Скачать или смотреть Bonus: The Last Soldier to Die — John A. Bennett

Fort Leavenworth, April 13, 1961 — thunder rolled across the Kansas sky as Private John A. Bennett became the last soldier ever executed by the U.S. military.

Convicted of raping an 11-year-old Austrian girl, Bennett’s case raised hard questions about justice, race, mental health, and mercy within America’s armed forces. He confessed to the assault, was tried by court-martial, and hanged at Fort Leavenworth — yet controversy still follows his story decades later.

In this Bonus episode of Deadly Truths: Season 2 — Halloween in the Big House, host Becca Clark revisits Bennett’s early life, the crime in Austria, the military trial, and the storm-soaked night of his execution. We’ll examine what happened, why it ended the era of military hangings, and how unequal justice shaped the outcome.


📚 Resources:
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ExecutedToday.com: “1961: John A. Bennett, the last American military execution (so far)”


Los Angeles Times: “The Last Soldier to Die at Leavenworth”
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Time Magazine: “The Soldier Who Was the Last to Be Executed by the U.S. Military”
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Death Penalty Information Center: The Death Penalty in the U.S. Military
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U.S. Court of Appeals (10th Circuit), Bennett v. Davis, 267 F.2d 15 (1959)
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Menninger Foundation Archives, Topeka, Kansas


⚠️ Disclaimer:
This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, racial injustice, and capital punishment. Listener discretion is strongly advised. All information is sourced from verified public records, historical archives, and journalistic reports.

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