Benjamin Cole Executed on October 20, 2022, in Oklahoma

Benjamin Cole, Oklahoma

Updated: Thursday, October 2, 2022

Oklahoma executed Benjamin R. Cole on Thursday, October 20, 2022.  He was pronounced dead at 10:22 am local time, inside the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma.  Benjamin was 57 years of age.  He was convicted of murdering his nine-month-old daughter Brianna, on December 20, 2002, in Rogers County, Oklahoma. Benjamin spent the last 17 years of his life on Oklahoma’s death row.

Benjamin had a difficult childhood. He began huffing gasoline as a child. Allegedly, Benjamin was sexually molested during his childhood and his parents did not believe him when he spoke about it. As an adult, Benjamin regularly drank alcohol. In 1987, Benjamin was convicted of abusing his infant son in California. Injuries sustained by his son included a cigarette burn to the eyelid, bruises on the head, arms, torso, and genitals, and a broken ankle.

On December 20, 2002, Benjamin Cole was at home playing video games while his nine-month-old daughter, Brianna, napped. When Brianna began crying during her nap, Cole paused the game and went to her crib. He bent Brianna’s legs backward, breaking her spine and tearing her aorta. Cole then went back to playing video games.

Brianna’s mother, Susan, eventually noticed that something was wrong with her. Cole denied there being a problem until Brianna turned blue. Brianna was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

After an autopsy was performed, Brianna’s cause of death was determined and police began investigating. Cole confessed to the murder shortly after learning the death was classified as a homicide.

Pray for peace for the family of Brianna. Pray for strength for the family of Benjamin Cole. 

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