(20:48):
and suggested that those who formed opinions from media coverage lacked lacked
full knowledge of the truth.
She recounted a claim made by a police officer in the early 1990s who had arrested George stating,
don't you ever believe that boy didn't kill your aunt and maintain the alleged
(21:11):
deathbed confession had not been proved.
She criticized the one-sided portrayal of George as a poor, pitiful little black
boy and emphasized the need for a balanced perspective.
Another niece of Binniker, while still convinced of George's guilt,
(21:35):
acknowledged the absence of a fair trial and disagreed with the death penalty.
Guilty, expressing empathy for George and his family and hoping they would find peace.
A childhood acquaintance of Beniker expressed remorse over George's electrocution,
(21:59):
stating a preference for him to have been sent to prison instead.
Since the exoneration of George,
There has been speculation about George Washington Burke Jr., who died,
I believe, within three years after the death of the two young girls.
(22:22):
His birth date is from 1917 to 1947. 47.
Okay, so this was the sin of a wealthy white businessman, George Burke Sr.,
as a potential suspect in the murders.
Burke Jr. passed away two to three years after the murders of the two girls at the age of 29.
(22:48):
George's mother had briefly worked for the Burke family.
George's sister remembered her mother expressing discomfort after alleged advances,
from Burt Sr., which led to her no longer working for the family.
There are claims that the Burt boys may have framed George due to personal reasons.
(23:16):
Burke Sr. was involved in the initial search for the girls and owned the land
where the girls' bodies were discovered.
He was also accused of influencing the bloom away from his sons and onto George.
Witnesses in Alcune mentioned that Burke Jr.
(23:39):
Was known for certain behavior, including being a womanizer and getting away with theft.
A resident investigating the case was told of George Burke Jr.'s son that his
father had picked up the girls on the day of the murders by his grandmother's house.
(24:02):
In 2017, Wayne Burke denied this and continued to believe in George's guilt.
There have also been rumors of his deathbed confession related to the murders
of a member of a prominent white family.
But nothing has been substantiated. The case of George Sting has often been
(24:29):
cited in discussions about the death penalty in the United States,
particularly in opposition to it, as there is widespread belief that George
was innocent and unjustly executed.
In January of 2022, South Carolina State Representative Cesar McKnight proposed
(24:54):
a bill named after George,
called the George Steny Fund, which seeks to provide $10 million from the state
of South Carolina to the families of those who were wrongfully executed.
Their conviction is overturned posthumously. Okay, so this concludes the case of George Stinney Jr.
(25:23):
And like I said, you guys, this was a, this was a sad one.
Like, it was truly, truly, truly sad one.
And it's true, it was truly sad because of what was happening back,
you know, back in the day, like, let's think about it.
Like I've said during discussing the case, it took 80 days for them to charge,
(25:49):
convict, and execute this young man at 14 years old.
He couldn't even fit in the execution chair.
Like they had to put him on a Bible and they had to, you know,
as uses the Bible as a booster seat and try to boost them up so that he could
fit on the head, the head mask that would,
(26:10):
you know, conduct the electricity to execute him through electrocution.
It was just, it's just a sad situation. And like I said,
nowadays there are murderers of multiple people who are sitting on death row
(26:31):
for years and years and years and years.
Even if it's one year, it's way, way, way, way, way longer than George was given.
All of this was done within 80 days. He was convicted and killed within 80 days of his conviction.
So this was just a sad case.
(26:53):
And I'm very glad that I was able to cover it in accordance with the new, what should I say,
with the new way of how I'm doing this show, which is to, like I've told you
guys on the last episode, to cover a case based on the date of the Sunday. day.
(27:18):
But, you know, we go back in time to find a case that was in one of those years back in the day.
So I'm kind of happy that I got to go over this case because I've seen it, you know, I've seen it,
you know, little snippets of where they were putting him on the chair and getting
(27:40):
him ready for the execution. I'm just like, oh, my God, I can't look at it.
I've seen I've seen videos videos of the moment and I said, no,
I don't want to look at it. I don't want to see it.
It's just crazy how this date, this past June 16th, came up on a Sunday to where
(28:04):
I'm like, oh my gosh, this is the case.
I've been seeing little snippets of the video on TikTok and Instagram and such.
And to know that this date came up and I got to cover the case,
I'm really happy that I got to
tell you guys about it so yeah let's
(28:25):
just reflect on George for you know let's
reflect on George for today and think about him and his family and think about
these kind of situations that people had to go through back in the day you know
it was it was it was really terrible times for black people in history so things
are getting better you know slowly Slowly,
(28:47):
there's some changes in the world where things are getting a little bit better.
But, you know, there are still situations that are happening where we could
still say, oh, well, we're thinking about black and black and white, black and white.
I would say some more things, but you know what? This is not this is not that
(29:09):
this podcast is not that.
So I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to get into it like that because this is not it.
This is not it. I'm not going to sit here and express my opinions about anything
dealing with race and stuff like that because it's not really my place to say too many things.
(29:30):
It is my podcast. I can say what I want, but let me not be, you know,
let me not do it. Let me not do it. This is not that. This is not that.
So I'm just not going to do it. But OK, so like I said, thank you guys so much
for tuning in to listen to today's case.
I really and truly appreciate it. Don't forget to tell a friend how they go.
(29:54):
No, if you don't tell them, tell a friend, tell them and then tell them to tell
somebody else, you know, let's spread the word about in-time crime.
Let's get the word out there so people can hear these cases. is.
And like I said, whatever date it is, you already know what's going to happen.
So maybe you're going to see, is she going to cover this case, this case, this case?
(30:15):
You'll never know. There are many cases occurring every day.
So you never know what case I'm going to cover. Not because you know the date,
don't mean you know what case, but you can take a guess and hopefully your guess is correct.
But you won't know unless you tune in to see, oh, so she did cover that case on that day.
(30:36):
So like I said, two name every Sunday and Thursday.
Thursday is our mini-sode. So yes, tune in again on Thursday for our mini-sode this Thursday.
And I'm going to do the mini-sodes like I'm doing, you know,
the regular episodes where hopefully the date is somewhere around because the
(31:00):
mini-sode is, it's kind of hard to catch it on the actual date because I'm doing news articles.
So it's kind of hard to say, well, this occurred on this. It's basically days
before or days at, you know, so you can't really catch those many shows on the exact date.
So we'll just see. OK, but stay tuned.
Tune on back in for the Minnesota's Thursday.
(31:23):
And thank you guys so much for listening. Don't forget.
Don't forget. Go into that link tree and check out the.
You know, click the link so you can join the Facebook group.
You can join the Facebook page and Time Crime Podcast page.
(31:46):
Also, follow me on TikTok and Instagram. You know the deal. You know the deal.
If you're a new listener, you don't know the deal, but this is what I need you to do.
I need you to go on Linktree and follow me on TikTok and Instagram and Facebook.
Okay. OK, also join the Patreon, you guys. It's free or you can pick a tier.
(32:08):
Tiers start as little as $5 a month.
OK, so pick a tier on the Patreon.
It's to help people, believe me. It will. It's not just for me.
OK, so thank you guys so much for tuning in.
And don't forget, true crime is not for you to live in fear, but for you to be aware.
(32:32):
Okay thank you guys so much once again for joining me on this wonderful tuesday
should have been sunday afternoon and you guys have a wonderful day and i will
see you thursday for our mini so.
Music.
A black 14-year-old boy is wrongfully executed for the murder of two young white girls.
He is the youngest person in the United States history to be executed.
70 years later, his conviction would be overturned. term.
(00:20):
Tune in to this episode of In Time Crime, where we go back in time to June 16th
of 1944 to cover the case of George Stinney.
Music.
(00:55):
Hello and welcome back to another episode of In Time Crime.
I'm your host, Rubbin' Buggy Yoko.
Welcome again. Welcome again. It is a Tuesday. I know it's not a Sunday.
It is a Tuesday. So So thank you guys so much again for tuning in.
(01:18):
And like I said, today we're covering a very sad case of the youngest Black
person in the United States history to be executed by electric chair.
It was a very sad case. And of course, you know how history was back in the day.
(01:40):
It was pretty sad times for colored people.
So, today's case is, I'm pretty sure you've heard of it.
It's in the history book somewhere. So, we're going to get into it today.
And it's a long one. So, you know, get your drinks, get your food,
(02:04):
whatever you need to get so you can tune in and be comfortable to listen because
this one is very important as a part of history. is very important.
And it's very sad. It's a very sad situation to have happened to an innocent young man.
But yes, let us begin.
(02:25):
Okay, so George Julius Dane Jr.
Was a 14-year-old African-American boy who was wrongfully convicted and executed
for the murders of two young white girls, Betty Jean Beneker and Mary Emma Thorms.
In his hometown of Alkaloo, South Carolina, in 1944.
(02:50):
Despite an unfair trial, he was sentenced to death and executed by electric
chair, making him the youngest person in the 20th century to receive the death
penalty and be executed.
After a re-examination of his case, it was determined in 2014,
17 years after his execution, that he had not received a fair trial and was wrongfully executed.
(03:19):
At the time of his arrest, George Stinney was a small 14-year-old boy living
in a working-class mill town with his family, where racial segregation was prevalent.
His case shed light on the injustices faced by African-Americans in the legal system during that era.
(03:42):
Okay, so on March 23rd of 1944,
the bodies of Betty June Beniker and Mary Emma Thorms were discovered in a ditch
on the African-American side of Alcaloo when they did not return home the night before.
The girls had been beaten with a blunt metal object or a railroad spike,
(04:08):
resulting in severe blunt force trauma and penetration of their skulls.
The medical examiners' report indicated that the wounds were inflicted by a
blunt instrument with a round head, similar to a hammer.
There was no evidence of sexual assault on the younger girl.
(04:30):
Nuri, but the older girl had a slight bruise on her genitalia.
So the older one was Betty June Benneker.
She was 11, and the younger one was Mary Anna Thorms. She was 8.
So they said that the older one had slight bruises on her genitalia.
(04:52):
The girls were last seen riding their bicycles looking for flowers and had interacted
with George Tenney and his sister Amy on the day of the murders.
Stern was later arrested after confessing and leading officers to a hidden piece of iron.
Okay, so George and his older brother, John, were both suspected of murdering the girls.
(05:18):
While John was released by the police, George was kept in custody and not permitted
to use his parents until after his trial and conviction.
According to a handwritten statement by his arresting officer,
George confessed and revealed the location of a piece of iron he had disposed of.
In 1995, George's seventh grade teacher, W.L.
(05:44):
Hamilton, made statements about George alleging his involvement in the crime.
However, George's sister disputed these claims and accused Hamilton of being paid to say them.
After George's arrest, his father lost his job and the family had to leave their
(06:06):
home due to safety concerns.
Throughout his confinement and trial, George was not provided any support or legal counsel.
This was before the landmark 1963 Supreme Court ruling that mandated legal representation
for criminal proceedings.
On April 24th of 1944, the entire legal process involving George Stinney,
(06:34):
including jury selection, occurred.
George was represented by Charles Plowden, a tax commissioner seeking election to local office.
Despite his role as George's counsel, Clodin did not challenge the three police
(06:54):
officers who testified that George confessed to the two murders.
Additionally, he did not contest.
The prosecution's presentation of two different versions of George's verbal
confession, nor did he put up all the funds for George.
(07:15):
There is no written record of George's confession apart from Deputy Moon's statement.
During the trial, prosecutors called three witnesses, Reverend Frances Batson,
who discovered the bodies of the two girls, and two doctors who who conducted
the post-mortem examination.
(07:36):
The court allowed discussion of the possibility of rape due to boozing on Benneker's genitalia.
Georgia's counsel did not present any witnesses, did not cross-examine the witnesses,
and offered little to no defense.
The trial presentation lasted two and a half hours.
(07:59):
Over 1,000 white Americans filled the courtroom room while no Black Americans
were permitted to attend, as was customary for the time.
Stinney, sorry, I'm going to refer to him as George always, George was tried
before an all-white jury.
As in 1944, most African Americans in the South were disenfranchised and therefore
(08:24):
not eligible rule to serve on juries.
After deliberating for under 10 minutes, under 10, let me repeat,
under 10 minutes, the jury convicted George of murder.
Judge Philip H. Stoll then sentenced George to death by electrocution.
(08:48):
The trial was not transcribed, and Georgia's counsel did not file an appeal.
Georgia's family, churches, and the NAACP sought mercy from Judge Olin D.
Johnston due to the young age of the boy.
(09:09):
Majority of pleas for leniency came from white women in South Carolina. right now. Sorry.
Some of these pleas from white individuals expressed support for white supremacy,
but were uncomfortable with the idea of executing someone so young.
(09:32):
Others urged the governor to allow the execution to proceed, which he did.
Governor Johnston visited George in the death house two days after his execution on June 14th.
In response to a plea for clemency, he stated that George had admitted to killing a girl to rape another,
(09:56):
then killing the second girl and attempting to rape her after she had died.
However, it was reported that these claims were merely rumors and were not supported
by the autopsies of the girls.
Between the time of George's arrest and his execution, his parents were only
(10:20):
allowed to see him once after the trial, when he was held in the Columbia Penitentiary.
Due to the threat of lynching, they were prohibited from visiting him at any other time.
The execution of a 14-year-old was extremely rare in the United States history,
(10:40):
particularly for Black children in the Jim Crow South convicted of murdering
or raping white victims.
Many sources assert that George was the youngest person executed in the U.S.
In the 20th century.
(11:01):
However, this claim might be might not be accurate, as in a little-known 1915 case.
Joe Persons, a black boy, was executed in Georgia for the rape of an eight-year-old
white girl at an age between 12 and 14.
(11:23):
Varying sources reported Joe's age differently, but all sources from 1915 asserted his guilt.
The state execution The execution registry claimed that Joe, Joe's own father,
supported his execution and a newspaper in Kentucky stated that Joe had admitted
(11:48):
to his crime and was prepared to die.
So on Friday, June 16th of 1944,
at 7.30 a.m., George was executed via the electric chair with a Bible used as
a booster seat due to his small size.
He was restrained and asked if he had any last words, to which he silently shook his head.
(12:16):
Oh, this is so sad.
Oh my God, heart-wrenching, heart-wrenching. The executioner then proceeded
with the process, causing George to sob as he was unable to fit into the face mask properly.
Loader accounts have disputed the details of the execution, suggesting it was
(12:41):
different than originally reported.
George was buried in an unmarked grave in Crowley.
That's this part right here especially where they said
him they had to put him on a bible a bible
though as a booster okay in 2004 local historian george fryster together with
(13:06):
south carolina lawyers steve mckenzie and matt burgess began investigating the
case their efforts were supported by others,
including the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project,
CRRJ.
At Northeastern University School of Law.
(13:28):
Freister and the lawyers worked to seek relief through the Pardon and Parole
Board of South Carolina and later filed a motion for new trial.
They aim to present evidence and witnesses to demonstrate Georgia's innocence,
highlighting the lack of proper legal representation and the reliance on a questionable
(13:52):
confession to secure the conviction.
Friesen mentioned a rumored confession from a now-deceased person from a prominent white family,
suggesting potential culpability in the crimes for which George was convicted.
(14:13):
The CRRJ also emphasized the lack of proper legal proceedings and the reliance
on a questionable confession in their amicus briefs.
Advocating for the reconsideration of Georgia's case.
So fresh evidence presented during the January 2014 court hearing included accounts
(14:39):
from Georgia's siblings who testified that he was with them at the time of the murders.
Additionally, an affidavit from Reverend Francis Batson, who discovered the
girls and pulled them from the water-filled ditch, was introduced.
In his statement, he recalled a lack of significant blood in or around the ditch,
(15:02):
suggesting that the murders may have taken place elsewhere and the bodies moved.
Wilford Johnny Hunter, a former prison mate of George's,
testified that George told him he was coerced into confessing and consistently
maintained his innocence.
(15:25):
Oh my lord. Oh my lord. Is this not some mess? Is this not some mess? Okay.
Ernest A. Finney III, the solicitor for the state of South Carolina who opposed
George's exoneration, argued the case.
It's worth noting that he is the son of Ernest A.
(15:47):
Finney, Jr., who served as South Carolina's first African-American state Supreme
Court justice following Reconstruction.
On December 16th of 2014, Circuit Court Judge Carmen Mullen did not approve a new trial,
but instead vocated Georgia's conviction.
(16:12):
Judge Mullen determined that Georgia's sixth amendment rights had been violated
and that he did not receive a fair trial due to insufficient defense.
The judgment was an uncommon use of the legal remedy of corum nobis.
(16:34):
So by definition, coronavis is a Latin term applied in common law to call to
the court's attention facts that would have changed the judgment but were outside
the record and unknown to the court at the time of judgment.
I honestly learned something new today. Okay, so Judge Merlin found that Stinney's
(16:57):
confession was likely coerced and therefore inadmissible.
She also concluded that executing a 14-year-old was cruel, sorry for how I'm
pronouncing this word, cruel.
An unusual punishment, and that his attorney had failed to call witnesses who
(17:21):
could have cleared his name or to preserve his right to appeal.
Judge Mullen clarified that her ruling pertained to the fairness of the prosecution
process and acknowledged that George may well have committed the crime.
(17:41):
In her statement referring the legal process, she emphasized the injustice of
a 14-year-old child being charged,
tried, convicted, and executed within a mere 14 days.
Ultimately, she highlighted the insufficient efforts made on George's behalf
(18:04):
when his life was in jeopardy, which honestly,
hearing this whole case, it's just, it's so terrible all around.
It was so terrible all around. It took 80 days.
80 days. There are people who have actually committed multiple murders.
(18:24):
Mind you, this was back in 1944. And as of today, people that have committed
multiple murders, I'm talking massacre kills.
Serial killers sitting on death row for years and years and years,
using up our tax dollars to feed, eat, sleep, do absolutely nothing, worth nothing in life.
(18:50):
But they are sitting on death row for years, some of them 20 plus years on death row.
And they have actually been convicted and proven for the murders that they have been convicted of.
But these, but this young man, 80 days.
80 days. Do you see how terrible it was for black people back in the day?
(19:12):
I mean, it's still some things that are of injustice as of today.
But back in 1944, look what happened to George. 80 days. 80 days.
And this kid was convicted. What is it? What is it? Let's go back.
This child was convicted of the crime. he was
(19:36):
charged he was tried and then
he was executed in 80
days all of this was done the
bodies were found he was convicted tried charged executed in 80 days but people
who have actually done horrible shit and have actually been known for the crap
(20:00):
that they've done today are sitting been on death row for years and years and years.
Okay, let us continue. Okay, so while George's family and advocates for civil
rights celebrated the decision to overturn his conviction,
the relatives of Betty Bunk Bumaker and Mary Thorns, these were the victims,
(20:24):
expressed pressed disappointment with the court's ruling.
They maintained their belief in Georgia's guilt and expressed that,
despite the controversy surrounding his execution at the age of 14,
they never doubted his culpability.
Binnicker's niece asserted that her family had thoroughly researched the case
(20:48):
and suggested that those who formed opinions from media coverage lacked lacked
full knowledge of the truth.
She recounted a claim made by a police officer in the early 1990s who had arrested George stating,
don't you ever believe that boy didn't kill your aunt and maintain the alleged
(21:11):
deathbed confession had not been proved.
She criticized the one-sided portrayal of George as a poor, pitiful little black
boy and emphasized the need for a balanced perspective.
Another niece of Binniker, while still convinced of George's guilt,
(21:35):
acknowledged the absence of a fair trial and disagreed with the death penalty.
Guilty, expressing empathy for George and his family and hoping they would find peace.
A childhood acquaintance of Beniker expressed remorse over George's electrocution,
(21:59):
stating a preference for him to have been sent to prison instead.
Since the exoneration of George,
There has been speculation about George Washington Burke Jr., who died,
I believe, within three years after the death of the two young girls.
(22:22):
His birth date is from 1917 to 1947. 47.
Okay, so this was the sin of a wealthy white businessman, George Burke Sr.,
as a potential suspect in the murders.
Burke Jr. passed away two to three years after the murders of the two girls at the age of 29.
(22:48):
George's mother had briefly worked for the Burke family.
George's sister remembered her mother expressing discomfort after alleged advances,
from Burt Sr., which led to her no longer working for the family.
There are claims that the Burt boys may have framed George due to personal reasons.
(23:16):
Burke Sr. was involved in the initial search for the girls and owned the land
where the girls' bodies were discovered.
He was also accused of influencing the bloom away from his sons and onto George.
Witnesses in Alcune mentioned that Burke Jr.
(23:39):
Was known for certain behavior, including being a womanizer and getting away with theft.
A resident investigating the case was told of George Burke Jr.'s son that his
father had picked up the girls on the day of the murders by his grandmother's house.
(24:02):
In 2017, Wayne Burke denied this and continued to believe in George's guilt.
There have also been rumors of his deathbed confession related to the murders
of a member of a prominent white family.
But nothing has been substantiated. The case of George Sting has often been
(24:29):
cited in discussions about the death penalty in the United States,
particularly in opposition to it, as there is widespread belief that George
was innocent and unjustly executed.
In January of 2022, South Carolina State Representative Cesar McKnight proposed
(24:54):
a bill named after George,
called the George Steny Fund, which seeks to provide $10 million from the state
of South Carolina to the families of those who were wrongfully executed.
Their conviction is overturned posthumously. Okay, so this concludes the case of George Stinney Jr.
(25:23):
And like I said, you guys, this was a, this was a sad one.
Like, it was truly, truly, truly sad one.
And it's true, it was truly sad because of what was happening back,
you know, back in the day, like, let's think about it.
Like I've said during discussing the case, it took 80 days for them to charge,
(25:49):
convict, and execute this young man at 14 years old.
He couldn't even fit in the execution chair.
Like they had to put him on a Bible and they had to, you know,
as uses the Bible as a booster seat and try to boost them up so that he could
fit on the head, the head mask that would,
(26:10):
you know, conduct the electricity to execute him through electrocution.
It was just, it's just a sad situation. And like I said,
nowadays there are murderers of multiple people who are sitting on death row
(26:31):
for years and years and years and years.
Even if it's one year, it's way, way, way, way, way longer than George was given.
All of this was done within 80 days. He was convicted and killed within 80 days of his conviction.
So this was just a sad case.
(26:53):
And I'm very glad that I was able to cover it in accordance with the new, what should I say,
with the new way of how I'm doing this show, which is to, like I've told you
guys on the last episode, to cover a case based on the date of the Sunday. day.
(27:18):
But, you know, we go back in time to find a case that was in one of those years back in the day.
So I'm kind of happy that I got to go over this case because I've seen it, you know, I've seen it,
you know, little snippets of where they were putting him on the chair and getting
(27:40):
him ready for the execution. I'm just like, oh, my God, I can't look at it.
I've seen I've seen videos videos of the moment and I said, no,
I don't want to look at it. I don't want to see it.
It's just crazy how this date, this past June 16th, came up on a Sunday to where
(28:04):
I'm like, oh my gosh, this is the case.
I've been seeing little snippets of the video on TikTok and Instagram and such.
And to know that this date came up and I got to cover the case,
I'm really happy that I got to
tell you guys about it so yeah let's
(28:25):
just reflect on George for you know let's
reflect on George for today and think about him and his family and think about
these kind of situations that people had to go through back in the day you know
it was it was it was really terrible times for black people in history so things
are getting better you know slowly Slowly,
(28:47):
there's some changes in the world where things are getting a little bit better.
But, you know, there are still situations that are happening where we could
still say, oh, well, we're thinking about black and black and white, black and white.
I would say some more things, but you know what? This is not this is not that
(29:09):
this podcast is not that.
So I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to get into it like that because this is not it.
This is not it. I'm not going to sit here and express my opinions about anything
dealing with race and stuff like that because it's not really my place to say too many things.
(29:30):
It is my podcast. I can say what I want, but let me not be, you know,
let me not do it. Let me not do it. This is not that. This is not that.
So I'm just not going to do it. But OK, so like I said, thank you guys so much
for tuning in to listen to today's case.
I really and truly appreciate it. Don't forget to tell a friend how they go.
(29:54):
No, if you don't tell them, tell a friend, tell them and then tell them to tell
somebody else, you know, let's spread the word about in-time crime.
Let's get the word out there so people can hear these cases. is.
And like I said, whatever date it is, you already know what's going to happen.
So maybe you're going to see, is she going to cover this case, this case, this case?
(30:15):
You'll never know. There are many cases occurring every day.
So you never know what case I'm going to cover. Not because you know the date,
don't mean you know what case, but you can take a guess and hopefully your guess is correct.
But you won't know unless you tune in to see, oh, so she did cover that case on that day.
(30:36):
So like I said, two name every Sunday and Thursday.
Thursday is our mini-sode. So yes, tune in again on Thursday for our mini-sode this Thursday.
And I'm going to do the mini-sodes like I'm doing, you know,
the regular episodes where hopefully the date is somewhere around because the
(31:00):
mini-sode is, it's kind of hard to catch it on the actual date because I'm doing news articles.
So it's kind of hard to say, well, this occurred on this. It's basically days
before or days at, you know, so you can't really catch those many shows on the exact date.
So we'll just see. OK, but stay tuned.
Tune on back in for the Minnesota's Thursday.
(31:23):
And thank you guys so much for listening. Don't forget.
Don't forget. Go into that link tree and check out the.
You know, click the link so you can join the Facebook group.
You can join the Facebook page and Time Crime Podcast page.
(31:46):
Also, follow me on TikTok and Instagram. You know the deal. You know the deal.
If you're a new listener, you don't know the deal, but this is what I need you to do.
I need you to go on Linktree and follow me on TikTok and Instagram and Facebook.
Okay. OK, also join the Patreon, you guys. It's free or you can pick a tier.
(32:08):
Tiers start as little as $5 a month.
OK, so pick a tier on the Patreon.
It's to help people, believe me. It will. It's not just for me.
OK, so thank you guys so much for tuning in.
And don't forget, true crime is not for you to live in fear, but for you to be aware.
(32:32):
Okay thank you guys so much once again for joining me on this wonderful tuesday
should have been sunday afternoon and you guys have a wonderful day and i will
see you thursday for our mini so.
Music.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.