George Stinney Jr was just 14 years old when he was executed by electric chair in 1944, making him the youngest person executed in the U.S. This episode explores the notorious 1944 South Carolina murder case in which Stinney, a Black teenager, was wrongfully convicted of killing two young white girls, 11-year-old Betty June Binnicker and 7-year-old Mary Emma Thames, after a rushed two-hour trial with no credible evidence and without adequate legal representation. In this episode, Joseph Lobosco and Adrienne Barker delve into how racial injustice and a lack of due process sealed Stinney’s fate, and how his story – which later inspired Stephen King’s The Green Mile – continues to spotlight the horrors of the juvenile death penalty and wrongful convictions. The conversation continues in Part 2 (releasing on Tuesday, October 21st).

What you’ll hear:

→ March 1944 double murder: In segregated Alcolu, South Carolina, two girls – 11-year-old Betty June Binnicker and 7-year-old Mary Emma Thames – go missing while picking flowers and are found brutally beaten to death in a ditch the next day, sparking panic in the town.

→ A suspect targeted: George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy who reportedly spoke with the girls earlier, is quickly arrested in the Jim Crow South. He’s interrogated alone for hours without a lawyer or his parents present; police claim he confesses, despite no written statement, no physical evidence, and Stinney’s slight build (5’1”, 95 lbs) casting doubt on his ability to overpower two victims.

→ Rushed trial: On April 24, 1944, Stinney’s capital murder trial lasts barely two hours. An all-white, all-male jury deliberates for just 10 minutes before finding him guilty. His court-appointed attorney (a tax commissioner with no criminal defense experience) calls no witnesses and mounts virtually no defense, while the prosecution’s case rests solely on the alleged verbal confession.

→ Execution of a minor: Stinney is sentenced to die by electrocution. On June 16, 1944 – only 83 days after the murders – he is put to death in the electric chair. At 14 years old, he remains the youngest person executed in 20th-century America. So small in stature, Stinney had to sit on a Bible as a booster seat; witnesses recall the adult-sized death mask slipping off his face during the fatal 2,400-volt surge.

→ Aftermath and silence: In the wake of the conviction, Stinney’s parents and siblings are driven out of town under threats (his father was fired and the family fled for their safety). The case disappears from headlines for decades, remembered only quietly in the community as a harrowing example of Jim Crow injustice. Some relatives of the victims continue to insist on Stinney’s guilt even years later, despite the case’s glaring irregularities.

→ Decades later – exoneration: The fight to clear Stinney’s name began anew in the 2000s. In 2014, a South Carolina judge reviewed the case and vacated George Stinney Jr.’s conviction – a full 70 years after his execution. Citing fundamental due process violations, the judge’s ruling officially exonerated Stinney, acknowledging the deeply flawed investigation and “confession,” and the ineffective defense that denied him a fair trial.

→ Legacy of injustice: George Stinney Jr.’s story stands as a powerful symbol of wrongful conviction and racial injustice. The case has fueled modern discussions about the juvenile death penalty, coercive interrogations of minors, and the urgent need for due process protections – and its parallels to the fictional Green Mile narrative have kept this 1944 tragedy alive in the public consciousness.

⚖️ Disclaimer: Debate the News: True Crime Edition is for informational and discussion purposes only. We are not attorneys, law enforcement officers, or forensic experts. While we research each case, the show is recorded live with little to no editing; any factual errors are unintentional. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Listener discretion is advised. Guest and audience views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts.

Speakers:

→ Adrienne Barker — Host

→ Joseph Lobosco — Host

→ Vashon — Guest Host

→ Mariana Thomas — Guest Contributor

→ Jonathan Bing — Guest Contributor

→ Nuala — Guest Contributor

Credits:

"Debate The News: True Crime"

Created by: Jonathan Bing, Adrienne Barker and Joseph R. Lobosco

Producers: Adrienne Barker, Joseph R. Lobosco, Danielle Paci, Jonathan Bing

Writers: Adrienne Barker & Joseph R. Lobosco

Editor: Joseph R. Lobosco

Cover Art: Joseph R. Lobosco

Special Thanks: Nelson, Lea, Nawzil, and the entire Chatter Social team

Theme Song: Alaina Cross — “Karma” [NCS Release]

Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds

Free Download/Stream: ncs.io/karma

Watch: ncs.lnk.to/karmaAT/youtube

🎧 A Debate the News: True Crime Production

📍 Recorded Live on Chatter Social

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