Edward Hartman
Edward Ernest Hartman was convicted of the 1993 murder of Herman Smith, Sr. and was executed via lethal injection in 2003 by the State of North Carolina at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Hartman confessed to the crime but requested a life sentence. According to The News & Observer, five mitigating factors were presented at Hartman's trial, including alcoholism and childhood abuse. The jury felt that these factors were outweighed by Hartman's theft of Smith's car and money. In seeking clemency, Hartman's lawyers argued that the prosecution had used Hartman's sexuality in a discriminatory manner, an argument rejected by the courts and by Governor Mike Easley of North Carolina.
