Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, seated center, signs a bill abolishing the death penalty, surrounded by legislators and activists at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va., on March 24, 2021.Photo: Steve Helber/APVirginia Gov. Ralph Northam, seated center, signs a bill abolishing the death penalty, surrounded by legislators and activists at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va., on March 24, 2021.Photo: Steve Helber/AP The Long Shadow of Virginiaâs Death Penalty Virginia made history when it abolished capital punishment. But for those who were proximate to the stateâs 113 executions, closure remains complicated. April 11 2021, 12:20Â p.m. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, seated center, signs a bill abolishing the death penalty, surrounded by legislators and activists at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va., on March 24, 2021.Photo: Steve Helber/APVirginia Gov. Ralph Northam, seated center, signs a bill abolishing the death penalty, surrounded by legislators and activists at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va., on March 24, 2021.Photo: Steve Helber/AP