Knowledge

George Sitts

Source 📝

25: 317:, where he was arrested on February 5, 1946, and returned to South Dakota. Sitts was tried first for the murder of Matthews and after his conviction and death sentence in March 1946, the state opted not to try him for Malcolm's murder. 320:
South Dakota introduced the electric chair as the manner of execution in 1939 and Sitts was the fourth man sentenced to die in the chair. The three previous sentences, however, were commuted to life in prison.
324:
Sitts's final words were a wry joke to the 41 official witnesses. "This is the first time authorities helped me escape prison," he said right before the four shocks surged through his body at 12:15 a.m.
504: 539: 514: 509: 303:, on January 24, 1946. Sitts had pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Minnesota for the December 12, 1945, slaying of Erik Johansson, a liquor store clerk, during a botched robbery. 534: 524: 425: 529: 494: 469: 544: 519: 355: 350: 273:
for killing state Division of Criminal Investigation special agent Tom Matthews, who was attempting to arrest Sitts on a fugitive warrant from
345: 464: 68: 46: 123: 310:
city jail, Sitts and three other men broke out the day before Sitts was scheduled to be transferred to a state prison.
499: 296: 139: 328:
Special Agent Matthews name is inscribed on Panel 34 of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial located on
399: 127: 39: 33: 455: 300: 285: 50: 489: 484: 171: 179: 104: 201: 284:, and it would be over 60 years until the next time South Dakota would carry out an execution — 295:
Sitts, who escaped from prison while serving a life sentence for murder, also shot and killed
193: 368: 333: 329: 289: 459: 281: 478: 238: 378: 270: 254: 307: 269:(October 29, 1913 – April 8, 1947) was a convicted murderer who was executed by 161: 274: 250: 149: 314: 452: 306:
After spending three weeks sawing on the bars of his cell in the
374:"Chair Closes Criminal Career," Associated Press, April 8, 1947. 18: 313:
After the slayings of Matthews and Malcolm, Sitts fled to
505:
American people executed for murdering police officers
540:
Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Minnesota
426:"Timeline of George Sitts: From escape to execution" 280:Sitts was the only person to die in South Dakota's 244: 234: 224: 212: 207: 185: 159: 145: 135: 112: 90: 83: 515:People executed by South Dakota by electric chair 510:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment 336:Sheriff Malcolm's name is inscribed on Panel 53. 367:"Testimony Completed in Sitts Murder Trial," 8: 535:People convicted of murder by South Dakota 525:20th-century executions of American people 80: 69:Learn how and when to remove this message 400:"Sitts, Executed In 1947, Killed Lawman" 32:This article includes a list of general 530:People convicted of murder by Minnesota 495:20th-century executions by South Dakota 391: 356:List of people executed in South Dakota 351:Capital punishment in the United States 7: 470:About South Dakota's electric chair 465:List of executions in South Dakota 346:Capital punishment in South Dakota 38:it lacks sufficient corresponding 14: 453:National Law Enforcement Memorial 545:Escapees from American detention 377:"Prisoner Faces Murder Charge," 23: 424:staff, Journal (30 June 2007). 124:South Dakota State Penitentiary 520:Executed people from Minnesota 430:Rapid City Journal Media Group 1: 404:Yankton Press & Dakotan 561: 299:Sheriff Dave Malcolm near 140:Execution by electrocution 260: 155: 128:Sioux Falls, South Dakota 53:more precise citations. 172:Second degree murder 381:, February 7, 1946. 267:George Sidney Sitts 180:First degree murder 136:Cause of death 105:St. Paul, Minnesota 85:George Sidney Sitts 458:2008-03-21 at the 292:on July 11, 2007. 500:American escapees 371:, March 20, 1946. 264: 263: 228:December 12, 1945 194:Life imprisonment 79: 78: 71: 16:American murderer 552: 440: 439: 437: 436: 421: 415: 414: 412: 411: 406:. 26 August 2006 396: 369:Associated Press 334:Washington, D.C. 330:Judiciary Square 290:lethal injection 247: 230:January 24, 1946 186:Criminal penalty 164: 119: 101:October 29, 1913 100: 98: 81: 74: 67: 63: 60: 54: 49:this article by 40:inline citations 27: 26: 19: 560: 559: 555: 554: 553: 551: 550: 549: 475: 474: 460:Wayback Machine 449: 444: 443: 434: 432: 423: 422: 418: 409: 407: 398: 397: 393: 388: 364: 342: 245: 229: 219: 217: 200: 196: 192: 178: 174: 170: 160: 146:Criminal status 131: 121: 117: 108: 102: 96: 94: 86: 75: 64: 58: 55: 45:Please help to 44: 28: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 558: 556: 548: 547: 542: 537: 532: 527: 522: 517: 512: 507: 502: 497: 492: 487: 477: 476: 473: 472: 467: 462: 448: 447:External links 445: 442: 441: 416: 390: 389: 387: 384: 383: 382: 375: 372: 363: 360: 359: 358: 353: 348: 341: 338: 282:electric chair 262: 261: 258: 257: 248: 242: 241: 236: 232: 231: 226: 222: 221: 216:Erik Johansson 214: 210: 209: 205: 204: 187: 183: 182: 165: 157: 156: 153: 152: 147: 143: 142: 137: 133: 132: 122: 120:(aged 33) 114: 110: 109: 103: 92: 88: 87: 84: 77: 76: 31: 29: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 557: 546: 543: 541: 538: 536: 533: 531: 528: 526: 523: 521: 518: 516: 513: 511: 508: 506: 503: 501: 498: 496: 493: 491: 488: 486: 483: 482: 480: 471: 468: 466: 463: 461: 457: 454: 451: 450: 446: 431: 427: 420: 417: 405: 401: 395: 392: 385: 380: 376: 373: 370: 366: 365: 361: 357: 354: 352: 349: 347: 344: 343: 339: 337: 335: 331: 326: 322: 318: 316: 311: 309: 304: 302: 298: 293: 291: 287: 283: 278: 276: 272: 268: 259: 256: 252: 249: 243: 240: 239:United States 237: 233: 227: 223: 215: 211: 206: 203: 199: 195: 191: 188: 184: 181: 177: 173: 169: 166: 163: 162:Conviction(s) 158: 154: 151: 148: 144: 141: 138: 134: 129: 125: 116:April 8, 1947 115: 111: 106: 93: 89: 82: 73: 70: 62: 52: 48: 42: 41: 35: 30: 21: 20: 433:. Retrieved 429: 419: 408:. Retrieved 403: 394: 379:United Press 327: 323: 319: 312: 305: 297:Butte County 294: 279: 271:South Dakota 266: 265: 255:South Dakota 220:Dave Malcolm 218:Tom Matthews 198:South Dakota 197: 189: 176:South Dakota 175: 167: 118:(1947-04-08) 65: 56: 37: 490:1947 deaths 485:1913 births 308:Minneapolis 286:Elijah Page 51:introducing 479:Categories 435:2022-04-12 410:2022-04-12 386:References 97:1913-10-29 34:references 362:Resources 301:Spearfish 275:Minnesota 251:Minnesota 190:Minnesota 168:Minnesota 456:Archived 340:See also 246:State(s) 150:Executed 59:May 2022 315:Wyoming 235:Country 213:Victims 208:Details 47:improve 130:, U.S. 107:, U.S. 36:, but 202:Death 288:via 253:and 225:Date 113:Died 91:Born 481:: 428:. 402:. 332:, 277:. 126:, 438:. 413:. 99:) 95:( 72:) 66:( 61:) 57:( 43:.

Index

references
inline citations
improve
introducing
Learn how and when to remove this message
St. Paul, Minnesota
South Dakota State Penitentiary
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Execution by electrocution
Executed
Conviction(s)
Second degree murder
First degree murder
Life imprisonment
Death
United States
Minnesota
South Dakota
South Dakota
Minnesota
electric chair
Elijah Page
lethal injection
Butte County
Spearfish
Minneapolis
Wyoming
Judiciary Square
Washington, D.C.
Capital punishment in South Dakota

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.