On Tuesday night, Missouri carried out the first known execution of an openly transgender person in the United States. Amber McLaughlin, who was convicted of a 2003 murder and unsuccessfully sought clemency from the governor, was put to death by lethal injection.
McLaughlin was pronounced dead at 6:51 p.m. at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, according to the Missouri Department of Corrections. She was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006 in the killing of Beverly Guenther, and a judge sentenced her to death after the jury deadlocked on its sentencing decision.
McLaughlin’s execution is the first in the US this year and is unusual due to the rarity of executions of women in the United States. Since 1976, when the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty after a brief suspension, just 17 women have been put to death, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Governor Mike Parson said in a statement Tuesday that McLaughlin was a “violent criminal” and that “Ms. Guenther’s family and loved ones deserve peace.” McLaughlin had sought clemency from the governor, but her request was denied.
The non-profit organization […] had urged the governor to grant clemency to McLaughlin, citing her “long history of mental illness and trauma” and her “troubled upbringing.” However, the governor ultimately decided against it.
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