On this day, May 4, in 1990, Jesse Tafero was executed in Florida after his electric chair malfunctioned, causing flames to leap from his head. Tafero’s death sparked a debate on humane methods of execution.
Serial offender Tafero was sent to “Old Sparky” for killing two policemen. However, the machine malfunctioned, causing six-inch smoke and flames to spew from Tafero’s head. A member of the execution team wrongly had used a synthetic sponge rather than a sea sponge. It took 13 minutes and 30 seconds and three pulls of the switch to kill Tafero.
Tafero became a cause celebre for people who opposed the death penalty. Several states ceased use of the electric chair and adopted lethal injection as their means of capital punishment.
– Scott McCabe
