How Many Women are on Death Row in Arizona and Why?

The first recorded execution in Arizona happened in 1865. This event established the death penalty in Arizona until 1916, when it was abolished in the state. The "stay of execution" for the practice didn't last long, however; the death penalty was reinstated in 1918 by popular vote.

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Since then, Arizona's death penalty has gone through a few legal challenges. There have been adjustments and changes to our state's capital punishment laws. The death penalty was temporarily suspended between 1962 and 1992, pending resolutions of national legal debates regarding its practice.

How Many People are on Death Row in Arizona?

At least for now, the death penalty stands as law in Arizona. There are currently 112 people on death row in Arizona, and while there are both men and women on the list, only three of them are women.

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Statistically speaking, men are far more likely to commit violent crimes than women. According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report, women only commit violent crimes 14% of the time, when compared to men; men are six times more likely to commit a violent crime.

How Many Women Are on Death Row in Arizona?

Currently, there are only three women on death row in Arizona. Here are those women and the reasons they're waiting for their day of execution.

 Wendi Andriano: Inmate Number 191593

• Crime: Andriano was convicted of the 2000 murder of her husband, Joe Andriano, who was terminally ill with cancer.
• Details of the Crime: Andriano beat her husband with a barstool and slit his throat. Prosecutors argued she was motivated by financial gain. Andriano attempted to make the death look natural to collect on a malpractice lawsuit.
• Prisoner Location: Arizona State Prison Complex – Perryville.

Shawna Forde: Inmate Number 260830

• Crime: Forde was convicted for her role in a 2009 home invasion in Arivaca. Her crime resulted in the deaths of Raul Flores and his 9-year-old daughter, Brisenia.
• Details of the Crime: Forde was part of a vigilante group targeting people she believed were involved in drug trafficking. The trial proved that the victims of Forde's crime were not involved in the activity
• Prisoner Location: Arizona State Prison Complex – Perryville.

Sammantha Uriarte: Inmate Number 320757

• Crime: In 2011, Uriarte was convicted of the death of her 10-year-old cousin, Ame Deal.
• Details of the Crime: Uriarte locked Ame in a plastic storage box as punishment, and she died from suffocation. Sammantha and her husband, John Allen, were both sentenced to death, making them the first couple in Arizona to receive death sentences.
• Prisoner Location: Arizona State Prison Complex – Perryville.

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Sources: Arizona Department of Corrections | Wikipedia: Capital Punishment in Arizona | Bureau of Justice Statistics | Death Penalty Information: Arizona