Amber McLaughlin

Amber McLaughlin (January 13, 1973 – January 3, 2023) was an American transgender woman executed in Missouri for the 2003 rape and murder of her ex-girlfriend, Beverly Guenther. At the time of the crime, McLaughlin was living as male; she transitioned from male to female while incarcerated.^[1][2][3] McLaughlin became the first openly transgender person to be executed in the United States.^[4][5] Her legal name remained her birth name, Scott A. McLaughlin, and she was identified as such in her death warrant and in prison records.^[6]

Amber McLaughlin
Born	Scott A. McLaughlin (1973-01-13)January 13, 1973 Missouri, United States
Died	January 3, 2023(2023-01-03) (aged 49) Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, Bonne Terre, Missouri, U.S.
Cause of death	Execution by lethal injection
Nationality	American
Criminal status	Executed
Conviction(s)	First degree murder Forcible rape Sexual assault Armed criminal action
Criminal penalty	Death (2006)
Details
Victims	Beverly Guenther, 45
Date	November 20, 2003

McLaughlin was a registered sex offender because of a 1992 conviction for sexual assault against a 14-year-old girl.^[4]

At McLaughlin's 2006 trial, the jury was deadlocked on the issue of the death penalty.^[7] In most U.S. states, this would result in a sentence of life imprisonment. However, Missouri is one of only two states (the other being Indiana) in which a judge has the discretion to sentence a defendant to death if the jury is deadlocked on the issue of capital punishment.^[8]

In August 2021, McLaughlin's sentence was reinstated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.^[9][10] On January 3, 2023, McLaughlin was executed by the state.^[11]

See also

• Capital punishment in Missouri
• List of people executed in Missouri
• List of people executed in the United States in 2023
• List of women executed in the United States since 1976

References

1. Riess, Rebekah; Tucker, Emma (December 16, 2022). "Transgender death row inmate set to be executed in January files clemency application with Missouri governor". CNN. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
2. "Transgender woman on Missouri's death row asks governor for mercy with execution just days away". CBS News. December 15, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
3. "Missouri Set to Execute Amber McLaughlin on January 3 in First U.S. Execution of a Transgender Person". Death Penalty Information Center. December 27, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
4. Padgett, Donald (December 15, 2022). "First U.S. Execution of a Transgender Set in Missouri". The Advocate. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
5. Madani, Doha (January 3, 2023). "Amber McLaughlin, the first openly transgender person to be executed in the U.S., dies by lethal injection". NBC News. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
6. Andone, Dakin; Vera, Amir (January 3, 2023). "Missouri carries out first known execution of an openly transgender person for 2003 murder". CNN. Retrieved September 17, 2023. McLaughlin – listed in court documents as Scott McLaughlin – had not initiated a legal name change or transition...
7. Lhotka, William C. (November 4, 2006). "With jury divided, judge opts for death sentence for Wright City man". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
8. Jones, Ja'han (January 6, 2023). "The disturbing circumstances of Amber McLaughlin's execution". MSNBC.com. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
9. Patrick, Robert (August 18, 2021). "Federal appeals court reinstates death penalty in 2003 St. Louis County rape, murder". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
10. "McLaughlin v. Precythe, No. 18-3510 (8th Cir. 2021)". Justia Law. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
11. Krull, Ryan (January 3, 2023). "Missouri executes transgender woman for murdering her ex-girlfriend in 2003". St. Louis Public Radio.