Joseph Carl Shaw
Joseph Carl Shaw | |
|---|---|
A photo taken of Shaw as he was taken to a holding cell shortly before his execution (January 8, 1985) | |
| Born | March 31, 1955 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | January 11, 1985 (aged 29) |
| Cause of death | Execution by electrocution |
| Other names | J.C. |
| Motive | Drug-induced rage over the end of his relationship Misogyny |
| Convictions | Murder (3 counts) Kidnapping Rape (2 counts) Criminal sexual conduct Armed robbery Conspiracy (3 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Death (December 16, 1977) |
| Details | |
| Victims | Betty Swank, 21 Thomas Taylor, 17 Carlotta Hartness, 14 |
Span of crimes | October 17 – October 29, 1977 |
| Location | Richland County, South Carolina |
Date apprehended | November 3, 1977 |
Joseph Carl Shaw (March 31, 1955 – January 11, 1985) was an American convicted murderer and the first person executed by the state of South Carolina after the U.S. Supreme Court reauthorized the use of capital punishment in 1976. Shaw was executed for the 1977 murders of three people in Richland County, South Carolina. One of his accomplices, James Terry Roach, was also sentenced to death and was executed in 1986.