Charles Brown and Charles Kelley

According to Brown's mother, sister, and uncle, he had a rough life and dropped out of school after 8th grade to help his family. His father was a frequently absent alcoholic. In 1956, Kelley was diagnosed with epilepsy after becoming dizzy and falling down. During his murder trial, he testified that he stopped taking medication after about a year. When he was 17, Kelley volunteered for the Marines with his father's permission, but was discharged 17 days later after suffering from a grand mal seizure. == Murders ==

Brown, an ex-con who had served prison time for forgery, met Kelley as they were working together as parking lot attendants. The two soon became drinking buddies. After Kelley robbed a gas station armed with a screwdriver, Brown used the money to buy two handguns. He later said that this "was a stupid thing to do – I can give no reason for it." On February 18, 1961, Brown and Kelley robbed a gas station in Minnesota. They shot the attendant, 17-year-old James Peterson, three times. Two of the shots hit Peterson in the head, and the third likely would've hit him in the heart, but was deflected by a button on his work uniform. He went into a coma, emerged from it a few days later long enough to talk to police, and then went into unconsciousness once more. He would remain in critical condition for over a month, but survived. Peterson died from complications from his injuries in 2007. On February 20, Brown and Kelley shot and killed 52-year-old Howard Trowbridge while robbing a tavern in Minneapolis. They also shot 30-year-old bartender George Koch six times, albeit Koch survived his injuries. They then took a bus to Nebraska. Kelley said he shot the men since "I thought they might identify us." After failing to turn the car back on, Brown and Kelley were forced to move on foot. About 20 minutes later, they went to a parking lot, where they saw Kenneth Vencel was getting into his car. When they threatened him, he ran away. The two men shot Vencel three times, once in the stomach and twice in the back, albeit survived his injuries. They then drove back to Omaha, picked up Nesbit, and started traveling north. However, they only drove about 25 miles before the car broke down in Missouri Valley. Brown, Kelley, and Nesbit bought bus tickets there for Kansas City, Missouri. They boarded the bus at 11:00 that night. However, the trio drew the suspicion of a ticket manager, who contacted the police. Twenty minutes later, the bus stopped at a police roadblock near the north edge of Council Bluffs. He also told the police that were it not for Nesbit being present, he would've never been taken alive."If it weren't for the woman, you would never have gotten me handcuffed."When Kelley was asked why he didn't fire, he replied, "Have you ever looked down the barrel of a gun?" The police also asked, "How can you shoot people like that?""It was easy, they had no guns." == Trials and executions ==

Kelley and Brown were charged with first degree murder and armed robbery for killing Koehrsen in Iowa. Prosecutors said they would seek a death sentence for both of them. Pottawattamie County attorney Peter J. Peters declared that, "If there ever was a case that justified the death penalty this certainly is one— and so is Kelley case." Brown was tried first. He did not contest his guilt and was quickly found guilty. Several of his family members testified during the sentencing phase. On the stand, Brown said he had a drinking problem, had started drinking when he was around 10 or 11, and was drinking heavily during his crime spree. The appeals of both men were unsuccessful and Governor Norman A. Erbe declined to grant clemency. In an interview on August 1961, Kelley was resigned to his upcoming execution: "I have to pay for it, that's all there is to it. They felt I deserved this and gave it to me." He said he was remorseful, but conceded, "It's too late to be sorry." Brown and Kelley were both executed at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. Brown was hanged on July 24, 1962, becoming the first man executed in Iowa since 1952. As he walked to the gallows, he said he hoped that "the people will forgive me for what I've done." Brown's last words immediately before dropping through the trapdoor were "God forgive me." He was pronounced dead at 5:05 a.m. CST. Kelley was hanged on September 6, 1962. His last meal consisted of steak, potatoes, salad, blueberry pie, and ice cream. His last words were "I'm sorry what I did." Kelley was pronounced dead at 5:46 a.m. CST. His last request was for the prison chaplain, Lester Peter, to read the 23rd Psalm. At 21, Kelley became both the second youngest and last person to be executed in Iowa. Among the witnesses to his executions was Vencel, who still had a bullet lodged near his spine. "I'm pretty happy to be here today," he said. "He's got it coming to him. At least they got a trial. The other fellows shot by Kelley and Brown didn't get one." In an interview in 1995, Norman Erbe said he did not believe capital punishment was much of a deterrent and that his feelings on it were complex. However, he also stated that he never regretted denying clemency for Brown and Kelley, given the severity of the crimes and the overwhelming evidence of guilt."Not at all. I didn't then. I haven't since. I don't now."Another man, Victor Feguer, was executed in 1963, but he was hanged for a federal conviction. In 1965, the Iowa General Assembly passed a law that abolished capital punishment; it was signed into law by Governor Harold Hughes. Although there have been a number of attempts to reinstate the death penalty in Iowa, none have been successful. Since Kelley's executions, prisoners of the United States federal government have been executed in Iowa but no one has been executed under Iowa law. ==See also==