29. A Murderer Who Tried to Hasten His Execution, While Death Penalty Opponents Fought to Save His Life
On July 19, 1976, Gary Gilmore robbed and killed a gas station employee in Orem, Utah, and the following day, he robbed and killed a motel manager in Provo. He was undone when he accidentally shot himself in the right hand with the pistol he had used in both murders and left a trail of blood that led back to a service garage where he had left his truck for repairs. On October 7, 1976, a jury found him guilty and recommended the death penalty.
He chose to not pursue his habeas corpus relief rights in federal court. Back then Utah gave the condemned the option of execution by hanging or by firing squad, and Gilmore declared “I’d prefer to be shot“. His execution was scheduled for November 15, 1976, but despite his express wishes, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) intervened and got multiple stays of execution. What followed was a macabre back and forth, that attracted attention both in the US and overseas, as a condemned criminal sought to hasten his execution, while the ACLU tried to save his life.
