Jimmy Thompson | |
---|---|
Born | 1895 |
Died | 12 October 1952 [1] |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Executioner |
Jimmy Thompson (c. 1895 – 12 October 1952 [1] [2]) was the Mississippi executioner active from 1940 to 1950. He executed around 55 people. [3] He had a number of tattoos. He used a portable electric chair and was paid $100 per execution. [4]
Jimmy Thompson died in a traffic accident on October 12, 1952. He was a passenger in a pick-up truck when it crashed and Thompson was thrown from the vehicle, suffering fatal injuries. He was 56 years old when he died. He left a sister and five brothers, but no children of his own. His life and work later formed the basis for the movie 'The Travelling Executioner' starring Stacy Keach as Jonas Candide, a very-thinly veiled version of Thompson himself.