Ed Wutke
Edward Wutke | |
|---|---|
 Ed Wutke file | |
| Born | January 17, 1901 |
| Died | November 13, 1937 (aged 36) |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Known for | The 1st inmate at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary to commit suicide |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Conviction | Murder on the high seas |
| Criminal penalty | 27 years imprisonment |
Edward Wutke (January 17, 1901 – November 13, 1937) was an American sailor who was convicted by the United States Federal Government for murder. He was convicted of murder on the high seas for killing fellow seaman Oscar Newman aboard the S.S. Yale on Christmas Eve in 1933.[1] He had been sent to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary with a 27-year sentence for murder on the high seas and assigned the number #47-AZ.[2] Wutke was the first prisoner on Alcatraz during its period as a penitentiary to successfully commit suicide.[3] He fatally sliced through his jugular vein with the blade from a pencil sharpener and was found dead in a pool of blood.[2][4] Wutke died on November 13, 1937.[5]
References
- ^ ""Convict Kills Self by Knive on Alcatraz— First Suicide in History of Prison; Quiz Started to Find How Felon Obtained Blade"". The San Francisco Examiner. November 14, 1937. p. 5. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ a b Kobler, John (1992). Capone. Da Capo Press. p. 365. ISBN 978-0-306-80499-1. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
- ^ Sloate, Susan (April 1, 2008). Mysteries Unwrapped: The Secrets of Alcatraz. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-4027-3591-2. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
- ^ Christianson, Scott (November 1, 2004). Notorious prisons: an inside look at the world's most feared institutions. Lyons Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-59228-582-2. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
- ^ "SF Bay Area 1976-1999". Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.