Amber McLaughlin | |
---|---|
Born | Scott A. McLaughlin January 13, 1973 Missouri, United States |
Died | January 3, 2023 | (aged 49)
Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
Nationality | American |
Criminal status | Executed |
Conviction(s) | First degree murder Forcible rape Sexual assault Armed criminal action |
Criminal penalty | Death (2006) |
Details | |
Victims | Beverly Guenther, 45 |
Date | November 20, 2003 |
Amber McLaughlin (January 13, 1973 – January 3, 2023) was an American transgender woman executed in Missouri for the 2003 rape and murder of her ex-girlfriend, Beverly Guenther. At the time of the crime, McLaughlin was living as male; she transitioned from male to female while incarcerated.[1][2][3] McLaughlin became the first openly transgender person to be executed in the United States.[4][5] Her legal name remained her birth name, Scott A. McLaughlin, and she was identified as such in her death warrant and in prison records.[6]
McLaughlin was a registered sex offender because of a 1992 conviction for sexual assault against a 14-year-old girl.[4]
At McLaughlin's 2006 trial, the jury was deadlocked on the issue of the death penalty.[7] In most U.S. states, this would result in a sentence of life imprisonment. However, Missouri is one of only two states (the other being Indiana) in which a judge has the discretion to sentence a defendant to death if the jury is deadlocked on the issue of capital punishment.[8]
In August 2021, McLaughlin's sentence was reinstated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.[9][10] On January 3, 2023, McLaughlin was executed by the state.[11]