UMVA has learned that Republican Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett is pushing for the return of hanging as a federal execution method after the brutal murder of 19‑year‑old Isabella Stroupe.
In a viral post, the congressman quoted a chilling description of Stroupe’s death, stating, “I have a bill to bring back hanging. Let’s see if all the tough talk by Congress holds up. Support the Drop Act.” The tweet sparked outrage and debate across the nation.
Stroupe’s body was discovered in an east Charlotte apartment early in May. Court documents and police reports revealed that she had been bound to a bed with a tow strap, dressed in minimal clothing, and subjected to months of torture and rape in the home she shared with her boyfriend.
Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Police arrested 24‑year‑old Thomaz Kenon Hamilton on May 5, charging him with first‑degree murder and first‑degree rape. Hamilton had initially called 911 claiming Stroupe was not breathing, but investigators uncovered overwhelming evidence of prolonged abuse, including weapons, blood‑stained items, and cell phones at the scene.
Burchett’s proposed DROP Act would explicitly authorize hanging as a legal method of execution for federal death penalty cases, forcing Congress to confront whether it truly supports tough‑on‑crime policies when faced with the most heinous offenders.
The congressman argues that certain violent predators, especially those who commit prolonged torture, rape, and murder, do not deserve to live out their lives on taxpayer‑funded prison sentences.
Historically, hanging was the standard method of execution in America, dating back to the early 1600s. It remained the primary method across nearly every state and at the federal level until the 1890s, when alternative methods such as the electric chair, gas chamber, and lethal injection began to replace it.
Public hangings drew large crowds as a deterrent, with gallows becoming a familiar fixture in town squares. The last public hanging occurred in 1936, and the final state‑level hanging took place in 1996. No state currently uses hanging as a primary or routine method.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the DROP Act would restore hanging as an authorized federal option, returning to a centuries‑old American tradition of swift and certain justice for the most heinous crimes.
