Hannah Ocuish

Hannah Ocuish
1964 depiction of Ocuish's execution
BornMarch 1774
DiedDecember 20, 1786(1786-12-20) (aged 12)
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
Resting placeLedyard Center Cemetery
Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S.
(Plot unknown)
Known forYoungest person executed in American history
Criminal status
  • Executed
    (December 20, 1786 (1786-12-20))
ConvictionMurder
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
DateJuly 21, 1786
Date apprehended
July 22, 1786:28

Hannah Ocuish (sometimes "Occuish"; March 1774 – December 20, 1786) was a 12-year old Pequot Native American girl with an intellectual disability, who was hanged on December 20, 1786, in New London, Connecticut, for the murder of Eunice Bolles, the 6-year-old daughter of a wealthy farmer. She is believed to be the youngest person executed in the United States. In the 2020s, Ocuish's guilt, culpability, and the fairness of her trial have come into question.