Executed
Gary Gilmore
Gary Gilmore, 36, was executed by firing squad at the Utah State Prison on January 17, 1977. Reports say he chose to be shot and that his corneas were donated to recipients, as he had requested. His execution was the first in the United States after the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, and it drew international attention and debate over capital punishment. In 2007, Amnesty International held a vigil outside the prison to mark the 30th anniversary and read the names of more than 1,000 people executed since.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state
Reported by: Utah State Prison (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.