# What rank is the executioner at Ft. Leavenworth?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rank-is-the-executioner-at-ft-leavenworth/161793
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 16, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rank-is-the-executioner-at-ft-leavenworth/161793 "2003-03-16T15:51:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Hermann\_Cheruscan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b782af/32.png) [@Hermann\_Cheruscan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermann_Cheruscan)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rank-is-the-executioner-at-ft-leavenworth/161793/1 "2003-03-16T15:51:01Z")

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Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, is the military prison. While I know they havent executed any prisoners in recent years, I know they used to do it in the past. Is there a special rank for the executioner?

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### Author: ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rank-is-the-executioner-at-ft-leavenworth/161793/2 "2003-03-16T15:57:31Z")

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I have no idea, but it’s possible the executioner isn’t military, but someone working for the military. For example, my sister works for the army, but she’s not in the army. This might be a similar thing.

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### Author: ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rank-is-the-executioner-at-ft-leavenworth/161793/3 "2003-03-16T16:01:44Z")

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I don’t believe they generally have just one person ever perform executions. They have more than one with only one of them actually doing the killing but no one knows which one had the lethal switch (or button or whatever) and which one had the dummy. In a lot of prisons, the warden and a guard or guards share the duties. I doubt it would be much different at leavenworth.

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### Author: ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rank-is-the-executioner-at-ft-leavenworth/161793/4 "2003-03-16T17:39:22Z")

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Lethal Injector First Class?

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### Author: ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rank-is-the-executioner-at-ft-leavenworth/161793/5 "2003-03-16T20:16:33Z")

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It’s not a firing squad?

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### Author: ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rank-is-the-executioner-at-ft-leavenworth/161793/6 "2003-03-16T20:23:42Z")

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Nope, lethal injection. "Scuse me for butting in.

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### Author: ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rank-is-the-executioner-at-ft-leavenworth/161793/7 "2003-03-16T20:47:05Z")

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[http://www.nimj.com/home.asp](http://www.nimj.com/home.asp)  
Warning: pdf  
A contractor team does the deed.  
Eighth bullet down, on left side.  
Peace,  
mangeorge