Amber McLaughlin

{{Short description|American transgender woman executed in Missouri (1973–2023)}} {{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox criminal | name = Amber McLaughlin | image = 200px | birth_date = {{birth date|1973|01|13}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|01|3|1973|01|13}} | death_place = Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, Bonne Terre, Missouri, U.S. | death_cause = Execution by lethal injection | conviction = First degree murder<br>Forcible rape<br>Sexual assault<br>Armed criminal action | criminal_penalty = Death (2006) | victims = Beverly Guenther, 45 | birth_name = Scott A. McLaughlin | birth_place = Missouri, U.S. | date = November 20, 2003 }}

'''Amber McLaughlin''' (January 13, 1973 – January 3, 2023) was an American criminal 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.<ref> *{{cite news|last1=Riess|last2=Tucker|first1=Rebekah|first2=Emma|date=December 16, 2022|title=Transgender death row inmate set to be executed in January files clemency application with Missouri governor|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/16/us/missouri-transgender-inmate-death-row/index.html|work=CNN|access-date=January 4, 2023}} *{{cite news|date=December 15, 2022|title=Transgender woman on Missouri's death row asks governor for mercy with execution just days away|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amber-mclaughlin-death-row-inmate-transgender-woman-missouri-mercy/|work=CBS News|access-date=January 4, 2023}} *{{cite web|url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/missouri-set-to-execute-amber-mclaughlin-on-january-3-in-first-u-s-execution-of-a-transgender-person|title=Missouri Set to Execute Amber McLaughlin on January 3 in First U.S. Execution of a Transgender Person|date=December 27, 2022|website=Death Penalty Information Center|access-date=January 4, 2023}} *{{Cite news |last=Flores |first=Adolfo |date=January 3, 2023 |title=Missouri Executes Transgender Inmate, a First in the U.S. |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/missouri-set-to-execute-openly-transgender-inmate-a-first-in-the-u-s-11672780237 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230406170931/https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/missouri-set-to-execute-openly-transgender-inmate-a-first-in-the-u-s-11672780237 |archive-date=6 Apr 2023 |work=The Wall Street Journal |quote=Ms. McLaughlin transitioned while on death row.}}</ref> McLaughlin became the first openly transgender person to be executed in the United States.<ref name=":0">{{cite magazine|last=Padgett|first=Donald|date=December 15, 2022|title=First U.S. Execution of a Transgender Set in Missouri|url=https://www.advocate.com/crime/2022/12/15/first-us-execution-transgender-woman-set-missouri|magazine=The Advocate|access-date=January 4, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Madani |first=Doha |date=January 3, 2023 |title=Amber McLaughlin, the first openly transgender person to be executed in the U.S., dies by lethal injection |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/amber-mclaughlin-first-openly-transgender-person-executed-us-dies-leth-rcna64071 |access-date=January 11, 2023 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> Her legal name remained her birth name, '''Scott A. McLaughlin''', and she was identified as such in her death warrant and in prison records.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andone |first=Dakin |last2=Vera |first2=Amir |date=2023-01-03 |title=Missouri carries out first known execution of an openly transgender person for 2003 murder |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/us/amber-mclaughlin-missouri-execution/index.html |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=CNN |language=en |quote=McLaughlin – listed in court documents as Scott McLaughlin – had not initiated a legal name change or transition...}}</ref>

McLaughlin was a registered sex offender because of a 1992 conviction for sexual assault against a 14-year-old girl.<ref name=":0" />

At McLaughlin's 2006 trial, the jury was deadlocked on the issue of the death penalty.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lhotka |first=William C. |date=November 4, 2006 |title=With jury divided, judge opts for death sentence for Wright City man |language=en |website=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/with-jury-divided-judge-opts-for-death-sentence-for-wright-city-man/article_2c04e373-6b7f-51e4-9d08-2b04087b754d.html|access-date=January 12, 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Ja'han |date=January 6, 2023 |title=The disturbing circumstances of Amber McLaughlin's execution |url=https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/amber-mclaughlin-execution-missouri-rcna64236 |access-date=January 11, 2023 |website=MSNBC.com |language=en}}</ref>

In August 2021, McLaughlin's sentence was reinstated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Patrick |first=Robert |date=August 18, 2021 |title=Federal appeals court reinstates death penalty in 2003 St. Louis County rape, murder |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/federal-appeals-court-reinstates-death-penalty-in-2003-st-louis-county-rape-murder/article_aa1dc368-0f70-5560-b9cd-6d9c7cdcc149.html |access-date=January 11, 2023 |website=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=McLaughlin v. Precythe, No. 18-3510 (8th Cir. 2021) |url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca8/18-3510/18-3510-2021-08-18.html |access-date=January 11, 2023 |website=Justia Law |language=en}}</ref> On January 3, 2023, McLaughlin was executed by the state.<ref>{{cite news |last=Krull |first=Ryan |date=January 3, 2023 |title=Missouri executes transgender woman for murdering her ex-girlfriend in 2003 |work=St. Louis Public Radio |url=https://news.stlpublicradio.org/law-order/2023-01-03/missouri-executes-transgender-woman-amber-mclaughlin-2003-murder}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} ! colspan="3" | Executions carried out in Missouri {{s-bef|before=Kevin Johnson Jr.|before2=<div style="font-weight: normal">November 29, 2022</div>}} {{s-ttl|title=Amber McLaughlin|years=January 3, 2023}} {{s-aft|after=Leonard Taylor|after2=<div style="font-weight: normal">February 7, 2023</div>}} |- ! colspan="3" | Executions carried out in the United States {{s-bef|before=Thomas Edwin Loden Jr. – Mississippi|before2=<div style="font-weight: normal">December 14, 2022</div>}} {{s-ttl|title=Amber McLaughlin – Missouri|years=January 3, 2023}} {{s-aft|after=Robert Fratta – Texas|after2=<div style="font-weight: normal">January 10, 2023</div>}} |- ! colspan="3" | Women executed in the United States {{s-bef|before=Lisa Montgomery – Federal government|before2=<div style="font-weight: normal">January 13, 2021</div>}} {{s-ttl|title=Amber McLaughlin – Missouri|years=January 3, 2023}} {{s-aft|after=''most recent''}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLaughlin, Amber}} Category:1973 births Category:2003 murders in the United States Category:2023 deaths Category:21st-century American murderers Category:21st-century executions of American people Category:21st-century executions by Missouri Category:American female criminals Category:American people executed for murder Category:American people convicted of rape Category:American people convicted of child sexual abuse Category:American people convicted of sexual assault Category:American transgender women Category:Executed American women Category:Executed female murderers Category:Executed people from Missouri Category:LGBTQ history in the United States Category:People convicted of murder by Missouri Category:People executed by Missouri by lethal injection Category:Transgender female murderers Category:American female murderers Category:Executed transgender women Category:Female rapists Category:Violence against women in Missouri