Honestly, if you look at a list of people executed in the United States, you’re looking at more than just names and dates. It is a heavy, complicated ledger of the American justice system. Most people think they know how the death penalty works, but the reality on the ground—especially as we move through 2026—is shifting faster than the news cycle can keep up with.
Last year was a bit of a shocker.
In 2025, we saw a massive spike. There were 47 executions across the country. To put that in perspective, that's nearly double what we saw in the years just prior. While the "abolition" movement feels like it has momentum, the states that still use capital punishment are doubling down. We’re seeing a weird paradox where the number of new death sentences is dropping, but the rate of actual executions for those already on death row is hitting a 16-year high.
Who was on the 2025 list?
The list from last year reads like a map of the American South and Midwest. Texas, Florida, and Alabama led the pack, as they usually do. But some names stood out because of the "how" and "why" behind their final moments.
- Marion Bowman Jr. (South Carolina): He was the first name on the 2025 list, executed on January 31.
- Jessie Hoffman Jr. (Louisiana): This was a big one. Louisiana hadn't executed anyone in 15 years. He was the first in that state to be put to death using nitrogen gas.
- Richard Gerald Jordan (Mississippi): He was the state's longest-serving inmate, having spent a staggering 49 years on death row before his execution in June.
- Frank A. Walls (Florida): He was the final execution of 2025, marking a record-breaking year for Florida.
It wasn't just about lethal injection anymore either. We saw a return to older methods and the debut of controversial new ones. South Carolina carried out three executions by firing squad—the first time we've seen that method used in the U.S. since 2010. Alabama and Louisiana leaned into nitrogen hypoxia, a method that has sparked massive legal battles over whether it constitutes "cruel and unusual" punishment.
The 2026 Execution Schedule: What’s Coming
If you're looking for the current list of people executed in the United States for this year, the calendar is already filling up. As of mid-January 2026, about 19 execution dates have been set across six states.
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Charles Victor Thompson is scheduled for January 28 in Texas. Florida has Ronald Heath set for February 10. Oklahoma is looking at Kendrick Simpson on February 12.
But here is the thing: a date on a calendar doesn't always mean an execution. Reprieves happen.
Just this month, Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro issued a reprieve for Richard Roland Laird, continuing that state's long-standing moratorium. Ohio is another strange case. Governor Mike DeWine has issued several reprieves because the state literally cannot find a way to perform lethal injections that meets legal standards. Inmates like Antonio Franklin and James Trimble have had their dates pushed all the way back to 2029.
Scheduled for 2026 (Select Dates)
| Name | State | Date | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Victor Thompson | Texas | Jan 28, 2026 | Lethal Injection |
| Ronald Heath | Florida | Feb 10, 2026 | Lethal Injection |
| Kendrick Simpson | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Cedric Ricks | Texas | March 11, 2026 | Lethal Injection |
| Christa Gail Pike | Tennessee | Sept 30, 2026 | TBD |
Christa Pike is a name you might recognize—she’s one of the few women on death row and has been there since the mid-90s. Her case has been through the wringer of appeals for decades.
The "Invisible" Deaths: Custody and Detention
When people search for a list of people executed in the United States, they are usually looking for the state-sanctioned, "death chamber" variety. But there’s another list that human rights groups are screaming about.
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2025 was the deadliest year for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention in two decades.
We aren't talking about lethal injections here. We’re talking about people like Genry Ruiz Guillén, a 29-year-old who died in a Florida hospital after fainting spells in a detention center. Or Maksym Chernyak, a Ukrainian refugee who died of a stroke while in custody. While these aren't "executions" in the legal sense, for the families involved, the result of state custody was the same. It adds a grimmer layer to the conversation about who dies under the watch of the U.S. government.
What most people get wrong about the list
You’d think the death penalty is a fast-moving machine. It’s not.
The average time between a farm-fresh death sentence and an actual execution is now over 20 years. You’ve got people sitting on death row who are older than the jurors who sentenced them.
And then there's the cost. It’s a total myth that executing someone is "cheaper" than life in prison. Between the endless appeals, the specialized high-security housing, and the legal fees (which the state often pays for both sides), it costs millions more to execute one person than to keep them in a cell for 50 years.
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Is the death penalty dying?
Kinda. It depends on where you live.
Twenty-three states have completely abolished it. Another six have formal moratoriums. Basically, if you commit a capital crime in Michigan or Washington, you’re looking at life. If you do it in Alabama or Texas, the needle is a very real possibility.
We’re also seeing the U.S. Supreme Court getting ready to weigh in on some big issues this year. They are looking at narrowing Atkins v. Virginia, which is the ruling that protects people with intellectual disabilities from execution. If they roll that back, the list of people executed in the United States could grow significantly as states find it easier to clear out their backlogs.
What's next?
If you are following these cases, the best thing to do is keep an eye on the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC). They track every single warrant, stay, and execution in real-time.
Next steps for those interested in the legal or social impact:
- Track the 2026 warrants: Many dates in Ohio and Tennessee are likely to be pushed back due to drug shortages or protocol disputes.
- Monitor the Supreme Court: Rulings expected by June 2026 will likely determine if "nitrogen gas" becomes the new national standard.
- Check state-specific databases: Texas and Florida provide the most detailed public "final statements" and meal requests if you’re looking for the human element behind the statistics.
The ledger is never static. Every month, names are added, and occasionally, a name is cleared. But for now, the 2025-2026 period marks one of the most active—and controversial—stretches in recent memory.