Capital punishment was formerly used by the state and former territory of Minnesota until its abolition in 1911.[1]
Between 1854 and 1906, 66 people were executed by hanging in Minnesota.[2] Following the botched execution of William Williams in 1906, public opinion in the state turned against the death penalty.[3] In 1911, an abolition bill was signed into law, outlawing the death penalty in Minnesota.[1]
Since 1911, there have been 23 attempts to reinstate the death penalty in Minnesota, with the most recent being in 2005, but none of these bills passed the Minnesota Legislature.[4][5]