George Sitts
American Serial Killer Execution
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
TIME PERIOD
December 12, 1945 – January 24, 1946
VICTIMS
3 confirmed
George Sidney Sitts, an American serial killer, was executed on April 8, 1947, at the South Dakota State Penitentiary for the murder of special agent Tom Matthews, who was attempting to arrest him on a fugitive warrant from Minnesota. The incident occurred after Sitts had already committed multiple crimes, including the murder of liquor store clerk Erik Johansson on December 12, 1945, and the shooting of Butte County Sheriff Dave Malcolm on January 24, 1946. Sitts, who escaped from prison prior to these murders, was captured on February 5, 1946, after a brief crime spree that included kidnapping a gas station attendant. He was the first and only person to be executed in South Dakota's electric chair until the state resumed executions in 2007.
George Sitts is theorized to have had a troubled early life that contributed to his criminal behavior, with some speculating that his experiences in prison and his brief stint as an amateur boxer may have influenced his violent tendencies. Investigators believe that his pattern of escalating crimes, culminating in murder, indicates a deeply ingrained propensity for violence that developed over time. Additionally, there is speculation that Sitts may have had accomplices or supporters during his criminal activities, as he managed to evade capture for a period despite being a fugitive.
The Tale of George Sitts: A Journey from Crime to Execution
Early Life and Beginnings
George Sidney Sitts was born on October 29, 1913, in Le Roy, Minnesota. By all accounts, his early life seemed promising. As a student, Sitts excelled and even dabbled in amateur boxing in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Yet, beneath this veneer of normalcy lay a proclivity for crime. At 19, Sitts began his descent into criminality, serving 90 days in an Iowa jail for carrying a concealed weapon and receiving stolen property. This marked the beginning of a criminal career that would escalate dramatically.
Three years later, in 1936, Sitts found himself sentenced to 10 years in a Minnesota prison for burglary. Released on parole in 1941, he returned behind bars in 1944 for violating parole conditions. Following his release that same year, he moved to Portland, Oregon, in search of work. Personal life offered little solace; although he married, the relationship ended in separation.
A Deadly Pursuit
The criminal activities of George Sitts reached a violent zenith from December 12, 1945, to January 24, 1946. On December 12, 1945, Sitts committed a heinous act of murder during a botched robbery, taking the life of Erik Johansson, a liquor store clerk, in Minnesota. This act resulted in a second-degree murder charge.
But Sitts's criminal ventures did not end there. He became a fugitive, escaping from the Minneapolis city jail through a meticulously planned breakout. Over three weeks, Sitts, along with three other inmates, sawed through the bars of their cell, escaping just a day before his scheduled transfer to a state prison.
On January 24, 1946, the violence escalated when Sitts shot and killed Butte County Sheriff Dave Malcolm near Spearfish, South Dakota. This act marked him as a dangerous fugitive willing to stop at nothing to evade capture.
Capture and Legal Proceedings
Sitts's flight from justice included stealing a car in Deadwood and kidnapping Leonard Ronnenberg, a gas station attendant, whom he forced to accompany him to Wyoming. Fortunately, Ronnenberg was released unharmed upon reaching the new state. However, Sitts's freedom was short-lived; he was captured on February 5, 1946, and returned to South Dakota to face trial.
The state chose to prosecute Sitts first for the murder of Special Agent Tom Matthews, whom Sitts killed during an attempted arrest. In March 1946, Sitts was convicted and sentenced to death, thus sparing him a second trial for Sheriff Malcolm's murder.
The Road to Execution
South Dakota's history with the death penalty is complex. The state abolished the death penalty in 1915 but reinstated it in 1939 following public outrage over a brutal crime. The electric chair was introduced as a method of execution during this period. Sitts became the fourth man sentenced to die by electrocution in South Dakota. Unlike his predecessors—Clifford Haas, Paul Sewell, and Jacob Heinzman—whose sentences were reduced to life imprisonment, Sitts's fate was sealed.
On April 8, 1947, at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, George Sitts faced his execution. His final words to the 41 official witnesses were a morbid jest, "This is the first time authorities helped me escape prison," he quipped, just before four shocks ended his life at 12:15 a.m.
Legacy
The story of George Sitts is a dark chapter in South Dakota's history, remembered not only for the crimes but also for marking a significant event in the state's legal history as the only person executed by electrocution. It would be over six decades before South Dakota carried out another execution—this time by lethal injection on July 11, 2007, when Elijah Page was put to death.
In remembrance, Special Agent Matthews's name is etched on Panel 34, and Sheriff Malcolm's on Panel 53 of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Sources
For further reading and verification, please refer to the original Wikipedia article on George Sitts: Wikipedia URL.
- "Testimony Completed in Sitts Murder Trial," Associated Press, March 20, 1946.
- "Chair Closes Criminal Career," Associated Press, April 8, 1947.
- "Prisoner Faces Murder Charge," United Press, February 7, 1946.
- Yankton Press & Dakotan, "Sitts, Executed In 1947, Killed Lawman," August 26, 2006.
- Rapid City Journal Media Group, "Timeline of George Sitts: From escape to execution," June 30, 2007.
- KBHB Radio, Francie Ganje, "Black Hills lawmen murdered 75 years ago to be memorialized," May 7, 2021.
- JSTOR Daily, Morgan Godvin, "The Lives Beyond the Life Sentences," September 7, 2022.
- Argus-Leader, "Article clipped from Argus-Leader," February 6, 1946.
- Gail E. Myers, "We Gave One the Chair," South Dakota Magazine.
- Black Hills Pioneer, "Last man executed in state died after telling morbid joke," July 11, 2007.
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First Murder Committed
George Sitts kills Erik Johansson during a robbery.
Second Murder Committed
Sitts shoots and kills Sheriff Dave Malcolm near Spearfish.
Capture of George Sitts
Sitts is captured after kidnapping a gas station attendant.
Trial for Matthews' Murder
Sitts is tried and convicted for the murder of Tom Matthews.
Execution of George Sitts
Sitts is executed by electrocution, becoming the first in South Dakota's electric chair.
George Sidney Sitts, an American serial killer, was executed on April 8, 1947, at the South Dakota State Penitentiary for the murder of special agent Tom Matthews, who was attempting to arrest him on a fugitive warrant from Minnesota. The incident occurred after Sitts had already committed multiple crimes, including the murder of liquor store clerk Erik Johansson on December 12, 1945, and the shooting of Butte County Sheriff Dave Malcolm on January 24, 1946. Sitts, who escaped from prison prior to these murders, was captured on February 5, 1946, after a brief crime spree that included kidnapping a gas station attendant. He was the first and only person to be executed in South Dakota's electric chair until the state resumed executions in 2007.
George Sitts is theorized to have had a troubled early life that contributed to his criminal behavior, with some speculating that his experiences in prison and his brief stint as an amateur boxer may have influenced his violent tendencies. Investigators believe that his pattern of escalating crimes, culminating in murder, indicates a deeply ingrained propensity for violence that developed over time. Additionally, there is speculation that Sitts may have had accomplices or supporters during his criminal activities, as he managed to evade capture for a period despite being a fugitive.
The Tale of George Sitts: A Journey from Crime to Execution
Early Life and Beginnings
George Sidney Sitts was born on October 29, 1913, in Le Roy, Minnesota. By all accounts, his early life seemed promising. As a student, Sitts excelled and even dabbled in amateur boxing in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Yet, beneath this veneer of normalcy lay a proclivity for crime. At 19, Sitts began his descent into criminality, serving 90 days in an Iowa jail for carrying a concealed weapon and receiving stolen property. This marked the beginning of a criminal career that would escalate dramatically.
Three years later, in 1936, Sitts found himself sentenced to 10 years in a Minnesota prison for burglary. Released on parole in 1941, he returned behind bars in 1944 for violating parole conditions. Following his release that same year, he moved to Portland, Oregon, in search of work. Personal life offered little solace; although he married, the relationship ended in separation.
A Deadly Pursuit
The criminal activities of George Sitts reached a violent zenith from December 12, 1945, to January 24, 1946. On December 12, 1945, Sitts committed a heinous act of murder during a botched robbery, taking the life of Erik Johansson, a liquor store clerk, in Minnesota. This act resulted in a second-degree murder charge.
But Sitts's criminal ventures did not end there. He became a fugitive, escaping from the Minneapolis city jail through a meticulously planned breakout. Over three weeks, Sitts, along with three other inmates, sawed through the bars of their cell, escaping just a day before his scheduled transfer to a state prison.
On January 24, 1946, the violence escalated when Sitts shot and killed Butte County Sheriff Dave Malcolm near Spearfish, South Dakota. This act marked him as a dangerous fugitive willing to stop at nothing to evade capture.
Capture and Legal Proceedings
Sitts's flight from justice included stealing a car in Deadwood and kidnapping Leonard Ronnenberg, a gas station attendant, whom he forced to accompany him to Wyoming. Fortunately, Ronnenberg was released unharmed upon reaching the new state. However, Sitts's freedom was short-lived; he was captured on February 5, 1946, and returned to South Dakota to face trial.
The state chose to prosecute Sitts first for the murder of Special Agent Tom Matthews, whom Sitts killed during an attempted arrest. In March 1946, Sitts was convicted and sentenced to death, thus sparing him a second trial for Sheriff Malcolm's murder.
The Road to Execution
South Dakota's history with the death penalty is complex. The state abolished the death penalty in 1915 but reinstated it in 1939 following public outrage over a brutal crime. The electric chair was introduced as a method of execution during this period. Sitts became the fourth man sentenced to die by electrocution in South Dakota. Unlike his predecessors—Clifford Haas, Paul Sewell, and Jacob Heinzman—whose sentences were reduced to life imprisonment, Sitts's fate was sealed.
On April 8, 1947, at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, George Sitts faced his execution. His final words to the 41 official witnesses were a morbid jest, "This is the first time authorities helped me escape prison," he quipped, just before four shocks ended his life at 12:15 a.m.
Legacy
The story of George Sitts is a dark chapter in South Dakota's history, remembered not only for the crimes but also for marking a significant event in the state's legal history as the only person executed by electrocution. It would be over six decades before South Dakota carried out another execution—this time by lethal injection on July 11, 2007, when Elijah Page was put to death.
In remembrance, Special Agent Matthews's name is etched on Panel 34, and Sheriff Malcolm's on Panel 53 of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Sources
For further reading and verification, please refer to the original Wikipedia article on George Sitts: Wikipedia URL.
- "Testimony Completed in Sitts Murder Trial," Associated Press, March 20, 1946.
- "Chair Closes Criminal Career," Associated Press, April 8, 1947.
- "Prisoner Faces Murder Charge," United Press, February 7, 1946.
- Yankton Press & Dakotan, "Sitts, Executed In 1947, Killed Lawman," August 26, 2006.
- Rapid City Journal Media Group, "Timeline of George Sitts: From escape to execution," June 30, 2007.
- KBHB Radio, Francie Ganje, "Black Hills lawmen murdered 75 years ago to be memorialized," May 7, 2021.
- JSTOR Daily, Morgan Godvin, "The Lives Beyond the Life Sentences," September 7, 2022.
- Argus-Leader, "Article clipped from Argus-Leader," February 6, 1946.
- Gail E. Myers, "We Gave One the Chair," South Dakota Magazine.
- Black Hills Pioneer, "Last man executed in state died after telling morbid joke," July 11, 2007.
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First Murder Committed
George Sitts kills Erik Johansson during a robbery.
Second Murder Committed
Sitts shoots and kills Sheriff Dave Malcolm near Spearfish.
Capture of George Sitts
Sitts is captured after kidnapping a gas station attendant.
Trial for Matthews' Murder
Sitts is tried and convicted for the murder of Tom Matthews.
Execution of George Sitts
Sitts is executed by electrocution, becoming the first in South Dakota's electric chair.