Rattlesnake James
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Raymond Lisenba (1895 – May 9, 1942), also known as Rattlesnake James, was the last man to be executed by hanging in California.
James worked as a barber in the area of present day La Cañada Flintridge, California in the 1930s. His wife in those years was a manicurist named Mary Busch. In 1935, James purchased a life insurance policy on his wife. A few months later, James purchased rattlesnakes, which were used in an unsuccessful attempt to murder his wife. Hours later, Mary was found dead by drowning.
Investigators discovered that James had been married previously and that one of his prior wives had died under similar circumstances.
On May 9, 1942, Rattlesnake James was executed by hanging at San Quentin State Prison in California. The rope was the wrong length and it took over ten minutes for Rattlesnake James to die.
[edit] See also
- Capital punishment in California
- Capital punishment in the United States
- Lisenba v. People of State of California
[edit] See also
- People v. Lisenba (1939) 14 Cal 2d 403 [1]
- Lisenba v. People of State of California (1941) ^
- Prarie Public Television biography
- Brenner, Anita La Cañada's First U.S. Supreme Court Case
- Brenner, Anita Warden Hears James' Death Rattle
- Duffy, Clinton Eighty Eight Men and Two Women (1988) ISBN 0-404-62412-X
- Nash, Jay Bloodletters and Badmen(1995) ISBN 0-87131-777-X
- Love Bites from the Malefactor's Register
