Willie Francis [SEP] convicted of
failed, he was executed in 1947 at age 18.
Arrest and trial.
In 1944, Andrew Thomas, a pharmacist in St. Martinville, Louisiana, was shot and killed. His murder remained unsolved for nine months, but in August 1945, Willie Francis was detained in Texas due to his proximity to an unrelated crime. Police claimed that he was carrying Thomas' wallet in his pocket, though no evidence of this claim was submitted during the trial. 
Francis initially named several others in connection with the murder
a young Cajun lawyer. Francis had been convicted of killing DeBlanc's good friend, Andrew Thomas. King reveals the backstage lobbying among the justices and Justice Frankfurter's regret about voting against his conscience in favor of allowing the execution to proceed.
Books "The Execution of Willie Francis" Reception.
"Counterpunch" magazine said it was "almost certainly the best book on capital punishment in America since Mailer's, "The Executioner's Song"." "Booklist" notes how "Drawing on extensive research and interviews, King offers a