Thomas Berry Bruce [1] (August 16, 1919 – October 12, 1994) [2] was the Mississippi executioner active from 1957 until 1987, [3] during which time he was the only US executioner on public record. [4] He executed between 14 and 16 people, [5] including Jimmy Lee Gray, [4] during his career. For many years, his wife was unaware of his occasional duty; she thought that he only marketed fruits and vegetables to grocery stores. Bruce received $250 per execution. [6] All of his executions were conducted using the gas chamber.
Thomas Berry Bruce [1] (August 16, 1919 – October 12, 1994) [2] was the Mississippi executioner active from 1957 until 1987, [3] during which time he was the only US executioner on public record. [4] He executed between 14 and 16 people, [5] including Jimmy Lee Gray, [4] during his career. For many years, his wife was unaware of his occasional duty; she thought that he only marketed fruits and vegetables to grocery stores. Bruce received $250 per execution. [6] All of his executions were conducted using the gas chamber.