Texas Is The Deadliest State For Murderers

Well, for convicted murderers anyway. Texas has handed out more death sentences and carried out more executions than any other state in the USA.

To put it most simply, there is only one crime in Texas that can land someone on death row - capital murder. A crime which can be committed in a number of ways and, once someone is convicted, Texas hands those death sentences out like crazy.

When it comes to the number of executions carried out, Texas is way ahead of the pack. According to deathpenalty.org, since 1976, Texas has executed almost 600 people.

READ MORE: El Paso Gave The Longest Prison Sentence Ever 

The entire country has only executed 1,650 meaning that Texas alone has carried out 1/3 of all the USA's executions. That's a pretty commanding lead, accented by a pretty big drop in numbers from Texas to #2.

Who Are The Top 5 Execution States?

Since 1976:

• Texas - 596
• Oklahoma - 129
• Virginia - 113
• Florida - 122
• Missouri - 102

Where Is Texas' Death Row?

In Texas, male prisoners on death row count down their days at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas while condemned women wait things out at the O'Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas

The actual executions are carried out at the Huntsville Unit, (which is Texas' oldest prison), in Huntsville, Texas.

• At first, condemned prisoners were hung and the site was, (usually), the local, county jail.
• In 1923, Huntsville was named the official place of execution and the electric chair became the official method.
• From 1972 - 1976, the death penalty was abolished and then reinstated in 1976.
• The method of execution was changed from the electric chair to lethal injection in 1982.
• The 3 drugs used were modified to a single drug dose in 2012.