The Decline of Death Row: Montana’s Last Two Inmates

When people think about the death penalty, they often imagine long lists of inmates and frequent executions. But in Montana, the reality looks very different. The state currently has just two inmates on death row, both of whom have been there for decades. Despite their sentences, neither execution has been carried out in years, and the system itself has been at a standstill.

Two Inmates Remain on Death Row in Montana

The two men currently sentenced to death in Montana are Ronald Allen Smith and William Jay Gollehon. Both are housed at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, where they have remained for decades following their convictions.

The Crimes Behind the Sentences

Ronald Allen Smith was sentenced to death in 1983 after the killings of two men in Montana. Smith and an accomplice, both reportedly under the influence of LSD, killed two Native American cousins, Harvey Mad Man, 23, and Thomas Running Rabbit, 20, after the men offered them a ride while they were hitchhiking.

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William Jay Gollehon was sentenced to death in 1992 for the killing of a fellow inmate at the Montana State Prison. At the time, he was already serving a lengthy prison sentence for the 1985 murder of a woman in Billings. Gollehon and another inmate beat the victim to death with baseball bats in the prison yard. His case is also tied to a violent 1991 prison riot in Deer Lodge, where multiple inmates were killed.

The Last Execution in Montana

The most recent execution carried out in Montana was in 2006. David Thomas Dawson was put to death after being convicted of a 1986 homicide. Since then, no executions have taken place in the state, even though the death penalty remains legal.

Why Executions Have Stopped in Montana

While Montana still allows the death penalty, a series of court rulings has effectively put executions on hold. In 2015, a judge determined that the state’s required method of lethal injection, specifically the use of certain fast-acting drugs, did not meet constitutional standards. As a result, the state has been unable to legally carry out executions.

A System in Legal Limbo

Since those rulings, Montana has been in a kind of legal gray area. The death penalty is still on the books, and inmates can still be sentenced to death, but the state does not currently have an approved or available method to carry out executions. This has created what many describe as a de facto moratorium.

Ongoing Debate in the Montana Legislature

Lawmakers in Montana have revisited the issue multiple times in recent years, debating whether to revise execution methods or change the law altogether. So far, no legislation has successfully moved forward to restart executions, leaving the current situation unchanged.

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Montana’s Death Penalty Hangs in the Balance

For now, both inmates remain on death row at Montana State Prison, with no clear timeline for what happens next. The future of the death penalty in Montana remains uncertain, shaped by legal challenges, ethical debates, and ongoing discussions at the state level.