Burton Abbott

Uncommon card · No. 171974

Burton Wilbur Abbott (February 8, 1928 – March 15, 1957) was an American man who was convicted of the rape and murder of 14-year-old Stephanie Bryan in Berkeley, California. Abbott's wife discovered evidence of Abbott’s crimes in their home's basement. Stephanie's body was found buried near the Abbott family's cabin. On January 25, 1956, he was sentenced to death in California's gas chamber. On March 15, 1957, a (second) one-hour stay of execution from the governor of California was communicated to the prison moments too late to halt his execution. The case is sometimes cited when discussing the appropriateness of condemning a person based on circumstantial evidence alone. However, "most criminal convictions are based on circumstantial evidence, although it must be adequate to meet established standards of proof."

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