HOUSTON — The execution rate in the United States remained close to historic lows in 2024, predominantly occurring in a limited number of states. A notable development this year was Alabama’s pioneering use of nitrogen gas as a method of execution. This information was highlighted in the annual report concerning capital punishment by the Death Penalty Information Center, published on Thursday, which coincided with Oklahoma’s execution of Kevin Ray Underwood, marking the final execution of the year in the nation. Underwood, who was sentenced for the murder of a 10-year-old girl amidst a cannibalistic fantasy, received a lethal injection that morning.
According to Robin M. Maher, the executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization, the significant decline in new death sentences over recent years serves as a clear indication of shifting public sentiment towards the death penalty. The center, which maintains a neutral stance on capital punishment but has criticized execution practices, aims to shed light on this issue. Overall, the report reveals important trends regarding capital punishment in the U.S. for the year 2024.
In terms of execution statistics, just four states—Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas—accounted for 76% of all executions this year. Though 2024 saw only one more execution than the previous year, it marked the tenth consecutive year with fewer than 30 executions. Additionally, there were 26 new death sentences issued, which continued the trend of having fewer than 50 people sentenced to death annually for the past decade. Maher noted that over 20 years ago, the number of executions was more than double the current figures alongside a much higher incidence of new death sentences.
After the Supreme Court lifted its moratorium on capital punishment in 1976, executions consistently increased, peaking at 98 in 1999. Since then, there has been a steady decline in executions. Law professor Michael Benza from Case Western Reserve University indicated that while many states are transitioning to what could be termed “de facto abolition states” by refraining from conducting executions, a handful of states continue to impose the death penalty actively, reinforcing its historical ties to the South.
Alabama made headlines as the first state to employ nitrogen gas for executions, which was initiated with the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith in January. The state proceeded to use this method for two additional inmates in subsequent months. In light of challenges in procuring execution drugs, some states are exploring alternative methods to carry out capital punishment.
In total, only nine states executed individuals in 2024. Among these, seven belong to the top ten states responsible for executions in the modern era. States such as Indiana, South Carolina, and Utah resumed executions after considerable pauses. Texas, historically the leading state for capital punishment, recorded only five executions this year, with such numbers falling to single digits in eight of the last nine years, as highlighted in a concurrent report by the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. The coalition noted that, despite the overall decline in the use of the death penalty, its application remains disproportionately directed at individuals of color and heavily influenced by geographic factors.
Missouri has been recognized as one of the most active states regarding the death penalty, although this is expected to shift as the number of inmates on death row has significantly decreased from nearly 100 in the 1990s to only eight today. Interestingly, even within states like Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, where support for the death penalty remains strong, certain conservative lawmakers and prosecutors are showing public backing for initiatives aimed at halting the execution of specific individuals.
In Texas, for instance, a bipartisan group of legislators sought to postpone Robert Roberson’s execution scheduled for October 17 by issuing a subpoena compelling him to testify. Similarly, attorneys representing death row inmate Richard Glossip in Oklahoma joined state prosecutors in approaching the U.S. Supreme Court to appeal for the reversal of his conviction and death sentence. Moreover, in Missouri, some county prosecutors and family members of a murder victim unsuccessfully requested to commute Marcellus Williams’ death sentence to life in prison.
The role of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the death penalty has continued to wane, according to Maher. The report indicated that in 2024, the Supreme Court granted only three out of 117 requests from inmates seeking a stay of execution or a review of their case claims. This pattern aligns with the court’s approach in recent years. Benza remarked on the court’s tendency to limit defendants’ access to judicial processes while being less active in overseeing the state’s application of the death penalty.