Now Cauchon moved quickly. Joan was convicted as a relapsed heretic. Not wanting her blood to be on their hands, Cauchon and the ecclesiastical officials turned Joan over to the state. Her punishment would be death by burning at the stake in the marketplace of Rouen.

Still Charles VII did nothing to help her. No one helped her. Joan was a woman whose ideas had come too soon. She had predicted that in seven years the English would be driven out of France. Her prediction came true, but on May 30, 1431 the English still had powerful allies in France. The English soldiers wanted Joan put to death. They would see to it that her courage would not be emulated by other French patriots.

Joan was terrified of death by burning at the stake. (This link is in French, but the pictures are terrific.) Her confessor, Brother Martin L'Advenu, comforted her. She was sure she would go to heaven at her death. She asked for a crucifix so she could look upon it as the flames began to torture her. She urged Brother Martin to leave her side before the flames touched his skin.

As the final charge was about to be read, English soldiers acted quickly. Due to confusion at the scene, it is questionable whether the sentence of death was actually pronounced before the soldiers set fire to the faggots. Yet another violation of minimal due process.

The crowd was noisy until the first flame touched Joan of Arc. She screamed. When she did, the crowd fell silent. All could hear her last words:

Because court officials were so concerned about Joan's potential status as a martyr, they ordered all her ashes to be scattered into the Seine. They wanted no part of Joan to be left as a potential relic. Even so, Joan was quickly known as a martyr.

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