St. Martinville Courthouse: Built in 1859 by slave labor, Willie’s murder trial lasted just two days here. Twelve Cajun jurors deliberated for “fifteen minutes” before handing down a guilty verdict. On the following morning, Willie was taken here in shackles and sentenced to death by electric chair. 

St. Martinville Jail: On May 3, 1946, townsfolk climbed the trees and perched on the fence, hoping to get a final glimpse at Willie Francis. In a room not much larger than a “tennis table” on the second floor, witnesses watched as Willie was strapped into Gruesome Gertie for what he thought would be his last day on earth. 

Gruesome Gertie: Louisiana’s portable electric chair, gasoline engine and switchboard. Transported from parish to parish in this truck, Gruesome Gertie ended the lives of eighty-six men and one woman. Map of St. Martinville: click to enlarge