His photo has tantalized the guests of tours at Missouri State Penitentiary for 14 years. Out of the 40 people who died in MSP's gas chamber, his image is the one upon which guests most often fixate, asking whether he was crazy and, therefore, whether he should have been spared the death penalty. Show Me Murder host Michael Lear attempts to answer the questions about Claud McGee.
Claud McGee's very appearance has prompted countless people over the years to ask for years whether he was out of his mind, believing that if he was insane, that his execution would have presented a miscarriage of justice. Michael Lear explores the story of McGee and talks with experts who, among other things, examine the question of his sanity and what bearing, if any, it could (or should) have had on his case.
Those who contributed to this episode include Judge Stephen Limbaugh, Senior and Judge Stephen Limbaugh, Junior; William Eddleman, Coordinator at the State Historical Society of Missouri's Cape Girardeau Research Center; the staff at The Missouri State Archives; the staff at the State Historical Society of Missouri's Columbia Research Center; Jon Rust, Sharon Sanders, and the Southeast Missourian; Gail Crader at the Scott County Historical Society; Dr. Anchana Dominic; Mark Schreiber; and Professor Rodney Uphoff.