Abandoned Missouri State Penitentiary With Gas Chamber
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ก.ย. 2024
- Located in the state capitol of Jefferson City, the centuries old Missouri State Penitentiary still stands proud, towering high above the muddy banks of the Missouri River, while still serving as a standing symbol of the criminal justice system and its evolution over time. The prison first opened its doors back in 1836 and operated for a whopping 168 years before finally closing down in 2004.
The Missouri State Penitentiary often referred to as MSP for short, has a truly unique architectural design, with its distinctive Gothic Revival style buildings and giant intimidating stone walls solidifying a harsh reminder of a now bygone era within our country’s criminal justice system.
Throughout its long and storied history, the prison housed some of the most notorious criminals in the State of Missouri, as its imposing walls bore witness to the harsh realities of incarceration during the troubling times of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Some of the notable inmates included Martin Luther King Jr assassin James Earl Ray, reputed gangster and bank robber Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd, heavyweight champ boxer Sonny Liston, Missouri’s death row love story couple child killers Carl Austin Hall and Bonnie Brown Heady, and serial killer Charles Ray Hatcher.
Not only did Missouri State Pen serve as a central hub for the state's most dangerous and violent offenders, but in addition, it was also known for housing inmates who were sentenced to hard labor in extreme conditions and constant isolation. Built using prisoners' grueling physical labor, the penitentiary's imposing walls and guard towers were meant to deter potential escape attempts and remind inmates of their deserving confinement.
One former inmate coined the catchy phrase “Misery in Missouri” - referring to what life was like behind bars at MSP.
Over the years, the penitentiary became a constant cycle of brutality and despair, as inmates faced harsh living conditions and cruel unusual punishments. In the prisons early years, inmates were subjected to forced labor in the sweltering heat, with inadequate food, and next to no medical care. As the prison population expanded, overcrowding became a serious issue, leading to even more violence and civil unrest among the inmates. Anyone who broke the rules were often sent to the "hole," a dark and dank solitary confinement cell where they were left to languish in pure isolation.
Despite its dark and troubled history, the penitentiary also played a role in the state's efforts at rehabilitation and reform, aiming to prepare the inmates for life outside of prison, but nothing could shake it from its painful reputation as “the bloodiest 47 acres in America.”
Exploring Missouri State Penitentiary gave us a real life glimpse into the harsh realities of life behind bars. From the cramped and claustrophobic cells in death row to the chilling execution chamber, the prison is a sobering reminder of the consequences of criminal behavior.
In conclusion, the Missouri State Penitentiary is a significant historical landmark that sheds light on the state's criminal justice system and the challenges of inmate rehabilitation. Its legacy continues to captivate visitors and serve as a reminder of the importance of compassion and humanity within the realm of law enforcement.
As we come to the end of today’s video on the abandoned Missouri State Penitentiary, we hope that you all enjoyed it and learned just how far we have come with America’s justice system. For more photos, make sure you check out our website at abandonedcentral.com. And don’t forget to subscribe to Abandoned Central on TH-cam to get all of the latest videos. The support is always appreciated friends!
I was a corrections officer at this prison from March 1988 to January 1994. I worked death row as "Yard Officer" for 18 months, then Ad Seg for 18 months, and then the dining room for 3 years. The door on the gas chamber was from a captured WW1 German submarine. It was an experience, without a doubt.
Wow thats crazy about the gas chamber door. I don't think the lady giving the tour even knows that information. Thanks for watching! Any crazy stories you have from your time working here?
Quite a few actually. When I worked the yard for death row, there were many long discussions with various inmates about their lives, and the different paths they took that eventually led them to where they were, waiting to be executed. Missouri's death row is also infamous for being the only death row in the U.S., where a death row inmate killed another death row inmate. All over a gold ring that wasn't supposed to be inside. It was three on one, and the three that committed the murder each got their second capital murder conviction.
Thanks for walking the line!
I'm retired now, but started at San Quentin in California.
I worked most positions there, obviously, to include death row.
Was even personally involved in the '92 execution.
Don't know how your brains are, lol, but mine are kind of scrambled at times. Regardless of getting paid to be in prison or not, we are all affected.
Anyhow, wishing you the best, Thanks for sharing your incredible experiences! 🙏
@@abandonedcentralwhat I don't understand is that if those controls are lit and everything is still running electricity through and if it's paranormal in it active I'm surprised the spirits don't hit those buttons which day is the scary thing to be in
Keeping humans locked up takes it's toll on everyone. The Stanford prison experiment really shed some light on the psychology of how twisted it can get.
I did a scared straight type program there in 1998. I was 14. The guys that had done 17 to 20 years tripped me out. Not bc they were scary..but bc the time. I did 1.5 years in juvenile system lockdowns and grew up partially in foster homes...it taught me...stay out of trouble .be smart
Im almost 41 now and ive stayed free . 🇺🇸. I gave 1 of the trustees a hoop ear ring. He shouldn't have taken it. But u could tell he was blown away by the gesture. I hope hes alive and free
Now if we could just reign in the punctuation you’ll be rehabilitated.
JK respect.
I did a scared straight here also in 1998 I was in a boys home called lakeside center.This place definitely made me think better decisions nowadays in my life.
The Missouri gas chamber is the most unique of all the gas chambers. It's unique in that the design was professional but I never knew who made it, although I would guess it's probably from a metal fabrication outfit in St Louis. North Carolina also made their own gas chamber but their design was very primitive as they just used an old meat locker and outfitted it with their old electric chair. Most of the other gas chambers used in all the other states (AZ, CA, MS, etc), were all constructed by Eaton Metal Products, of Denver, CO. Today, that company just makes tanks for the oil industry but back in the early 20th, they also made gas chambers. BTW, those valves that you saw, (Valve 1, Valve 2 etc) were filled with ammonia gas, which neutralizes hydrogen-cyanide gas. There were placed in those locations in the event that the chamber leaked gas, they would turn those valves to neutralize the gas. Plus, they had antidote kits too. Another safety precaution used was they would smear thick coats of Vaseline around the edges of the windows, to prevent leaks. The way executions were conducted was the buckets would be filled with sulfuric acid beneath the chair. They had a mechanism beneath the chair that was connected to the red lever, which would be pulled to activate the execution. Once done, they would turn the valve on the yellow valve to neutralize the gas after the prisoner was dead. This process would often take about half an hour before they would pull the other lever and flip the switch on the exhaust to empty the chamber before they could remove the condemned. Executing people with this method was very dangerous to the prison staff as well as the witnesses, as a gas leak could easily kill more than just the condemned prisoner. Thank you for this video!!!
Ammonia gas is as bad or worse
@@earl4989An old MEAT FREEZER? Why, I would never be caught dead in a gas chamber like that!🤣
Ask the same Germans who built the ww11 gas chambers. Same folks that made our cooking ovens. 😮😮😮
Thanks for the information I'll make sure not to end up in a gas chamber
What is a segregation cell
It’s interesting how there’s a lot of light in much of the place, instead of just solid walls with no windows.
Yeah I usually get creeped out watching this type of video but this was really really interesting.
Modern control measures leaves no room for such human amenities.
I did the tour several years ago. The last warden was our tour guide.
He took me and my son through it . I stop by one day that I took my son to work with me . He was about 12 then and the only tour that day was for a school field trip . He said we could go with them . But we would have to wait about a hour for the tour . While we waited he took us all through places that wasn’t on the tour . We had a great time . He was a really nice guy . My son is 22 now and still remembers that day well .
Crazy that you would spend your last night alive looking right across at the chamber you are about to die in. That's pretty rough.
@@Clubberdude-sp1gw Yea, but by the NEXT day, you wouldn't even remember it!🤣
I guess don’t commit crimes. Sounds like a problem solved to me!
Yeah, poor babies.
Very informative video. Thanks for taking us along for the tour. Its hard to imagine turning to crime when you know this is where you could end up.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed our video.
It opened before the Civil War and closed in the 2000s. Jesus, I can't imagine all the sadness and wrongdoing that happened at this place. In a time before cameras. It was running when America was still in the middle of the Indian wars.
I drive highway 63 a lot. It goes past there. You can literally FEEL the vibes coming from it.. a lot of energy in that place. The deepest of every kind of human emotion was felt in that place for more than a century. I went to Europe once, and standing in front of really really old castles gives the same vibe.
I remember watching your video when you were in the old Detroit music venue and you mentioned being a former heroin user. I dont know you, but im proud of you for kicking it and making these videos. They're awesome. Much admiration to you mate
Greatly appreciate the support! Thanks for watching and following along our journey!
@@abandonedcentral 💪
There's something eerily beautiful about the blue & white colors.
I agree. That was my favorite part to photograph. Thanks for checking out our video!
Wonder if that paint has lead?. Heehee
@@saxman432004I'd say it most definitely has lead paint back when that prison was built just about all paint had lead id say it very much right
Oh wow. Never would have thought I would get a tour of the gas chamber where Bonnie Brown Heady and Carl Austine Hall where executed 😮 I remember learning about them when I was a teenager.
This has to be your best explore video yet, Thanks Guys.
My favorites are any Michigan episodes 313 but this is another banger like always 💯
Greatly appreciate that feedback. This one was a lot of work! Thanks for taking the time to watch it!
I worked for the DOC at Moberly, MO prison from 1984 to 2019. I helped move the inmate's and their property from the old MSP (The Walls) to the new Jefferson City Correctional Center in 2004. They brought in staff from all over the state's other 24 prisons to help make the move. MSP had been transferring inmates for a few months, so they were down to about 1,300. We were given 12 hours to make the transfers and I believe we did it in less than 8 hours. You wouldn't believe all the law enforcement officers lining the routes we took while makes those moves! We only had trouble from 3 inmates who wanted to show their ass in front of 75 correctional officers. Stupid move!
I was a guest at Missouri penitentiary on my way of release.I was at moberly when released
I was curious about how the transfer went down in 2004. Thanks for some insight towards that event. I had a feeling there was a lot of people involved but not to the extent of its true reality.
Your friends with the king boys than lmfao
Absolutely fascinating and thanks for the great production of your work. Being British we are steeped in history and have many old prisons ourselves , some still in use .! But nothing bears into comparison of seeing dearh row and the actual gas chamber itself. I could feel the earry energy just through the screen. Very well made , thanks guy's.😮
At 24:28 Those buried cells that they found are awesome.
Yes they were. Wish we could've photographed them. Thanks for watching!
How is this only at 500 views an hour in it should be at a couple hundred thousand for the quality of it thats a damnn shame 💯
Haha thank you Michael! These are they type of comments that motivate us to keep creating these videos!
2 days and now on 23k
A very interesting video. No idea how it came up on my feed to watch but glad i did! I still remember the gas chamber execution here in California back in the late 80's i believe of Robert Alton Harris in San Quinton. It was a huge deal and remember staying up and watching the news footage on TV about it. I think I was in the 8th grade when that happened. Kind of interesting here that the prison here spent like $900k to fix the roof after a tornado and the prison wasn't even operational at the time. 🤔
It makes sense to maintain a prison in operational condition even if its not used at present.
Wow this was great guys! Fantastic job covering the place and explaining everything as well! I enjoyed watching this one immensely. Best prison video Ive ever seen.
Thank you so much for the feedback! This one was a lot of work. Glad it as worth it!
I looked it up out of curiosity and this place isn't as abandoned as it seems. They do regular guided tours of the prison for $25 a person. They also do ghost tours and walks around the prison. So if anybody here wants to visit, you can book a reservation online and take a guided tour.
You must not of watched the entire video where I show the tour guide? Anyway, yes they offer tours.
Just like eastern state penitentiary
There was a time years back it was abandoned enough we could sneak in at night and have airsoft wars 🤘🏻🔥🇺🇸
Wow! Really great coverage. Loved the drone footage too. It was so expansive!
Yes it was! Thanks for watching Joseph!
The prisoners, the guards, so many lives, so many stories.
Thanks for watching!
So much paranormal
My head is spinning thinking about it, especially the early ones in the beginning almost 200 years ago.
First video i come across from this channel, i love these type of videos . Cant wait to watch the rest of the videos on this channel 😀
Welcome aboard! Thank you for the support! We have many videos for you to watch!
The writing on the cell door is Runic. It is an ancient writing form used in Europe.
Thank you for that info.
Try looking up futhark and elder futhark
I would really love to do something like this. Just travel to abandoned buildings and places and document
Missouri State prison is a tour. You can visit this location yourself!
surprised it still has electricity, you can see a ceiling fan running at 8:11
Wow this almost as old as Kingston Penitentiary (KP) in Kingston Ontario Canada. It opened in 1835 and closed in 2013. Its a historic site now
Thank you for the information and the tour .
Our pleasure! Thanks for watching!
Thanks guys, the story's were very interesting, good job.
Our pleasure! Thanks for watching James.
Awesome video, guys! I'm used to the other exploration channels with the people- who are confused by everything they're seeing.
Lol thanks for the feedback Kevin! We greatly appreciate the support.
My 1st time watching. Awesome content keep up the great work.
Welcome aboard! Thanks for watching!
Amazing video, without the usual over exaggerated voiceover. Love the drone work. New Subscriber ❤❤❤
Something in my mind is odd is how long people that have been condemned stay on "death row".
Had you been sentenced to death (by hanging) there was only a stay in the condemned cell for three weeks, in this time all possible attempts at appeal and then after "three clear Sundays" you went down through a hole to eternity, not spending an eternity in a hole!
Thanks for posting a very interesting video.
I would have like to known the rest of the readings on the Deathrow inmates.
39:21 I think that the triangles cut out in the chair are not for gas. They are for collecting human excrements. The person no longer has control over his body. For gas, a regular bucket standing somewhere on the floor is enough.
Maybe thats correct? The tour guide told us differently. She said there was a bucket under each seat and that was for the cyanide. They had to cut the holes in the chairs to make it more easily accessible to put the cyanide in the buckets.
Nah. It was for the gas. The prisoner would be wearing pants and probably a diaper. And, the opening is too far forward for that. The gas canisters were also directly under the chair. They weren't draining human waste into those gas canisters. I guess that larger opening facilitated a speedier propagation of the ga up between the legs to the nose.
When people are being put to death they're usually put adult diapers on them
I'm from Missouri and in high school was in and out of trouble my juvenile probation officer sent a bunch of us teens there to be "inmates for the day" it was very intimidating that was back in like 2000
The violent culture of prisons is a tragedy and shouldn’t be accepted as just part of the system. Being sentenced to prison shouldn’t be a sentence to rape and beatings within the ersatz hierarchy of the prisoners. We are more civilized than to allow it. We are better than to surrender to the base, carnal violence of the most heinous.
Very cool! That is nice they are preserving all those buildings. Is that open for the public to view?
Thanks for watching Kurt! Yes you can take a tour of the Missouri State Penn. Google their website it has all the info on it to book a tour.
So this is where all of the adjectives went.
Y'all did it Great job making this video this is the best video I've ever seen on our state penitentiary and death row thank you for taking so much time and putting a lot of effort into doing this for us have a great day
Thank you so much for your feedback Kevin. This video was a lot of work. Glad you enjoyed it!
Good ole Bonnie and Carl. My sister was in the school from where Bobby was kidnapped. Good book on the story is A Grave for Bobby. Crime, arrest, convicted, appealed, 90 days
Amazing Channel Thanks for The Review 😊
Our pleasure! Thanks for the feedback Jaymac 👊
There's no way in hell I would ever go inside there. I lived in Fulton but moved to Jefferson City but never had the nerve to go anywhere close to that prison.
This was so well done! I found you today and subscribed. My daughter and I have been there on night tour. The tour guides were very nice. However Bonnie and Carl were executed together side by side. My daughter and I sit in those chairs. It was a very sad and foreboding feeling🙁 Thanks for video.
I toured this prison when I worked for the Missouri Department of Corrections. I met one of the Listin brothers.
The phone on the wall had no change slot back in the days when people might have 50 phone numbers in their head. Nowadays people look to their phones to call their mom, but can they remember what her number is without looking at the phone book on the phone?
I had a friend that worked at the state pen in the 70s and 80s, he swears up and down the nickname was actually for a structure that has since been demolished or deteroriated. When he was working there, they told stories of potential inmate bodys under the yard and that structure that died during the big riot, They supposedly couldnt get rid of the remains at a rate that they felt was adequate so they built that structure and part of the yard and the excess bodies were entombed into the concrete. I havent looked very deep into is as im quite far from where it is located but if anyone has more info theyd be willing to provide, Im all ears!!!
My dad was there in the 90s and he explained the reasoning just as this video explains it
The Stairwells Looked a bit like those in THE SHAW SHANK REDEMPTION
If you can't do the time don't do The crime especially when you are sentenced to that prison back in the day 😮😮
Lol. Missouri jails for unpaid Civil infractions.
I would be in jail for seatbelt tix and parking tix if I were Missouri resident.
Thanks for watching Robert!
@@diegomontoya796 You're correct. Many inmates were here for petty crimes and spent several months to years because they couldn't afford bails as low as $25
@@abandonedcentral you are welcome abandoned central ✌️😎
I hate that phrase . It's not very accurate in a society that frequently penalizes according to socioeconomic status and inaccurate accusations.
Omg, this was so frickin cool! It's in great shape for it's age, too!! Great work guys, loved it.
Glad you enjoyed this one Mary! Thanks for the continued support.
Its being maintained to an extent. Thats why its in decent shape for its age. You can go on guided tours of the place.
Maybe that's how I got my little diddie I sing. That good ole State of Misery, never really meant a lot to me.
I tell you when I left, I didn't think I would ever miss it.
I miss the beauty of it. It's an awesome State. Blue Water, good soil for planting. But I sure don't miss the people. (Most of them family.)
Wait where are the wooden doors? I was told all gas chambers have thin wooden door?!?!
No wooden doors here. It was a heavy metal door.
Stop noticing things!
My home town , one hour away ,I have seen many docs on this and you guys did a great job , ty
Glad you enjoyed this video. Thanks for watching.
great job love all the info you guys bring in
Thank you for the support 🙌
as always u give the great video on your channel, love the history in your videos..
We appreciate your feedback! Researching all the history takes the most time. Glad you enjoy it.
Some of those inmates in the photos that went to the gas Chambers were mere boys and as now we know lots of death row inmates have been actually found innocent makes me wonder if any of those prisoners who met their death in that actual chamber were innocent too . Great video
Statistically it's bound to happen to one or two innocents ...but our judicial system is pretty effective for separating between innocent and guilty.
@@Dailyproductions-g3nlol.... not quite. Especially with the lack of Technology back then
I was wondering the same thing especially with the lack of Technology back then
B.S…if your loved ones were murdered by one of these thugs you’d have a different opinion.
Wrongful convictions are just as bad whether they end in execution or not, when significant portions of your life are lost.
But for an example in support of your point, look up Paul Browning in 2019 he was freed from Nevada death row. Think about that for a minute: One week he's on death row, 23-hour a day lockdown, for decades. Next week he walks right out the front door.
The gas chamber looks like something you might use to decompress from a submarine. The door looks a bulkhead door from a ship.
It is per a former co from there. A WW1 German submarine door.
No wooden doors on that gas chamber, interesting
Abraham Lincoln was alive when this place started up….that is wild.
I have sat in that very gas chamber and visited a lot of what's in this video. Very surreal to have sat in the same seats people died in, and the layers and layers of paint that peeled off all the cell walls.
Yea its a pretty crazy feeling sitting in those chairs. Thanks for watching.
I saw cells there that had 3 bunks on one side of the cell and 3 bunks on the other side. 6 ppl to one small cell. That's crazy.
Yea thats insane they put that many people on 1 cell.
I wish all pens looked like this. No need to provide any comfort for people there. No matter the crime. Maybe it makes bad people think twice.
I absolutely adore the tile flooring. You don’t see that anymore
Hell yeah thanks AC 💯👏👏🤘
Thanks for watching!
Bring this back.
wow, history of state penitentiary in missouri
Thanks for watching William!
I'm guessing this is not a sanctioned tour or is it. The power is still on. Strange since the facility has been closed for 20 years. A very informative professionally done video. Thank You.
Its a tour. At the end of the video I show the tour guide outside of the gas chamber.
@@abandonedcentral Gotcha. Thanks.
@@blanton1624 Thanks for watching. If you're ever in the area you should check out the tour!
really enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing!
Thats awesome! Thanks for the feedback Matt!!
Great video, really interesting! Sending love from ireland ❤
Wow! Thanks for watching from across the world! Glad you enjoyed it.
No proper prison is without a dungeon!
Where is the footage from at 5:30? It’s from an old History Channel show
My buddy owns an old warehouse that isjust down the hill to the west that used to be a broom factory for the prison, we still find carvings and stuff in the timbers
Water pressure in the fire hose. Power to the overhead fans.
Interesting.
you guys rock 🤘
Thanks for the support! We truly appreciate it!
TIME STAND STILL IN THERE !!! GREAT VIDEO
I am so impressed that I didn’t hear one cuss word or blaspheming God’s Holy Name with taking our Lord name in vain. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I appreciate that. Absolute respect for you. thank you! ❤
Thank you for the feedback. We will try harder to keep any of that out of our other videos.
They should bring this system back!
Way to old and costly to upkeep. The tornado that hit it a few years ago didn't help it either
Well done
Thanks for watching!
Wow absolutely wild! Great video! You could feel the pain of the prisoner's!
Glad you enjoyed it Nicole!
I never made much money in my life, however I am thankful for not following a path of these criminals. Can you imagine the noise inside that chamber? The hiss, the smell, the sound of your last breath.
Could that possibly be used as a hyperbaric chamber ( pressurized Oxygen chamber), used to induce wound healing of bad wounds and or used for divers that have the Bends( decompression sickness) gas bubbles in the bloodstream. I’m not a doctor but it seems that it could be used in countries in the Caribbean or anywhere, possibly somewhere that can’t afford it. I don’t know enough about this kind of thing but if it can be used for poison gas I would think it could be useful with Oxygen. Just a thought !
Awesome Video !!!
Very interesting! Liked and subbed
Thanks for the sub! Glad you enjoyed this video!
If I was locked up in this prison, I would prefer death.
Good video a lot of history still there I’m surprised they haven’t tore it down like a lot of our schools!
Its being used as a museum and does tours. So not exactly abandoned. Thats why it hasn't been demolished.
3:59 ceiling fan still doing its job...
New subscriber here, great tour of this ole prison…would be a good ghost hunting spot 😊
Thank you for watching Mary! They do ghost hunting tours here also at night.
Great Video. Real Interesting. Think i'll Sub. Cheers. From the UK.
Welcome aboard! Thanks for watching. We appreciate the support Robert!
Those cells are spacious
Great video. You did this place justice.
We’ve always called JCCC “the Walls” because of the wall. It’s always been spooky-even before they shut it down.
My 4 year old can’t go on a tour with us-so we opted to check this out. She has remained interested through it all.
We will be going through your channel to check out more videos.
So sad to see a perfectly good gaschamber and prison go unused.
THATS GOOD , BUT NOT AS GOOD AS A 10 CENT BULLET !!!
So funny how jails are still basically the same conditions
6:30 How is that ceiling fan going!? Is there still power??
Yes they still have the power on inside the buildings.
I wonder if the Bonnie And Carl were transferred to MSP for their execution after they spent years in another prison. Its wild to think that they went from court sentencing to the chamber in 12 days.
Around 26:07, it mentions a serial killer in Kansas City, as 'Robert Bardo'. Robert Bardo killed an actress in California. I think you mean the Kansas City serial killer, ROBERT A. BERDELLA. Other than that, great video; very well done.
Thank you for that information. Bob most likely got those facts mixed up.
Thank you for these videos every guard had a story every every victim had a family friends schools jobs etc
Do ghosts that haunt prisons get to haunt other places after a minimum amount of time?
Stills are good….like the way you lace in…..
Thanks for that feedback! I never know if I should add more or less photos.
@@abandonedcentral if it were my channel (mostly because my background/schooling is in creative photography) I would try to lace in a nice still of every video scene. Might be difficult, but you have a good and intense eye for still images. I think they make your videos more special. They focus attention on the video scene, if that makes sense. They accent the footage….seems like a good thing!
If the walls could talk.....
Can you imagine what it must have been like as an inmate during the early years of the prison?
A lot of bum love, a whole lotta bummin going on.
Don’t commit crime
I wonder how many innocent men were sent there??
Far too many from what the tour guide told us.