Gary Mark Gilmore (born Faye Robert Coffman; December 4, 1940 – January 17, 1977) was an American felon whose offenses, trial, and execution garnered international focus in the mid-1970s. Gilmore became the inaugural individual executed in the United States following the U.S. Supreme Court’s re-establishment of the death penalty in 1976 with its ruling in Gregg v. Georgia, ending a decade-long hiatus on capital punishment that came after the 1972 Furman v. Georgia verdict. After admitting to two murders in Utah, Gilmore declined to contest his death sentence and actively resisted attempts by attorneys, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and even his mother to postpone or prevent his execution.
Gilmore asserted his desire to be executed, and his final statement, “Let’s do it,” became widely recognized before he faced a firing squad at Utah State Prison. His situation incited substantial discourse concerning capital punishment, mental health, free will, the right to die, and the judiciary’s involvement in executions. Gilmore’s existence and demise were documented in Norman Mailer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction volume The Executioner’s Song (1979), later adapted into a 1982 television film featuring Tommy Lee Jones as Gilmore.
The following is a summary of key details pertaining to Gary Gilmore:
| Full Name at Birth | Faye Robert Coffman (later Gary Mark Gilmore) |
| Date of Birth | December 4, 1940 |
| Date of Death | January 17, 1977 |
| Age at Death | 36 years old |
| Birthplace | McCamey, Texas, United States |
| Most Famous For | First execution in the U.S. following the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty; insisting on his own execution; subject of The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer |
| Method of Execution | Firing squad (Utah’s primary method at the time) |
| Last Words | “Let’s do it” |
Gary Gilmore Biography
Gary Mark Gilmore was born Faye Robert Coffman on December 4, 1940, in McCamey, Texas, the second of four sons born to Frank Harry Gilmore Sr. and Bessie Brown Gilmore. His father was a swindler, alcoholic, and bigamist who employed aliases (including Coffman) to evade the law and support multiple families he seldom assisted. Frank Sr. named his son Faye Robert Coffman, but Bessie later modified it to Gary Mark Gilmore after the family departed Texas.
Gary matured under the impression that he might be illegitimate or the son of another person after uncovering the original birth certificate, fostering enduring resentment toward his father. The Gilmore family frequently relocated throughout the Western U.S. while Frank sold fraudulent magazine subscriptions and engaged in minor criminal activities. Gary had a deeply troubled relationship with his strict, abusive father, who punished his sons with razor strops, whips, or belts for trivial or imagined infractions. Frank also verbally mistreated Bessie, and the couple contended constantly, leading to a chaotic home environment.
The family ultimately moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1952. Gary displayed early intellect (an IQ of 133) and artistic ability but dropped out of high school in the ninth grade. He commenced committing minor offenses as a teenager, including automobile theft. At 14, he and his peers initiated a small car-theft ring, resulting in his first arrest.
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Following his father’s passing, Gilmore’s conduct became increasingly unpredictable. He faced assault and armed robbery allegations in 1964 and was sentenced to 15 years as a repeat offender at Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. A prison psychiatrist diagnosed him with antisocial personality disorder with intermittent psychotic decompensation.
Gilmore was conditionally paroled in April 1976 and relocated to Provo, Utah, to reside with distant relative Brenda Nicol. He briefly worked at his uncle Vern Damico’s shoe repair shop and at an insulation firm but soon reverted to drinking, brawling, and thievery. In Utah, he began a tumultuous relationship with 19-year-old Nicole Barrett Baker (later Nicole Barrett Henry), a twice-divorced mother of two young children. Their relationship rapidly became intense and unstable, characterized by Gilmore’s aggression and pressure from Nicole’s family to terminate it.
Updates
As of January 2026, Gary Gilmore’s case remains a significant reference in American legal, criminological, and cultural history:
- His execution on January 17, 1977, marked the first in the U.S. after the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), concluding the post-Furman moratorium.
- Norman Mailer’s The Executioner’s Song (1979) secured the Pulitzer Prize and continues to be a seminal work of literary nonfiction; the 1982 television adaptation (featuring Tommy Lee Jones as Gilmore) is still widely accessible on streaming services.
- Recent true-crime podcasts, documentaries, and articles (2024–2025) have revisited Gilmore’s narrative in the framework of capital punishment, mental health in correctional environments, voluntary execution, and criminal psychology.
- No new evidence, appeals, or posthumous legal initiatives have arisen concerning his crimes or execution. His case continues to be cited in law reviews, criminology textbooks, and death penalty discussions, particularly regarding competency, self-representation, and the right to refuse appeals.
- Mikal Gilmore’s memoir Shot in the Heart (1994) remains popular and referenced for its personal narrative of the family’s dysfunction and Gary’s life.
- The expression “Let’s do it,” Gilmore’s final words, continues to be cited in popular culture, including as the inspiration for Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan, as noted by Dan Wieden of Wieden+Kennedy.
Crimes
Gary Gilmore perpetrated two murders in Utah in July 1976, both during armed robberies:
- July 19, 1976: Gilmore robbed and killed Max Jensen, a 25-year-old gas station employee in Orem, Utah. Jensen complied with Gilmore’s requests, but Gilmore commanded him to lie on the floor and shot him twice in the head with a .22-calibre pistol. Gilmore took approximately $125 from the cash register.
- July 20, 1976: Gilmore robbed and killed Bennie Bushnell, a 25-year-old motel manager in Provo, Utah. Bushnell also complied, but Gilmore shot him once in the head after instructing him to lie on the floor. Gilmore took cash from the motel office.
Both victims were Brigham Young University students and left behind widows and infant children. Gilmore confessed to both murders. While disposing of the firearm after the second homicide, Gilmore accidentally shot himself in the right hand, leaving a trail of blood. Mechanic Michael Simpson observed Gilmore conceal the gun in the bushes, noticed blood on his hand, and heard police reports regarding the motel shooting. Simpson recorded Gilmore’s license plate and informed the authorities. Gilmore’s cousin, Brenda Nicol, turned him in after he called her requesting bandages and painkillers. Police apprehended Gilmore while he attempted to flee Provo. He surrendered without resistance.
The trial commenced on October 5, 1976, in Provo. Gilmore’s publicly appointed attorneys (Michael Esplin and Craig Snyder) provided minimal defense, called no witnesses, and scarcely cross-examined the prosecution. Gilmore sought to testify but retracted the request after psychiatrists determined he was sane and understood right from wrong. The jury convicted him of first-degree murder on October 7 and recommended the death penalty due to the special circumstances of the
crime.
Execution
Gary Gilmore was executed by firing squad on January 17, 1977, at 8:07 a.m. at Utah State Prison in Draper, Utah. He became the first individual executed in the United States following the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of the death penalty in Gregg v. Georgia (1976). Gilmore declined to appeal his sentence and resisted attempts by the ACLU, attorneys, and his mother, Bessie, to postpone or halt the execution. He opted for the firing squad instead of hanging, expressing his concerns about a potentially botched hanging.
Secured to a chair with sandbags behind him, he was blindfolded, and five volunteer law enforcement officers discharged .30-30 rifles from a distance of 20 feet. Gilmore’s final words were “Let’s do it.” Prison chaplain Thomas Meersman performed last rites; Gilmore stated “Dominus vobiscum” (The Lord be with you), to which Meersman responded “Et cum spiritu tuo” (And with your spirit). Four rifles contained live rounds, and one was loaded with a blank.
Facts
The ensuing are significant facts regarding Gary Gilmore:
- Born as Faye Robert Coffman on December 4, 1940, in McCamey, Texas; his mother, Bessie, subsequently altered his name to Gary Mark Gilmore.
- Grew up in a dysfunctional and abusive environment; father Frank Sr. was a con artist, bigamist, and alcoholic who maltreated his sons.
- Exhibited early intelligence (IQ 133) and artistic aptitude but left high school in the ninth grade.
- Engaged in minor offenses as a teenager; sentenced to reform school and the Oregon State Penitentiary several times.
- Executed the murders of Max Jensen (July 19, 1976) and Bennie Bushnell (July 20, 1976) during armed robberies in Utah.
- Admitted to both homicides; the trial lasted two days; found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.
- Rejected appeals and contested efforts to postpone his execution, affirming his right to die.
- Executed by firing squad on January 17, 1977—the inaugural U.S. execution after the 1976 reestablishment of capital punishment.
- Final words: “Let’s do it” (later associated with Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan by ad executive Dan Wieden).
- Subject of Norman Mailer’s Pulitzer-winning The Executioner’s Song (1979) and the 1982 television film featuring Tommy Lee Jones.
- Brother Mikal Gilmore’s memoir Shot in the Heart (1994) explores the family’s dysfunction and Gary’s life; it was adapted into a 2001 HBO film.
- The case continues to be a pivotal point in U.S. death penalty history, referenced in discussions concerning voluntary execution, competency, and capital punishment.
