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George Krull (c.1921–1957) and Michael Krull (c.1925–1957) were brothers from
McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania McKees Rocks, also known as "The Rocks", is a borough in Allegheny County in western Pennsylvania, along the south bank of the Ohio River. The population was 5,920 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. In ...
who were executed by the
United States Federal Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fe ...
on August 21, 1957. They were the only people ever executed in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
on a federal death warrant.


Early life

The Krull brothers both had lengthy criminal records dating back to when they were youths.


Trial and execution

On April 14, 1955, the Krull brothers kidnapped 53-year-old businesswoman Sunie Jones in
Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...
. The two took her across state lines to Georgia, specifically
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, located in northern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee, preserves the sites of two major battles of the American Civil War: the Battle of Chickamauga and the Siege of Chattanooga. A detailed h ...
. During the kidnapping, the Krull brothers beat Jones and raped her five times at knifepoint. She was beaten badly enough that she had to be hospitalized.Federal Executions Have Been Rare but May Increase
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. Because the Krull brothers had taken Jones over state lines from Tennessee to Georgia, the crime became a federal case under the
Federal Kidnapping Act Following the historic Lindbergh kidnapping (the abduction and murder of Charles Lindbergh's toddler son), the United States Congress passed a federal kidnapping statute—known as the Federal Kidnapping Act, (a)(1) (popularly known as the Lindb ...
. The two also faced federal rape charges since Jones was raped in a national park. Although the victim did not die, the prosecution still sought death sentences for the Krull brothers, pointing to their lengthy criminal records and the brutality of the attack. At one point, they compared the brothers to hungry wolves. The Krull brothers were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and sentenced to death for rape. They also received five-year sentences for transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines. Another man, Edward Bice, received a five-year sentence for being an accessory after the fact for impeding the investigation. After
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Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
declined to commute their death sentences, the Krull brothers were executed in Georgia's
electric chair An electric chair is a device used to execute an individual by electrocution. When used, the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes fastened on the head and leg. This execution method, ...
. George was 34 years old at the time of his death and Michael was 32.The Federal Death Penalty
 Michael Krull commented on the death sentence, "It was all prejudice. When your local people commit rape they get just 10 or 20 years sometimes."


See also

*
Capital punishment by the United States federal government Capital punishment is a legal penalty under the criminal justice system of the United States federal government. It can be imposed for treason, espionage, murder, large-scale drug trafficking, or attempted murder of a witness, juror, or court ...
*
List of people executed by the United States federal government The following is a list of people executed by the United States federal government. Post-''Gregg'' executions Sixteen executions (none of them military) have occurred in the modern Gregg v. Georgia, post-''Gregg'' era. Since 1963, sixteen people ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krull, George And Michael 1920s births 1957 deaths 20th-century executions of American people 20th-century executions by the United States federal government Brothers Criminal duos Executed people from Pennsylvania Fugitives People executed by the United States federal government by electric chair Year of birth uncertain People convicted under the Federal Kidnapping Act People executed for rape