Idaho Death Row Prisoner Dies After 21 Years

Erick Hall, convicted of raping and murdering two women in Boise, passed away from natural causes while appeals were pending.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Erick Hall, a 54-year-old death row inmate in Idaho, died on Monday evening of natural causes while at a local hospital. Hall was convicted of the rape and murder of two women in separate incidents in Boise in 2000 and 2003. He had been on death row for over 21 years and had several pending appeals at the time of his death.

Why it matters

Hall's case highlights the lengthy legal battles and appeals process for death row inmates in the U.S. criminal justice system. His death comes as Idaho is transitioning to using a firing squad as its primary execution method, following issues with lethal injection in recent years.

The details

Hall pleaded guilty to the 2000 rape and murder of Lynn Henneman, a United Airlines flight attendant, as well as the 2003 rape and murder of Cheryl Ann Hanlon. He was sentenced to death in 2004 and 2007 for the respective murders. During his over two decades on death row, Hall repeatedly appealed his convictions in state and federal courts.

  • Hall was convicted of Henneman's murder in October 2004.
  • Hall was convicted of Hanlon's murder in October 2007.
  • Hall died on Monday, February 10, 2026.

The players

Erick Hall

A 54-year-old death row inmate in Idaho who was convicted of raping and murdering two women in Boise in the early 2000s.

Lynn Henneman

A 38-year-old United Airlines flight attendant from New York who was raped and murdered by Hall in Boise in 2000.

Cheryl Ann Hanlon

A 43-year-old Boise woman who was raped and strangled to death by Hall in the Boise Foothills in 2003.

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What they’re saying

“We are 100% certain we've got our man. The results from the DNA testing are conclusive — Eric Virgil Hall is responsible for the brutal rape and murder of this woman who was simply enjoying the amenities of the Greenbelt.”

— Don Pierce, Boise Police Chief (The Associated Press)

What’s next

The Idaho Department of Correction is in the process of transitioning from lethal injection to a firing squad as its lead execution method, with renovations underway at the maximum security prison's execution chamber.

The takeaway

Hall's case highlights the lengthy legal battles and appeals process for death row inmates in the U.S. criminal justice system, as well as the challenges Idaho has faced in carrying out executions in recent years.