Two men went to rob a shop in Juneau, Alaska, run by James Ellen, and one of them stabbed the shopkeeper to death. On the night of the murder, in December 1946, Austin Nelson, 24, was seen in the vicinity, and he was arrested.
The main prosecution witness against him was Eugene LaMoore, 42, and at Nelsons trial it was clear that LaMoore, a convicted robber, was also in the shop that night. As soon as Nelson was found guilty, LaMoore was also arrested for the murder. Nelsons execution was postponed so that he could give evidence at LaMoores trial. LaMoore was convicted, and Nelson was then hanged on Monday, March 1st, 1948. LaMoore became the last person executed in Alaska when he was hanged two years later.