Title
The Execution of Karla Faye Tucker: An Examination of the Attitudes and Motivations of Protesters, Supporters and Curiosity Seekers
Abstract
On February 3rd, 1998, Karla Faye Tucker became the first woman to be executed in Texas since 1863 for the 1983 pickax murder of a Houston man. The execution which culminated months of intense international media coverage primarily focused upon Tucker's gender and status as a born‐again Christian. Public figures with diverse political backgrounds, including Pat Robertson and Bianca Jagger, publicly expressed support for Tucker while various victims’ rights groups and others vocally supported the impending execution. Consequently, media coverage outside the death chamber the day of the execution reached circus‐like proportions with a record crowd of over 500 crowd participants, scores of media correspondents, and over 25 media satellite trucks gathered in Huntsville to witness this historic event (Turner and Milling, 1998).
Document Type
Article
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601x.1999.9959542
Keywords
Karla Faye Tucker, female criminality, crowd participationr, eligious groups, media influence
Publication Date
1999
Recommended Citation
McCoy, Tana, Patti Ross Salinas, and W. Wesley Johnson. "The execution of Karla Faye tucker: An examination of the attitudes and motivations of protesters, supporters, and curiosity‐seekers." Criminal Justice Studies 12, no. 2 (1999): 209-221.
Journal Title
Criminal Justice Studies
