#OnThisDay: Rainey Bethea Became the Last Person Publicly Executed in the United States
On August 14, 1936, Rainey Bethea, a 26 year old black man convicted of rape & murder of 70 year Lischia Edward, was publicly executed by hanging in Owensboro, Kentucky. 20,000 people swarmed to the location to witness what would be the last public execution in the US. Most states…