[Dr. Sivana]

Depending upon the time song takes place in, it could be before Nevada was a State, but California was.

Nevada was admitted in 1864. The only states that were really new by the song's release in '55 would be Alaska and Hawaii. And "I shot a man in Juneau, just to watch him die" doesn't have the same impact. Maybe he buried the body in California, and couldn't get him for the murder itself, which is why he doesn't mention Death Row.

[SweetWilliamsMom]

Both Alaska (49th state) and Hawaii (50th state) joined the Union in 1959.