Louisiana’s Only Female Electric Chair Execution: Toni Jo Henry

Louisiana’s Only Female Electric Chair Execution: Toni Jo Henry

February 14, 2026 discoverhiddenusacom Business

On November 28, 1942, Annie Beatrice, known as Toni Jo Henry, was executed by electric chair in Louisiana. The execution took place nearly three years after she was involved in the death of Joseph P. Galloway, a 43-year-old salesman from Houston. This case marks a significant and somber, point in Louisiana’s legal history.

The Crime and Capture

The events leading to Galloway’s death began on February 14, 1940, in Orange, Texas, where Henry and Horace Finnon Burks encountered Galloway as he was travelling from Houston to Jennings. Galloway, a salesman for a mail-order firm, was delivering a car to a customer. The pair subsequently compelled Galloway to drive to a rice field, where he was fatally shot after being dispossessed of his belongings.

Following the crime, Henry reportedly aided authorities in locating Galloway’s body. She had initially confided in her aunt in Shreveport, leading to her arrest by her uncle, a peace officer. Both Henry and Burks offered conflicting accounts, each blaming the other for firing the fatal shot.

Did You Know? Toni Jo Henry was the only woman to die in the electric chair in Louisiana.

The Execution and Final Moments

The execution took place in the parish jail house, utilizing the state’s portable electric chair. Approximately 300 onlookers gathered, hoping to witness the historic event. The Lake Charles American Press reported that Henry remained “silent but smiling to the very end” as 20,000 volts were applied.

Reverend Wayne Richard, a local Catholic priest who had befriended and baptized Henry during her incarceration, was present during her final moments. Henry asked Richard if he would remain with her, and he affirmed his presence. She smiled at him shortly before the current was administered, and he responded in kind.

Expert Insight: The presence of a religious figure during the execution, and the reported exchange between Henry and Reverend Richard, highlights the societal and personal complexities surrounding capital punishment, even in a period when it was more widely accepted.

Motives and Subsequent Events

According to statements made to authorities, Henry and Burks intended to use the stolen vehicle to rob a bank, with the goal of securing funds to aid in the release of Henry’s husband from a Texas state penitentiary. Burks was subsequently executed by electric chair on March 23, 1943.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Joseph P. Galloway doing when he encountered Henry and Burks?

Joseph P. Galloway was driving from Houston to Jennings, delivering a car to a customer as part of his job as a salesman for a mail-order firm.

Who accompanied Toni Jo Henry to the electric chair?

Reverend Wayne Richard, a local Catholic parish priest, escorted Toni Jo Henry to the electric chair and provided her with spiritual counsel.

Did Toni Jo Henry make a final statement before her execution?

When asked by Deputy Sheriff Henry A. Reid Jr. If she had any final words, she declined, choosing instead to look at and smile at Reverend Richard.

Considering the public interest in this case, as evidenced by the 300 onlookers, what does this suggest about the role of capital punishment in the social landscape of the time?