Walter LaGrand was born in 1962 in Germany but moved to the United States as a child with his family. He grew up in Arizona, where he lived most of his life. Even though he was a German citizen, he was raised in the U.S. and spoke English fluently.

Walter and his older brother, Karl LaGrand, had a rough childhood and struggled with money and crime from a young age. Over time, they became involved in petty thefts and small-time crimes. As they got older, they turned to more serious crimes, including armed robbery. Walter didn’t seem to have any long-term goals or plans for his life—he was just looking for a way to make quick money.

On January 7, 1982, Walter LaGrand and his brother Karl walked into the Valley National Bank in Marana, Arizona, planning to steal money. But things didn’t go as smoothly as they had hoped.

Inside the bank, the brothers took hostages, including bank manager Kenneth Hartsock and a teller. They threatened them, trying to force them to cooperate. At some point, Walter and Karl attacked Hartsock, stabbing him 24 times with a letter opener. The brutal assault left Hartsock bleeding heavily. He later died from his injuries, while the teller managed to survive.

After the attack, Walter and Karl fled the scene, but it didn’t take long for police to track them down and arrest them. The evidence against them was overwhelming, and they were soon charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, and attempted murder.

During the trial, both Walter and Karl were found guilty and sentenced to death. However, this case became internationally controversial because the state of Arizona never told Walter LaGrand about his right to contact the German consulate, something required under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR). Germany argued that this was a violation of international law and took the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Despite Germany’s efforts, Karl LaGrand was executed by lethal injection on February 24, 1999. Just days later, the ICJ ordered the U.S. to delay Walter LaGrand’s execution, but Arizona ignored the ruling.

On March 3, 1999, Walter LaGrand was executed in the gas chamber, making him one of the last people in the U.S. to die by that method. His case became a major legal dispute, with the ICJ ruling in 2001 that the U.S. had violated international law. Though the ruling didn’t change the outcome for Walter, it set a legal precedent for how foreign nationals facing the death penalty should be treated in the future.