[1] He is known for being accused of raping an indentured servant, William Couse,[2] and is reported to have been one of the earliest people, if not the first person, to have been hanged for sodomy in what would eventually become the United States.
[3][4] In 1624 Cornish was ship master of the Ambrose, which was harbored in the James River of August of that year.
[7] He also reported that Cornish also later sexually fondled him on numerous occasions and also humiliated him in front of the rest of the crew.
[5] Couse left the ship and deposed to the governor and other members of the council of the colony of Virginia that Cornish had forcibly sodomized him.
It can be assumed Cornish was executed by hanging, taking at face value extant depositions made after the fact.
It does make sense to question a possible cover up on the part of government, but this is totally different from claiming the governor executed Cornish.