Boyd Becomes 1,000th U.S. Execution

Published December 2, 2005 at 12:00 AM EST

Early Friday morning, Kenneth Lee Boyd became the 1,000th person to be executed in the United States since 1977. He died by lethal injection at a prison in Raleigh, N.C. Boyd was convicted of murdering his estranged wife and father-in-law.

Steve Inskeep talks to Lorne Matalon of member station WUNC about the crowd that gathered outside the prison, and with Andrea Weigel, legal affairs correspondent for The News and Observer in Raleigh.

More from WGCU

Weather

A dragging cold front dissects Florida; a stronger cold front expected for next week

Irene Sans

A low-pressure system will get stuck in the Southeast, keeping some fronts at bay right over northern Florida—significant contrasts in temperatures and humidity between the southern and northern halves of the State.
Arts & Culture

Capturing the beauty and grace of professional basketball

WGCU News

Many sports have their heroes, but basketball has an uncanny ability to turn stars into legends and build fuel for both the history of the game and the heroes that have mastered the hardwood.
Business/Economy

Rejuvenated art walk is Matlacha's homage to hope

Samuel Brucker

After years of hiatus, Jennifer Rena Bennett, owner of Matlacha's Island Flair, has partnered with the Matlacha Civic Association to resurrect Matlacha's Art Walk. Its resurgence returned to the small island on June 13, 2025. Since then, the event has gained increased attention with an intrinsic goal of rejuvenating and reinvigorating the quaint business community, home to the historic fishing village, during the times of stability prior to the cavalcade of hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton—all of which impacted the low-lying island in different ways.

Arts & Culture

Sarasota Cuban Ballet's 'Nutcracker' features sets and costumes created by legendary Broadway designer

Tom Hall

Sarasota Cuban Ballet presents “The Nutcracker” at the Sarasota Opera House on Friday. That performance will obviously feature classic choreography and the beauty of Tchaikovsky’s score. But as Administrative Director Barbara Worth explains, there’s more to this production.
Arts & Culture

Arts Center Theatre presents selections from David Sedaris' 'Holidays on Ice'

Tom Hall

Arts Center Theatre on Marco Island is doing something different this holiday season. Instead of staging a full-scale production of a Christmas show, they’re reading selections from David Sedaris’ “Holidays on Ice.”
Immigration

Amnesty International report details human rights violations at Everglades and Krome detention centers

WGCU Staff

A report released Wednesday by Amnesty International alleges cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment at two immigration detention centers in Florida: The Everglades Detention Facility (“Alligator Alcatraz”) in eastern Collier County and the Krome North Service Processing Center ("Krome") in Miami.

Boyd Becomes 1,000th U.S. Execution

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning