Executed for murder of a person who was later found alive
Charles Hudspeth (a.k.a. Andrew J. "Andy" Hudspeth) was an American man convicted of murder in Marion County, Arkansas, in 1887.[1] On December 30, 1892, he was hanged for the murder. His alleged victim was purportedly later found to be alive.[2][3]
George Watkins and his wife, Rebecca, moved in 1886 from Kansas to Marion County, Arkansas, where Rebecca apparently soon became intimately involved with Charles Hudspeth. The following year, Watkins disappeared.
Rebecca and Hudspeth were arrested and, after lengthy interrogation, Rebecca allegedly made a statement accusing Hudspeth of murdering Watkins to get him out of the way so they could be married.
Based on Rebecca's testimony, Hudspeth was convicted and sentenced to death, but the Arkansas Supreme Court set aside the conviction on the ground that the trial judge, R. H. Powell, had improperly barred testimony regarding Rebecca's alleged lack of good character. Hudspeth v. State, 50 Ark. 534 (1888).
Upon retrial, Hudspeth was again convicted and again sentenced to death. He was hanged at Harrison, Arkansas, on December 30, 1892. In June 1893, Hudspeth's lawyer, W. F. Pace, reportedly located Watkins alive and well in Kansas, although this is disputed.[4]
