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on
January 5, 1952. He declined a last meal. James's last words were "I have been treated very well." The trapdoor was sprung open at 1:01 a.m., and he was pronounced dead nine minutes later. James's parents declined to claim his body after his execution, and he was buried in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in
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The defense argued that James did not "appreciate the enormity of his act", and presented several witnesses who testified that he had a limited mental capacity. However, doctors who examined him said he was both competent and sane. On March 7, 1951, the jury found James guilty of two counts of first
273:
During his trial, a woman, 25-year-old Zada
Spencer, said she and James had been having an affair for about a year, and had a child together, and that he never told her he was married. According to Spencer, after learning she was pregnant, James said a friend of his, whose wife had died, had offered
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who murdered his pregnant wife and three children. On
December 12, 1950, he strangled his wife, who was about seven months pregnant, to death, then set their trailer on fire, resulting in their children dying. James was convicted of two counts of first degree murder, sentenced to death, and executed
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James then confessed to the murders, saying he had strangled his wife to death, and then poured kerosene on her body and set it on fire to conceal the crime. Due to public anger over the allegations, James was moved to a private location for his safety. He claimed that his children had driven him
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On the early of morning of
December 13, 1950, the Lammers' family trailer was discovered on fire. Neighbors tried to help, but were unable to extinguish the blaze. The bodies of 23-year-old Geneva Orr Lammers, 3-year-old Laura Mae Lammers, 2-year-old Melva Jean Lammers, and nine-month-old LaVern
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The fire was initially thought to be accidental, and the police guessed that an exploding oil stove caused it. James
Lammers was nowhere to be found. He returned to town on December 14, 1950, claiming he had been out looking for work, and that someone had recognized his truck in
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him his trailer home if he would take care of his three children. He asked
Spencer if she would marry him on those conditions, but she declined. A friend of Spencer corroborated these allegations, but they were never confirmed.
259:. He attempt to provide an alibi by showing them a receipt for gas supposedly purchased on December 12, but the actual date, December 13, was smudged and over it was written the number 12. James then took them to
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The group returned to Troy on
December 15, and James was arrested and charged with first degree murder the next day. Upon being woken up to the news, he replied "Does it have to be as bad as that?"
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crazy, and he feared having a fourth child. James took his wife to a doctor in
Missouri, hoping for an abortion, but the doctor refused.
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Suspecting that James had intentionally set the fire, the police asked him to show them where he had traveled. James took the police to
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263:, where he had supposedly spent the night in a hotel and mailed a letter home to his wife. The letter was dated December 14, 1950.
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eight weeks before the murders after James found work as a bulldozer operator there. However, six weeks later, he was fired.
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Executions in Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma Including the Indian Territory: A Comprehensive Registry
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degree murder and recommended a death sentence. He was formally sentenced to death shortly after.
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Francis
Lammers were found. The children were sleeping during the fire, and had died from
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380:"To Gallows For Murder James Lammers-Iola Register 05 Jan 1952 pg. 1"
505:"Rattling Old Bones: Murder of Aunt Mandy's Daughter, Part 4"
480:"Rattling Old Bones: Murder of Aunt Mandy's Daughter, Part 3"
455:"Rattling Old Bones: Murder of Aunt Mandy's Daughter, Part 2"
430:"Rattling Old Bones: Murder of Aunt Mandy's Daughter"
330:"James Bernard Lammers (1924-1952) - Find a Grave..."
281:After James's appeals failed, he was hanged at the
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215:(July 16, 1924 – January 5, 1952) was an American
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550:20th-century executions of American people
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228:The family had moved into a trailer in
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600:People executed by Kansas by hanging
595:People convicted of murder by Kansas
114:Geneva Orr Lammers (murdered 1950)
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545:20th-century executions by Kansas
352:Wilson, R. Michael (2014-01-10).
305:List of people executed in Kansas
585:Mass murder in the United States
575:Familicides in the United States
565:Executed American mass murderers
16:Executed American mass murderer
560:American murderers of children
1:
570:Executed people from Nebraska
248:and told him about the fire.
224:Murders, trial, and execution
300:Capital punishment in Kansas
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134:Did not want more children
283:Kansas State Penitentiary
238:carbon monoxide poisoning
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71:Kansas State Penitentiary
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555:American male criminals
386:. 1952-01-05. p. 1
503:Ztnoble (2013-12-04).
478:Ztnoble (2013-11-27).
453:Ztnoble (2013-11-20).
428:Ztnoble (2013-11-14).
253:Independence, Missouri
290:Leavenworth, Kansas.
257:Kansas City, Missouri
213:James Bernard Lammers
23:James Bernard Lammers
87:Execution by hanging
580:Mass murder in 1952
147:First degree murder
96:Construction worker
83:Cause of death
509:Rattling Old Bones
484:Rattling Old Bones
459:Rattling Old Bones
434:Rattling Old Bones
405:"State v. Lammers"
333:www.findagrave.com
384:The Iola Register
365:978-0-7864-8909-1
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180:December 12, 1950
52:Fordyce, Nebraska
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590:Murder in Kansas
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101:Criminal status
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75:Lansing, Kansas
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141:Conviction(s)
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48:July 16, 1924
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512:. Retrieved
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201:Troy, Kansas
65:(1952-01-05)
540:1952 deaths
535:1924 births
196:Location(s)
529:Categories
514:2022-02-08
489:2022-02-08
464:2022-02-08
439:2022-02-08
414:2022-02-08
409:Justia Law
390:2022-02-08
338:2022-02-08
316:References
310:Familicide
255:, then to
149:(2 counts)
93:Occupation
44:1924-07-16
220:in 1952.
294:See also
119:Children
105:Executed
287:Lansing
185:Country
169:Victims
164:Details
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246:Topeka
131:Motive
111:Spouse
77:, U.S.
54:, U.S.
172:4 + 1
158:Death
360:ISBN
230:Troy
177:Date
60:Died
38:Born
285:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
