James Howard Snook (September 17, 1879 – February 28, 1930) was an American athlete, veterinarian, and murderer. He is the only Olympic gold medalist to be executed for murder.

Biography

Snook was a member of the U.S. Olympic Pistol Team, which won a Gold Medal in the Men's 30 metre team military pistol event at the

1920 Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, Belgium. Later, Snook was the head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at Ohio State University. He invented the snook hook, a surgical instrument which is still used in spaying animals. He also was a founding member of the Alpha Psi veterinary fraternity. Snook was convicted of murdering Theora Hix, a 24-year-old medical student with whom he had had a three-year sexual affair. Snook claimed at his

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, trial that he had killed Hix because she was threatening to kill Snook's wife and family, and that he feared she would shoot him. The trial was considered shocking for the sexual activities discussed, including fellatio. The jury took 28 minutes to deliberate before finding Snook guilty, after which he was sentenced to death by electrocution. Snook was executed on 28 February 1930 at the Ohio Penitentiary, by means of the electric chair. He was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery after a short service at the King Avenue Methodist Church.

References

External links

Ohio Exploration Society - Dr. Snook

Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Fraternity Bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Snook, James H. Ohio State University faculty 1879 births 1930 deaths American veterinarians Male veterinarians Shooters at the 1920 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the United States in shooting American male sport shooters American people executed for murder American sportspeople convicted of crimes 20th-century executions by Ohio Burials at Green Lawn Cemetery (Columbus, Ohio) People executed by Ohio by electric chair People convicted of murder by Ohio Olympic medalists in shooting People from Warren County, Ohio 20th-century executions of American people Medalists at the 1920 Summer Olympics Executed people from Ohio Sportspeople convicted of murder