Bio 

Floyd Burton Loveless was born on November 2, 1926, in Indiana. He was known as Bert during his school years. His early life was unstable. His mother died when he was about 3 years old, and his father was described as a violent and feared man in their hometown.

Loveless began getting into trouble at a young age. By about 12, he was already involved in thefts and break-ins. His crimes became more serious as he got older. At 15, after committing several burglaries, auto thefts, assaults, and a sexual assault, he was sent to the Indiana Boys’ Home in Plainfield, Indiana.

On August 15, 1942, Loveless escaped from the institution with another youth, Dale Cline. The two traveled west, stealing cars, breaking into homes, and robbing a service station in Nebraska.

After reaching Nevada, Loveless separated from Cline and stole another car. On August 20, 1942, he was stopped near Carlin, Nevada, by Elko County Constable A.H. Berning, who was looking for a stolen vehicle.

Loveless shot Berning twice and left him in the desert. The killing led to his arrest, conviction, and death sentence. He was only 15 years old at the time of the murder.

Murder Story

On August 20, 1942, Floyd Loveless was driving a stolen car near Carlin, Elko County, Nevada. Constable A.H. Berning stopped him because the vehicle matched a stolen automobile report. Loveless was 15 years old at the time. When Berning approached the car and attempted to take him into custody, Loveless shot him. He then shot him again. After the shooting, Loveless drove the wounded constable into the desert and left him there. Later accounts state that Berning was still alive and pleaded to be taken to a hospital, but Loveless abandoned him.

Berning died from his injuries. Loveless was arrested and charged with murder. The case drew attention because of his youth, but the prosecution argued that he had already been given opportunities for reform and had continued committing serious crimes. Loveless was tried in Elko County. Judge James Dysart presided over the case. Historical sources state that Loveless was found guilty and sentenced to death on October 5, 1942. He was still 15 years old when he received the death sentence.

While imprisoned, Loveless became well liked by some inmates and prison staff. A petition signed by many prisoners asked the governor to spare his life. People from different parts of the country also wrote letters asking that a teenager not be executed. His former grade-school teacher urged that his sentence be changed to life in prison, saying that Loveless was dangerous but still young enough to be useful within the prison population.

Despite the appeals for mercy, Loveless was not spared. On September 29, 1944, he was taken to the gas chamber at Nevada State Prison in Carson City. He was executed by lethal gas before his eighteenth birthday. He was 17 years old. Floyd Loveless remains historically significant because he was the youngest person ever executed by Nevada and the only person under 18 known to have been executed by the state.