Aliases: Austin Rollin, Gene Rawlins

Married to Elizabeth LaMoore, who was 28 at the time that Eugene LaMoore died.

Eugene LaMoore was a 46-year-old black auto mechanic. He was most notable as the last person to be executed by Alaska. LaMoore was put to death by hanging in the Federal Jail, located in Juneau, at 5:16 PM on April 14, 1950.

On one night in December 1946, LaMoore and his accomplice, 24-year-old Austin Nelson, robbed a shop owned by a man named James Ellen. LaMoore and Nelson stabbed Ellen to death, but at first, only Austin Nelson was arrested for the murder. LaMoore was actually the main witness for the prosecution in Austin Nelson’s trial, and he tried to use Nelson’s trial as an opportunity to exonerate himself—but his testimony quickly made it clear that he, too, had participated in the robbery and murder. As soon as Nelson was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, LaMoore was arrested and charged with the same murder. He was convicted as well. Austin Nelson was executed by hanging on March 1, 1948. LaMoore was hanged two years later.

At the time of LaMoore’s execution, Alaska was not yet a state, but a territory. Alaska never carried out any executions as a state; they abolished the death penalty in 1957, two years before they earned statehood.

Aliases: Austin Rollin, Gene Rawlins

Married to Elizabeth LaMoore, who was 28 at the time that Eugene LaMoore died.

Eugene LaMoore was a 46-year-old black auto mechanic. He was most notable as the last person to be executed by Alaska. LaMoore was put to death by hanging in the Federal Jail, located in Juneau, at 5:16 PM on April 14, 1950.

On one night in December 1946, LaMoore and his accomplice, 24-year-old Austin Nelson, robbed a shop owned by a man named James Ellen. LaMoore and Nelson stabbed Ellen to death, but at first, only Austin Nelson was arrested for the murder. LaMoore was actually the main witness for the prosecution in Austin Nelson’s trial, and he tried to use Nelson’s trial as an opportunity to exonerate himself—but his testimony quickly made it clear that he, too, had participated in the robbery and murder. As soon as Nelson was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, LaMoore was arrested and charged with the same murder. He was convicted as well. Austin Nelson was executed by hanging on March 1, 1948. LaMoore was hanged two years later.

At the time of LaMoore’s execution, Alaska was not yet a state, but a territory. Alaska never carried out any executions as a state; they abolished the death penalty in 1957, two years before they earned statehood.