Missouri first used the death penalty in 1810. A man named Peter Johnson was hanged for murder. Missouri is one of 27 states which has the death penalty. Since 1973, four individuals who were wrongfully accused were exonerated from death row.
In 1917, the state abolished the death penalty, but it was reinstated in 1919. Since 1976, there have been a total of 99 (96 state executions and three federal executions) individuals executed including four in 2023 and two in 2024.
As the time between sentencing and execution in the U.S. has lengthened from a few years to decades, the conditions of confinement for death row inmates have come under closer scrutiny. (Source.)
From 1810 through 1965, Missouri carried out 285 executions. The main method of execution until 1936 was hanging. From 1937 through 1987, lethal gas was used.
The last public execution of hanging in the U.S. was on May 21, 1937, of Roscoe “Red” Jackson. He died in Galena Missouri “according to the Missouri Death Certificate due to being ‘Legally Hanged by the neck.'” He was 36 years old and had three children according to the Find-a-Grave record. This was the last big audience for an execution in the United States.