The Missouri Department of Corrections has executed Amber McLaughlin, believed to be the first transgender woman to be executed in the United States. McLaughlin, 49, was pronounced dead at 6:51pm on Tuesday after being given a lethal injection at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri.
McLaughlin was sentenced to death in 2006 for the murder of ex-girlfriend Beverly Guenther. Prosecutors argued that McLaughlin, who was then known as Scott, abducted and stabbed Guenther to death after stalking her.
McLaughlin was convicted of rape and murder in 2005, but jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision on the death penalty. The sentence was ultimately determined by the presiding judge.
Governor Mike Parson declined McLaughlin's clemency request, which cited McLaughlin's traumatic childhood and mental health issues, including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and a history of depression and suicide attempts.
