Hickman's Death by Hanging

William Edward Hickman was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of Marion Parker in 1928. At his trial, Hickman tried to distance himself from responsibility by claiming he was severely mentally ill. An autopsy performed after his execution showed that Hickman's neck did not break during the hanging and that he had died from asphyxia. During his final months, Hickman reportedly embraced Roman Catholicism and wrote letters of apology to his victim's family. But it's more than likely that this was just another attempt to aid his appeal and that he was only truly sorry that he was condemned to die.