Amber McLaughlin (January 13, 1973 – January 3, 2023) was an American transgender woman executed in Missouri for the 2003 rape and murder of her ex-girlfriend, Beverly Guenther. At the time of the crime, McLaughlin was living as male; she transitioned from male to female while incarcerated. McLaughlin became the first openly transgender person to be executed in the United States. Her legal name remained her birth name, Scott A. McLaughlin, and she was identified as such in her death warrant and in prison records. McLaughlin was a

registered sex offender A sex offender registry is a system in various countries designed to allow government authorities to keep track of the activities of sex offenders, including those who have completed their criminal sentences. In some jurisdictions, registration i ...

because of a 1992 conviction for sexual assault against a 14-year-old girl. At McLaughlin's 2006 trial, the jury was deadlocked on the issue of the death penalty. In most U.S. states, this would result in a sentence of life imprisonment. However, Missouri is one of only two states (the other being Indiana) in which a judge has the discretion to sentence a defendant to death if the jury is deadlocked on the issue of capital punishment. In August 2021, McLaughlin's sentence was reinstated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. On January 3, 2023, McLaughlin was executed by the state.

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1973 births 2023 deaths 21st-century executions by Missouri 21st-century executions of American people American female murderers American people executed for murder American people convicted of rape American people convicted of child sexual abuse American people convicted of sexual assault American transgender women Executed American women People convicted of murder by Missouri People executed by Missouri by lethal injection Female rapists 2003 murders in the United States {{US-crime-bio-stub

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