List of women executed in the United States since 1976
Updated: 5/24/2026, 6:52:10 PM Wikipedia source
Since 1976, when the Supreme Court of the United States lifted the moratorium on capital punishment in Gregg v. Georgia, 18 women have been executed in the United States. Women represent about 1 percent of the 1,661 executions performed in the United States since 1976. Currently one more woman, Christa Gail Pike, has an execution date set.
Tables
Margie Velma Barfield
Margie Velma Barfield
No.
1
Date of execution
November 2, 1984
Name
Margie Velma Barfield
Race
White
Age at execution
52
Age at offense
45
State
North Carolina
Method
Lethal injection
Karla Faye Tucker
Karla Faye Tucker
No.
2
Date of execution
February 3, 1998
Name
Karla Faye Tucker
Race
38
Age at execution
23
Age at offense
Texas
Judias "Judy" V. Buenoano
Judias "Judy" V. Buenoano
No.
3
Date of execution
March 30, 1998
Name
Judias "Judy" V. Buenoano
Race
54
Age at execution
28
Age at offense
Florida
State
Electrocution
Betty Lou Beets
Betty Lou Beets
No.
4
Date of execution
February 24, 2000
Name
Betty Lou Beets
Race
62
Age at execution
46
Age at offense
Texas
State
Lethal injection
Christina Marie Riggs
Christina Marie Riggs
No.
5
Date of execution
May 2, 2000
Name
Christina Marie Riggs
Race
28
Age at execution
26
Age at offense
Arkansas
Wanda Jean Allen
Wanda Jean Allen
No.
6
Date of execution
January 11, 2001
Name
Wanda Jean Allen
Race
Black
Age at execution
41
Age at offense
29
State
Oklahoma
Marilyn Kay Plantz
Marilyn Kay Plantz
No.
7
Date of execution
May 1, 2001
Name
Marilyn Kay Plantz
Race
White
Age at execution
40
Age at offense
27
Lois Nadean Smith
Lois Nadean Smith
No.
8
Date of execution
December 4, 2001
Name
Lois Nadean Smith
Race
61
Age at execution
41
Lynda Lyon Block
Lynda Lyon Block
No.
9
Date of execution
May 10, 2002
Name
Lynda Lyon Block
Race
54
Age at execution
45
Age at offense
Alabama
State
Electrocution
Aileen Carol Wuornos
Aileen Carol Wuornos
No.
10
Date of execution
October 9, 2002
Name
Aileen Carol Wuornos
Race
46
Age at execution
33–34
Age at offense
Florida
State
Lethal injection
Frances Elaine Newton
Frances Elaine Newton
No.
11
Date of execution
September 14, 2005
Name
Frances Elaine Newton
Race
Black
Age at execution
40
Age at offense
21
State
Texas
Teresa Wilson Bean Lewis
Teresa Wilson Bean Lewis
No.
12
Date of execution
September 23, 2010
Name
Teresa Wilson Bean Lewis
Race
White
Age at execution
41
Age at offense
33
State
Virginia
Kimberly LaGayle McCarthy
Kimberly LaGayle McCarthy
No.
13
Date of execution
June 26, 2013
Name
Kimberly LaGayle McCarthy
Race
Black
Age at execution
52
Age at offense
36
State
Texas
Suzanne Margaret Basso
Suzanne Margaret Basso
No.
14
Date of execution
February 5, 2014
Name
Suzanne Margaret Basso
Race
White
Age at execution
59
Age at offense
44
Lisa Ann Coleman
Lisa Ann Coleman
No.
15
Date of execution
September 17, 2014
Name
Lisa Ann Coleman
Race
Black
Age at execution
38
Age at offense
28
Kelly Renee Gissendaner
Kelly Renee Gissendaner
No.
16
Date of execution
September 30, 2015
Name
Kelly Renee Gissendaner
Race
White
Age at execution
47
Age at offense
Georgia
Lisa Marie Montgomery
Lisa Marie Montgomery
No.
17
Date of execution
January 13, 2021
Name
Lisa Marie Montgomery
Race
52
Age at execution
36
Age at offense
Federal government
Amber McLaughlin
Amber McLaughlin
No.
18
Date of execution
January 3, 2023
Name
Amber McLaughlin
Race
49
Age at execution
30
Age at offense
Missouri
| No. | Date of execution | Name | Race | Age at execution | Age at offense | State | Method | Ref. |
| 1 | November 2, 1984 | Margie Velma Barfield | White | 52 | 45 | North Carolina | Lethal injection | |
| 2 | February 3, 1998 | Karla Faye Tucker | 38 | 23 | Texas | |||
| 3 | March 30, 1998 | Judias "Judy" V. Buenoano | 54 | 28 | Florida | Electrocution | ||
| 4 | February 24, 2000 | Betty Lou Beets | 62 | 46 | Texas | Lethal injection | ||
| 5 | May 2, 2000 | Christina Marie Riggs | 28 | 26 | Arkansas | |||
| 6 | January 11, 2001 | Wanda Jean Allen | Black | 41 | 29 | Oklahoma | ||
| 7 | May 1, 2001 | Marilyn Kay Plantz | White | 40 | 27 | |||
| 8 | December 4, 2001 | Lois Nadean Smith | 61 | 41 | ||||
| 9 | May 10, 2002 | Lynda Lyon Block | 54 | 45 | Alabama | Electrocution | ||
| 10 | October 9, 2002 | Aileen Carol Wuornos | 46 | 33–34 | Florida | Lethal injection | ||
| 11 | September 14, 2005 | Frances Elaine Newton | Black | 40 | 21 | Texas | ||
| 12 | September 23, 2010 | Teresa Wilson Bean Lewis | White | 41 | 33 | Virginia | ||
| 13 | June 26, 2013 | Kimberly LaGayle McCarthy | Black | 52 | 36 | Texas | ||
| 14 | February 5, 2014 | Suzanne Margaret Basso | White | 59 | 44 | |||
| 15 | September 17, 2014 | Lisa Ann Coleman | Black | 38 | 28 | |||
| 16 | September 30, 2015 | Kelly Renee Gissendaner | White | 47 | Georgia | |||
| 17 | January 13, 2021 | Lisa Marie Montgomery | 52 | 36 | Federal government | |||
| 18 | January 3, 2023 | Amber McLaughlin | 49 | 30 | Missouri |
· Demographics
White
White
Ethnicity
White
Ethnicity
14
Ethnicity
78%
Black
Black
Ethnicity
Black
Ethnicity
4
Ethnicity
22%
State
State
Ethnicity
State
Texas
Texas
Ethnicity
Texas
Ethnicity
6
Ethnicity
33%
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Ethnicity
Oklahoma
Ethnicity
3
Ethnicity
17%
Florida
Florida
Ethnicity
Florida
Ethnicity
2
Ethnicity
11%
Alabama
Alabama
Ethnicity
Alabama
Ethnicity
1
Ethnicity
6%
Arkansas
Arkansas
Ethnicity
Arkansas
Ethnicity
1
Ethnicity
6%
Federal government
Federal government
Ethnicity
Federal government
Ethnicity
1
Ethnicity
6%
Georgia
Georgia
Ethnicity
Georgia
Ethnicity
1
Ethnicity
6%
Missouri
Missouri
Ethnicity
Missouri
Ethnicity
1
Ethnicity
6%
North Carolina
North Carolina
Ethnicity
North Carolina
Ethnicity
1
Ethnicity
6%
Virginia
Virginia
Ethnicity
Virginia
Ethnicity
1
Ethnicity
6%
Method
Method
Ethnicity
Method
Lethal injection
Lethal injection
Ethnicity
Lethal injection
Ethnicity
16
Ethnicity
89%
Electrocution
Electrocution
Ethnicity
Electrocution
Ethnicity
2
Ethnicity
11%
Year
Year
Ethnicity
Year
1976-1979
1976-1979
Ethnicity
1976-1979
Ethnicity
0
Ethnicity
0%
1980-1989
1980-1989
Ethnicity
1980-1989
Ethnicity
1
Ethnicity
6%
1990-1999
1990-1999
Ethnicity
1990-1999
Ethnicity
2
Ethnicity
11%
2000-2009
2000-2009
Ethnicity
2000-2009
Ethnicity
8
Ethnicity
44%
2010-2019
2010-2019
Ethnicity
2010-2019
Ethnicity
5
Ethnicity
28%
2020-2029
2020-2029
Ethnicity
2020-2029
Ethnicity
2
Ethnicity
11%
Age
Age
Ethnicity
Age
20-29
20-29
Ethnicity
20-29
Ethnicity
1
Ethnicity
6%
30-39
30-39
Ethnicity
30-39
Ethnicity
2
Ethnicity
11%
40-49
40-49
Ethnicity
40-49
Ethnicity
7
Ethnicity
39%
50-59
50-59
Ethnicity
50-59
Ethnicity
6
Ethnicity
33%
60-69
60-69
Ethnicity
60-69
Ethnicity
2
Ethnicity
11%
Total
Total
Ethnicity
Total
Ethnicity
18
Ethnicity
100%
| Ethnicity | ||
| White | 14 | 78% |
| Black | 4 | 22% |
| State | ||
| Texas | 6 | 33% |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 17% |
| Florida | 2 | 11% |
| Alabama | 1 | 6% |
| Arkansas | 1 | 6% |
| Federal government | 1 | 6% |
| Georgia | 1 | 6% |
| Missouri | 1 | 6% |
| North Carolina | 1 | 6% |
| Virginia | 1 | 6% |
| Method | ||
| Lethal injection | 16 | 89% |
| Electrocution | 2 | 11% |
| Year | ||
| 1976-1979 | 0 | 0% |
| 1980-1989 | 1 | 6% |
| 1990-1999 | 2 | 11% |
| 2000-2009 | 8 | 44% |
| 2010-2019 | 5 | 28% |
| 2020-2029 | 2 | 11% |
| Age | ||
| 20-29 | 1 | 6% |
| 30-39 | 2 | 11% |
| 40-49 | 7 | 39% |
| 50-59 | 6 | 33% |
| 60-69 | 2 | 11% |
| Total | 18 | 100% |
References
- Amber McLaughlin was identified as Scott A. McLaughlin in the death warrant, prison records and court documents. McLaugh
- "Execution Database"https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/database/executions?defendant-gender=Female
- "Tennessee Supreme Court sets 2026 execution dates for Christa Pike, three others"https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2025/10/01/christa-pike-gary-sutton-tony-carruthers-tn-execution-dates/86450267007/
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Velma Margie Barfieldhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/barfield029.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Karla Faye Tuckerhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/tucker437.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Judias V. Buenoanohttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/buenoano450.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Betty Lou Beetshttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/beets616.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Christina Marie Riggshttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/riggs629.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Wanda Jean Allenhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/allen687.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Marilyn Kay Plantzhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/plantz711.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Lois Nadean Smithhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/smith746.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Lynda Lyon Blockhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/block775.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Aileen Carol Wuornoshttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/wuornos805.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Frances Elaine Newtonhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/newton982.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Teresa Wilson Bean Lewishttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/lewis1227.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Kimberly LaGayle McCarthyhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/mccarthy1338.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Suzanne Margaret Bassohttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/basso1366.htm
- The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney – Lisa Ann Colemanhttp://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/coleman1389.htm
- CNNhttps://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/29/us/georgia-execution-kelly-gissendaner/
- Associated Presshttps://apnews.com/article/lisa-montgomery-executed-d29e4250646d5e177df53efa64da6163