James Donald French was born on June 16, 1936, in the United States. Not much is publicly recorded about his early childhood or family life. By his early twenties, French had already developed a criminal lifestyle and was known to have a troubled and unstable personality. In 1958, he was convicted for the murder of Frank Boone, a motorist he had picked up while hitchhiking. French later claimed that he committed the murder just to get sent to prison, as he was too afraid to take his own life. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing and was sent to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

During his time in prison, French became known for being articulate, manipulative, and increasingly obsessed with the idea of execution. 

While serving a life sentence for his 1958 murder, James Donald French killed again in 1961, strangling his cellmate, Eddie Lee Shelton, with a towel. French later told authorities he committed the murder for one reason: he wanted the death penalty. He wrote about the killing in chilling detail and took full responsibility. French was tried for Shelton’s murder three times, with his death sentence being overturned twice due to procedural issues.

Despite this, French consistently refused to appeal. In fact, he actively fought against lawyers who were trying to save his life, insisting he wanted to be executed. French’s insistence made headlines, especially as his execution was scheduled during a time when capital punishment in the U.S. was facing increasing scrutiny. He ended up being the last person executed in Oklahoma before the 1972 Furman v. Georgia Supreme Court ruling, which temporarily suspended the death penalty nationwide.

French was executed in the electric chair on August 10, 1966, at the age of 30. Just before his execution, he reportedly turned to the press and joked, “How’s this for a headline? ‘French Fries.’” His case became a disturbing example of a man who wanted death more than freedom—and used the system to make it happen.