Executions and death sentences dropped in the U.S. last year, says a report from Amnesty International quoted by McClatchy Newspapers. The U.S. remained the only Western Hemisphere country to carry out executions during 2014. The number of executions fell to 35 from 39 the previous year. The number of death sentences handed out also declined, to 77 from 95 in 2013. Seven states conducted executions, down from nine a year earlier.
Texas, Missouri, Florida, and Oklahoma accounted for 89 percent of U.S. executions last year. Texas and Missouri each executed 10 people. Florida carried out eight executions and Oklahoma had three executions. Georgia had two, and Arizona and Ohio each carried out one. The number of executions in Texas was a substantial reduction from the previous year's 16, but Missouri's total reflected a major increase from 2013's two.