Failed Execution of Willie Francis

On May 3, 1946, Louisiana attempted to execute Willie Francis in the electric chair. Francis was 17 years old. The execution did not kill him because the apparatus malfunctioned, and he was removed from the chair alive.

Francis v. Resweber

The failure led to a constitutional fight over whether Louisiana could attempt the execution again. The dispute reached the U.S. Supreme Court as Louisiana ex rel. Francis v. Resweber. In 1947 the Court allowed Louisiana to proceed, treating the first failure as an unintended mechanical malfunction rather than an intentional second punishment.

Why it matters

The event remains one of the central historical precedents whenever a condemned prisoner survives or an execution is abandoned after it begins. It connects the history of electrocution, botched executions and modern litigation over repeat execution attempts. Louisiana executed Francis by electrocution on May 9, 1947.

Sources

– U.S. Supreme Court — Louisiana ex rel. Francis v. Resweber, 329 U.S. 459 (1947) – Death Penalty Information Center — The Execution of Willie Francis