Witness to an Execution

by Dave Isay

Orignally broadcast on National Public Radio, Witness to an Execution offers a rare glimpse into the “death house” in Huntsville, Texas, as told by the men and women who participate in, carry out, and witness multiple executions. Narrated by the warden himself and filled with the voices of guards, chaplains, reporters, and members of the “tie-down” squad, Witness to an Execution gives listeners a series of first-hand accounts of the haunting sequence of events leading up to an execution. Huntsville is the epicenter the U.S. death penalty debate; more than one third of all U.S. executions have been carried out there since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Audio Cassette

First published November 29, 2000