gas chambers who was Dr. Eduard Krebsbach based on the deathbed confession of Commander Ziereis. The Mauthausen-Gusen commander, Franz Ziereis, was shot several weeks after the liberation of the Mauthausen-Gusen camps and died in former Camp Gusen I on May 24, 1945. The defendants were charged with "violations of the laws and usages of war," a charge which encompassed among other things murder, torture, beating and starving the inmates. After six weeks all 61 defendants were found guilty. 58 were sentenced to death by hanging (9 were had their sentences were changed to life imprisonment and were later paroled), while three others were sentenced to life imprisonment. All but one of the death sentences were carried out on May 27 and May 28 of 1947 at Landsberg Prison. The sole exception was Otto Striegel, who won a last-minute stay of execution. Striegel was hanged on June 20, 1947. Defendants The defendants of the first Mauthausen camp trial (US v. Hans Altfuldisch, et al.), and their sentences, are as follows: August Eigruber – death by hanging Viktor Zoller – death by hanging Friedrich Entress – death by hanging Hans Altfuldisch – death by hanging Josef Riegler – death by hanging Willy Brünning (Gusen) – death by hanging Emil Müller – death by hanging Kurt Keilwtz – death by hanging Franz Kautny – death by hanging Johannes Grimm (DEST-Wienergraben) – death by hanging Adolf Zutter – death by hanging Eduard Krebsbach – death by hanging Heinrich Häger – death by hanging Hans Spatzenneger – death by hanging Otto Striegel – death by hanging Werner Grahn – death by hanging Wilhelm Jobst – death by hanging Georg Gössl – death by hanging Hans Diehl – death by hanging Paul Kaiser (Gusen) – death by hanging Waldemar Wolter – death by hanging Gustav Kreindl – death by hanging Willy Eckert – death by hanging Hermann Pribyll – death by hanging Josef Leeb – death by hanging Wilhelm Henkel – death by hanging Kapo Willy Frey – death by hanging Leopold Trauner (DEST-Gusen) – death by hanging Wilhelm Müller – death by hanging Heinrich Eisenhöfer – death by hanging Andreas Trumm – death by hanging Rudolf Mynzak – death by hanging Erich Meissner – death by hanging Kapo Rudolf Fiegl (Gusen) – death by hanging Josef Niedermayer – death by hanging Julius Ludolf – death by hanging Hans Hegenscheidt – death by hanging Franz Huber