Botched Execution of John Evans

On April 22, 1983, Alabama attempted to execute John Evans using electrocution. The procedure became a documented example in the modern U.S. history of botched executions.

What happened

After the first jolt, sparks and flames erupted near the leg electrode. Physicians found a heartbeat after the first and second cycles. A third jolt was administered before Evans was pronounced dead.

Result

The immediate result was that John Evans died after three electrical jolts and visible fire and smoke. This is an important distinction in the broader history of execution failures: some botched procedures ultimately kill the prisoner after a prolonged or visibly problematic process, while others are abandoned and leave the prisoner alive.

Why the case is classified as botched

The Death Penalty Information Center’s historical compilation uses a research definition centered on breakdowns or departures from execution protocol that produce unanticipated problems, delays, possible unnecessary suffering, or gross operational incompetence. The John Evans case fits that framework because the intended electrocution process did not proceed in the controlled manner the state expected.

Historical context

The event page is kept separate from the person profile so later work can attach the correct prison, execution protocol, court litigation, officials, method history and state-level death-penalty context without overloading the biography.

Sources

– Death Penalty Information Center — Botched Executions (case entry for John Evans)