Bio

James Larry Upton was born in 1934. He grew up in a time when life in America was changing quickly due to events like the Great Depression and World War II. Very little is known about his early childhood. He lived in a typical American household, but details about his family, education, and the environment he grew up in are scarce.

As he became a teenager, Upton’s life began to take a different path. There are reports that he had health issues when he was young, which included a serious disease called encephalitis lethargica. This illness can affect the brain and may cause many problems, both physical and mental. It is unclear how this influenced his life as he grew older.

In his late teens, Upton started to make poor choices. He became involved in hitchhiking, which was common during that time as many young people traveled from place to place. This choice ultimately led to a series of events that would change his life forever.

Murder Story

James Larry Upton was convicted of murdering Airman Donald Dilley on September 10, 1954. Dilley picked up Upton while he was hitchhiking in Texas. After the ride, Upton shot Dilley outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico, during a robbery attempt. Upton claimed that he was annoyed by Dilley’s tough demeanor and stories about air force jets.

Upton was sentenced to death and executed by electrocution on February 24, 1956. Many people attended his execution, and some were reported to be drunk and rowdy. At the time of his execution, Upton was asked if he had anything to say. He asked if his face would be covered with a mask, and when told yes, he said he had nothing to add.

Due to the regular execution cap not fitting, an improvised cap made from a parka was used. This caused smoke to rise from fur that ignited from the electric voltage. Upton was declared dead at 12:09 AM. His execution was the last in New Mexico to use the electric chair; future executions would use the gas chamber instead.

Leading up to his execution, there were attempts to save Upton. A sanity hearing took place just 15 hours before his execution. A psychiatrist testified that Upton was insane, claiming it was due to a childhood illness. However, this opinion was different from what he said in federal court three days earlier, where he did not classify Upton as insane. The State Supreme Court decided that Upton was sane, and the Federal Court of Appeals chose not to intervene. The day before his execution, Upton was baptized a Catholic.