▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁- ▁June ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 9 5 ) ▁and ▁the ▁near - f atal ▁assault ▁of ▁her ▁then - 1 0 - year - old ▁daughter , ▁L acy ▁Phill ips ▁( born ▁July ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 8 4 ), ▁during ▁a ▁bot ched ▁rob ber y ▁in ▁Bald ▁Kn ob , ▁Ark ansas . ▁ ▁Williams ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁death ▁row ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁ra pe ▁and ▁murder ▁of ▁ 2 2 - year - old ▁St acy ▁Er rick son , ▁whom ▁he ▁kid n apped ▁from ▁a ▁gas ▁station ▁in ▁central ▁Ark ansas . ▁ ▁The ▁last ▁double ▁execution ▁in ▁Ark ansas ▁was ▁on ▁September ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁By ▁conduct ing ▁the ▁double ▁execution ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Ark ansas ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁U . S . ▁state ▁to ▁put ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁in mate ▁to ▁death ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁in ▁ 1 7 ▁years . ▁ ▁The ▁last ▁state ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁was ▁Texas , ▁which ▁executed ▁two ▁murder ers ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Oklahoma ▁planned ▁a ▁double ▁execution ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁but ▁scra pped ▁plans ▁for ▁the ▁second ▁one ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁( the ▁execution ▁of ▁Clay ton ▁Lock ett ) ▁went ▁aw ry . ▁ ▁Ark ansas ▁executed ▁four ▁men ▁in ▁an ▁eight - day ▁period ▁in ▁ 1