Capital Punishment – The UncommonWealth

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Horse Thief!

According to a mysterious document in the Library’s holdings, an interstate crime ring consisting mostly of Virginians operated from Maryland to South Carolina in the…

Bill BynumJuly 3, 2023

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Seeking Justice for The Martinsville Seven

Editor's Note: The Governor issued a posthumous pardon for the Martinsville Seven on 31 August 2021. Last week marked the 70th anniversary of the February…

Roger ChristmanFebruary 10, 2021

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A Morbid Memento: The Trial of Kit Leftwich

In September 1895, Kit Leftwich (also known as Kit Leftridge) was indicted for the rape of Annie Fogarty, the 12-year-old daughter of his supervisor. The…

Guest ContributorDecember 6, 2017

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Forsaken: The Digital Bibliography

In his debut novel, Forsaken, Ross Howell Jr. tells the story of an uneducated African American servant, Virginia Christian, who was tried for killing her white employer…

Roger ChristmanMarch 3, 2016

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Kaine Email Project @ LVA – Human Touch Edition

This is the third in a series of posts spotlighting recently released email from Governor Tim Kaine’s administration. These posts are not meant to be comprehensive but to…

Roger ChristmanFebruary 24, 2014

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Mug Shot Monday Special Edition: Floyd and Claude Allen

Welcome to Mug Shot Monday Special Edition. This is the final post focusing on records at the Library of Virginia related to the “Hillsville Massacre.” In March 1913, Floyd…

Roger ChristmanMarch 14, 2012

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Mug Shot Monday Special Edition: "Hillsville Massacre"

Welcome to Mug Shot Monday Special Edition. Next Wednesday, 14 March marks the 100th anniversary of the infamous “Hillsville Massacre,” where five people were killed in a gunfight in…

Roger ChristmanMarch 7, 2012

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Mug Shot Monday (Halloween Edition): Benjamin Gilbert

Welcome to Mug Shot Monday (Halloween Edition)! This is the latest entry in a series of posts highlighting inmate photographs in the records of the Virginia Penitentiary. At…

Roger ChristmanOctober 31, 2011

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Johnny 99: The Records of the Virginia Penitentiary Now Available

The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that the records of the Virginia Penitentiary (Accession 41558) are now available to researchers. The collection contains 289 bound…

Roger ChristmanSeptember 28, 2011

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"I shall die by my hands" – The Death Row Suicide of Joseph "Cocky Joe" Robinson

Joseph Robinson, alias “Cocky Joe”, was convicted on 9 April 1951 in the Portsmouth City Hustings Court for the 1943 murder of Marc A. Terrell…

Roger ChristmanApril 20, 2011

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Virginia Christian: The Last Woman Executed by Virginia?

Editor's Note: Original post edited for clarity. For more information on Ida V. Belote see Souls of the Departed: Ida V. Belote On 16 August 1912,…

Roger ChristmanSeptember 14, 2010

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Keys of Death

These records are part of the Virginia State Penitentiary Collection, 1796-1991 (Accession 41558). Access to the execution files and four audio cassettes is restricted for…

Roger ChristmanMay 26, 2010