Mary Surratt: The Genetic Decline Of Criminals

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Georgia pizza shop owner by shooting him in the head. Mobley’s attorneys tried to get his death sentence reduced to life in prison by pointing out that his family consisted of a long line of criminals and that Mobley had inherited the genetic strain of violent behavior. They claimed that he was genetically unable to control his violent impulses and should not be held responsible for his crimes, but his genetic impairment defense

failed and his death sentence stood.

Although the most popular gender to be sentenced to death is men, women have received their share of the punishment through the decades. Mary Surratt being the first when she was hung to her death on July 7, 1865 for being “involved in John Wilkes Booth’s elaborate plot to completely

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