169. The Public Hanging of Rainey Bethea- Part 1

Rainey Bethea is remembered as the last person publicly executed in Kentucky—and, depending on the source, the last person publicly executed in the United States. But his story did not begin at the gallows, and the familiar version of what happened in Owensboro leaves out some of its most important and troubling details. In Part One of this two-part series, we trace what is known about Bethea’s early life in Roanoke, Virginia, before following him to Owensboro during the Great Depression. As a young Black man arriving in a segregated western Kentucky river town with few resources or connections, Bethea faced severely limited opportunities. His early encounters with Owensboro police also placed him on the radar of a small local law-enforcement system long before the case that would make his name known across the country. In 1936, 70-year-old Lischia Rarick Edwards was found dead inside her Owensboro residence. Within days, authorities identified Bethea as their primary suspect and found him hiding near the banks of the Ohio River. This episode examines the evidence collected against him, his arrest, the threat of mob violence and the decision to move him to Louisville for protection. The case moved with extraordinary speed. A special grand jury was assembled, and prosecutors deliberately pursued a charge that made Bethea eligible for a public hanging under Kentucky law. The jury returned its guilty verdict in less than five minutes. Bethea later claimed that he had not understood the charge to which he pleaded guilty. He said the proceedings had been rushed and that he believed he was entering a plea to robbery rather than assault. By then, however, he had already been sentenced to hang. As Owensboro began preparing for an execution expected to attract thousands of spectators, a group of Black attorneys, journalists and civil-rights advocates stepped forward to investigate whether Bethea’s constitutional rights had been violated. Their questions remain central to understanding this case: Did Bethea receive meaningful legal representation? Did he understand his plea? Could a fair trial have taken place in Owensboro at that moment? Would more time, a change of venue or a defense that called witnesses have made any difference? Part Two will follow the legal effort to stop the execution, the intense national attention focused on Daviess County Sheriff Florence Thompson, the growing spectacle surrounding the hanging and what actually happened on the morning of August 14, 1936. Content warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault, murder, racism, police violence and threatened mob violence. A warning is also provided within the episode before the description of the crime. If you enjoy Kentucky History & Haunts, please follow the show, share the episode with a fellow history lover, and leave a rating or review wherever you listen. Those small actions make a tremendous difference in helping new listeners discover the podcast. Have a Kentucky history story, mystery or haunting you think should be featured? Send your suggestions, questions or feedback to [email protected]. Follow Kentucky History & Haunts: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyhistoryhaunts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyhistoryhaunts Mailing address: 252 Whittington Pkwy, Louisville, KY 40222