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Dustin Higgs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Dustin John Higgs March 10, 1972 Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 16, 2021 (aged 48) |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Conviction(s) | Federal First degree murder (18 U.S.C. § 1111) (3 counts) Kidnapping resulting in death (18 U.S.C. § 1201) (3 counts) Use of a firearm during a crime of violence (18 U.S.C. § 924) (3 counts) Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (21 U.S.C. § 841) Maryland Assault Reckless endangerment |
| Criminal penalty | Death (January 3, 2001) |
| Partner(s) | Willis Mark Haynes Victor Gloria |
| Details | |
| Victims | Tamika Black, 19 Tanji Jackson, 21 Mishann Chinn, 23 |
| Date | January 27, 1996 |
| Location(s) | Patuxent Research Refuge, Prince George's County, Maryland |
| Imprisoned at | United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute |
Dustin John Higgs (March 10, 1972 – January 16, 2021) was an American man who was executed by the United States federal government, having been convicted and sentenced to death for the January 1996 murders of three women in Maryland.[1] Tamika Black, Tanji Jackson, and Mishann Chinn were all shot and killed near the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, on the Patuxent Research Refuge in Prince George's County, Maryland. Because this is classed as federal land, he was tried by the federal government rather than by the state of Maryland.[2] His case, conviction, and execution were the subject of multiple controversies.[3]
The main contention was that Higgs did not personally kill any of the three victims, but waited in a vehicle nearby. The man who shot them, Willis Mark Haynes, was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole plus 45 years.[4] The prosecution argued that although Higgs did not kill anyone, he was the ringleader, ordering and bullying Haynes. Higgs and his defense team maintained his innocence to the end, arguing that he was merely a witness, and was set up by Haynes and another witness, Victor Gloria. In 2012, Haynes swore in an affidavit that Higgs did not force or threaten him into killing any of the victims.[5][6]
Higgs was executed via lethal injection on January 16, 2021, becoming the thirteenth and final person executed by the federal government during the presidency of Donald Trump, when federal executions returned after a 17-year hiatus. Trump's presidency ended only four days later.[7] Higgs remains the most recent person executed by the United States federal government.[8] A moratorium on federal executions is currently in place. It was imposed by President Joe Biden's Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2021.[9]
- ^ Castaneda, Ruben (October 27, 2000). "Md. Man Sentenced to Die for Ordering '96 Triple Slayings". The Washington Post.
- ^ Castaneda, Ruben (May 3, 2000). "Triple Slaying Trial Opens With Surprise Admission". The Washington Post.
- ^ O'Connell, Oliver (December 18, 2020). "Two death row inmates to be executed by Trump administration test positive for Covid". The Independent.
- ^ Castaneda, Ruben (August 25, 2000). "Maximum Sentence In '96 Triple Killing". The Washington Post.
- ^ Honderich, Holly (January 16, 2021). "In Trump's final days, a rush of federal executions". BBC News.
- ^ Brown, Stacy M. (December 14, 2020). "Trump plans to execute four Black death row inmates before he leaves office". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
- ^ Romero, Dennis (January 16, 2021). "Dustin Higgs, last convict scheduled to die under Trump, is executed". NBC News. Associated Press.
- ^ "BOP: Federal Executions". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ Singh, Maanvi (July 1, 2021). "US halts all federal executions amid review of capital punishment". The Guardian.
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