Births
John Cannan
1947 – Jeff Fort – also known as Abdul Malik Ka’bah, was born on February 20, 1947 in Aberdeen, Mississippi. He is an American mobster and former gang kingpin from Chicago, Illinois. Fort co-founded the Black P. Stones gang and is the founder of its El Rukn faction. He is currently serving a 168-year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiracy and weapons charges in 1987 for plotting to commit attacks inside the U.S. in exchange for weapons and $2.5 million from Libya, ordering a murder in 1981 and a conviction for drug trafficking in 1983. Fort was the second of ten children born to John Lee and Annie Fort in Aberdeen, Mississippi. He moved with his family to the Woodlawn neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side in 1955. He dropped out of Hyde Park High School after the ninth grade. Fort spent time at Cook County temporary juvenile detention center and at the Illinois State Training School for Boys in St. Charles, where he met Eugene “Bull” Hairston. Around 1959, Fort and Hairston formed the Blackstone Rangers gang at St. Charles. The Blackstone Rangers originated as a small youth gang along Blackstone Avenue in the Woodlawn area, assembled to defend themselves against other gangs in the South Side. Hairston was the gang’s leader with Fort as second in command. The Rangers fought rival gangs, especially the Devil’s Disciples. During the early 1960s, Fort earned the nickname “Angel” for his ability to solve disputes and form alliances between the Rangers and other gangs. By the mid-1960s, Fort assembled a coalition of 21 gangs with about 5,000 members. He organized the coalition under a governing body called the “Main 21”, composed of 21 gang leaders or “generals”. As the Ranger organization grew, it became involved in community and political activism. In 1967, under the guidance of a Presbyterian minister, Rev. John Fry, Fort obtained a charter from the State of Illinois to form a political organization, Grassroots Independent Voters of Illinois. Fort’s organization applied for and received a US$1 million federal grant from the now-defunct Office of Economic Opportunity to fund a program to teach job skills to gang members. The Rangers also received grants and loans from private foundations. Jeff Fort converted to Islam in prison, joining the Moorish Science Temple of America, a Black Muslim sect based in Baltimore. On March 12, 1976, he was released to Chuck LaPaglia, who had left First Presbyterian and was teaching community education at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
1954 – Patricia “Patty” Hearst – She is the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. Hearst first became known for the events following her 1974 kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). Hearst was the third of five daughters of Randolph Apperson Hearst and Catherine Wood Campbell. She was raised primarily in Hillsborough and attended its Crystal Springs School for Girls, Sacred Heart School in Atherton, and the Santa Catalina School in Monterey. She attended Menlo College in Atherton, California before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley. At the time of her abduction, Hearst was a sophomore at Berkeley studying art history. On February 4, 1974, 19-year-old Hearst was kidnapped from her Berkeley apartment by the SLA. The group’s main intention was to leverage the Hearst family’s political influence to free SLA members who had been arrested. During her time in captivity, Hearst was allegedly coerced and brainwashed, leading her to join the SLA in committing several crimes, including bank robbery. She was found and arrested 19 months after being abducted, by which time she was a fugitive wanted for serious crimes committed with members of the group. At her trial, the prosecution suggested that Hearst had joined the SLA of her own volition. However, she testified that she had been raped and threatened with death while held captive. In 1976, she was convicted of the crime of bank robbery and sentenced to 35 years in prison, later reduced to seven years. Her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter, and she was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton.
1954 – John Cannan – is a British murderer, serial rapist, serial abductor, and suspected serial killer. He was convicted in July 1988 of murder, multiple sexual offenses, abductions, and attempted abductions. He is currently serving his sentence at Full Sutton Prison in York. Cannan, a former car salesman, has claimed to have had 100 one-night stands and was said to be charming. He was given three life sentences for the murder of Shirley Banks in Bristol in October 1987; the attempted kidnapping of Julia Holman on the previous night; the rape of a woman in Reading, Berkshire, in 1986; the rape of his girlfriend in December 1980; and several other abductions, attempted abductions, and sexual offenses. He became eligible for parole in September 2023, but this was refused in October 2023. Cannan is the only suspect in the disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh, who had an appointment in July 1986 to meet a man calling himself ‘Mr Kipper’ and has not been seen since. In November 2002, the Crown Prosecution Service decided that there was insufficient evidence to charge him. That month Scotland Yard held a press conference at which, in a rare move, officers named Cannan as the man they believed murdered Lamplugh. Cannan says he knows who killed Lamplugh, and states that this person is the same person responsible for the murder of Shirley Banks, of which he himself was convicted. DNA evidence showed Lamplugh had previously been in a car Cannan used at the time of her disappearance.
1967 – Byron B. Bryan – faced conviction and a death sentence for the murder of Leonard Andre on December 16, 1991, at Andre’s Market in Delray Beach. On that evening, two unidentified men entered the store, with one heading to the back under the guise of looking for the restroom. Simultaneously, the other man, armed, demanded money from Mrs. Andre at the front. Amid the robbery, gunshots erupted from the back where Leonard Andre was preparing receipts. After the assailants fled, Mrs. Andre discovered her husband, shot three times at close range. Despite Mrs. Andre and her brother witnessing the incident, they couldn’t provide detailed descriptions or identify Bryant from a photo lineup. No physical evidence connected Bryant to the crime; suspicion arose based on tips from acquaintances. Upon arrest, Bryant confessed to the murder during the attempted robbery. However, during the trial, he refuted involvement, claiming his confession resulted from police coercion.
1967 – Walter Timothy Storey – was a man from Missouri who was convicted of a heinous crime that took place in 1990. He was living with his mother in a St. Charles apartment when he became upset over his pending divorce. After a night of drinking beer, he ran out of money and decided to break into the neighboring apartment of Jill Frey to steal money for more beer. Frey, a 36-year-old special education teacher, had left the sliding glass door of her balcony open. Storey climbed the balcony and confronted Frey in her bedroom, where he beat her. Frey suffered six broken ribs and severe wounds to her head and face. Storey used a kitchen knife to slit her throat so deeply that her spine was damaged. Frey died of blood loss and asphyxiation. Storey left the body and returned the next day to clean up blood, throw clothes in a trash bin, and scrub Frey’s fingernails to remove any traces of his skin. However, he missed a key piece of evidence: blood on a dresser. Lab analysis matched the print to Storey, whose prints were on file for a previous crime. Storey was convicted and sentenced to death three times in the same case. His execution was carried out in 2015, making him the first Missouri inmate put to death that year. His last words were reportedly, “I love everyone, even those who are doing this deed.”
1971 – Shalanda Burt – is a survivor of domestic violence who was among the first in Florida to be granted clemency as part of a national movement in the early 90s. This movement aimed to reevaluate cases where victims of abuse were convicted for killing their abusers. Despite being granted clemency, her prison sentence from over 30 years ago continues to impact her life. Burt met the father of her two oldest children when she was 16 years old. Initially, he seemed like a nice guy who supported her. However, when she got pregnant, the abuse started. Burt tried to fight back at first, but the abuse only escalated. She endured severe physical violence, including instances where he would put guns to her head. Despite the danger, Burt frequently called 911 whenever she could. In recent years, Burt has been fighting for custody of her granddaughter. For two and a half years, she cared for her granddaughter in Manatee County while her daughter, the child’s mother, was struggling. Despite her efforts, a caseworker from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) told her she had to leave. The disqualifier was a second-degree murder charge from more than three decades ago. Despite a court document from 2021 stating that the statutory disqualifiers for placement with the maternal grandmother are overruled, Burt was told that she would never get past the adoption point due to the law. Today, Burt continues to fight for her rights and the custody of her granddaughter, demonstrating her resilience and determination.
1973 – Ronnie Paul Threadgill – was a man from Texas who was convicted of a carjacking murder that took place in 2001. Born on February 20, 1973, Threadgill had a long criminal record and had been incarcerated for most of his adult life. On April 14, 2001, Threadgill was involved in a fatal incident outside a nightclub near Corsicana in Navarro County. Christopher Lane, Kevin Williams, and Dexter McDonald had just left the nightclub and were getting into Lane’s car when Threadgill approached them. He fired two shots from a handgun, the second of which passed through McDonald’s arm and entered his chest. Threadgill then drove off in the stolen car, leaving McDonald to die from his injuries. Threadgill was arrested the same day after a police chase along Interstate Highway 45. He lost control of the vehicle and it slid into a ditch. He then fled on foot and was found at a truck stop, clinging to an axle under a trailer. His fingerprints were found on the stolen car, and blood on his clothing matched McDonald’s blood. Threadgill was sentenced to death on July 22, 2002, and was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas on April 16, 2013. He was 40 years old at the time of his execution.
1979 – Mark A. Christeson – was a man from Missouri who was convicted of a heinous crime that took place in 1998. Born on February 20, 1973, Christeson had a troubled childhood and had been incarcerated for most of his adult life. On February 1, 1998, Christeson, then 18, and his 17-year-old cousin, Jesse Carter, decided to run away from a home outside Vichy where they lived with a relative. They took shotguns and went to a rural home about half a mile away where Susan Brouk and her two children, Adrian and Kyle, lived. The cousins planned to steal Brouk’s Ford Bronco. When they arrived at the home, Christeson and Carter tied the children’s hands with shoelaces. Investigators said Christeson forced Brouk into a bedroom and raped her. When they went back into the living room, Adrian recognized Carter and said his name. “We’ve got to get rid of ‘em,” Christeson told Carter, according to court records. The family was forced into the Bronco. Christeson and Carter loaded the SUV with electronics and other items and drove to a pond. Christeson kicked the 36-year-old mother in the ribs and cut her throat. She told her children she loved them as she lay bleeding. Christeson then cut Kyle’s throat and held the boy underwater until he drowned. Carter held Adrian while Christeson pressed on her throat until she suffocated, and then Carter pushed the girl’s body into the pond. As Brouk struggled to stay alive, the cousins tossed her into the pond, where she drowned. Christeson was sentenced to death on July 22, 2002, and was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas on April 16, 2013. He was 40 years old at the time of his execution. His last words were reportedly, “I love you” a couple of times to people who were gathered to watch the lethal injection on his behalf.
Deaths
Luke A Williams III
1983 – Ray Vitte – was an American actor born on November 20, 1949, in New York City, USA. He moved to Pasadena, California as a child and later studied broadcasting at his local community college. He was known for his roles in comedy and drama films in the 1970s and early 1980s. He made numerous guest appearances on television shows and was a cast member of the show Doc in 1976. Vitte starred in several notable films including “Nine to Five” (1980), “Up in Smoke” (1978), and “Car Wash” (1976). He also had several episodic television appearances and even a couple of recurring roles. Unfortunately, Vitte’s life was cut short when he died on February 20, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, USA, at the age of 33. His death followed a scuffle with two Los Angeles Police Department officers who were transporting Vitte to a nearby hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Vitte had been fevered for days and acting strangely for hours in his Los Angeles home. The circumstances of his death sparked protests, including from singer Donna Summer and the president of the Beverly Hills – Hollywood chapter of the NAACP. Despite his untimely death, Vitte’s work continues to be remembered and appreciated by fans of his films and television appearances. His contribution to the entertainment industry, though brief, was significant and impactful.
1985 – Van Roosevelt Solomon – was a former minister and a convicted murderer. He was born on December 1, 1943. Solomon was involved in the felony murder of Roger Dennis Tackett, the manager of a convenience store in Smyrna, during a robbery in 1979. Interestingly, five years prior to this incident, Solomon himself had almost died when he was shot in the stomach during a holdup of a downtown Atlanta grocery store he managed. Solomon was first sentenced to death for his involvement in the murder on October 17, 1979. His execution took place on February 20, 1985, in Georgia’s electric chair. He was 41 years old at the time of his execution. His last meal consisted of fruit and chocolate ice cream. His final words were a blessing to all the people who tried to save his life. Despite the efforts of many, including the widow of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who joined the fight to save Solomon and said his execution would be ‘a travesty,’ Solomon’s pleas for a stay and clemency were refused by the Supreme Court and Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. Solomon’s life and death remain a significant part of the ongoing discussions and debates surrounding capital punishment in the United States.
1998 – Michael Edward Long – was born on July 23, 1962, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. He is known for his involvement in a tragic crime that took place on April 7, 1987. Long worked with Sheryl Graber, a 24-year-old woman, at a flower shop in Muskogee. On the day of the incident, Long made sexual advances towards Graber, which she rejected. This led to a confrontation in her home, during which Graber was shot twice and stabbed 31 times. Unfortunately, Graber’s 5-year-old son, Andrew, also became a victim of this crime. He was stabbed once and shot in the head and chest because he witnessed his mother’s slaying. Long admitted to the crime, stating that he went to Graber’s home with the intention of getting what he wanted “one way or another.” Long was sentenced to death for his crimes. He spent a decade on death row before being executed by lethal injection on February 20, 1998, at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. He was 35 years old at the time of his execution. His last meal consisted of a Big Mac, a large, thin-crust pizza with all the toppings, two snack pies, and two cans of soda. In his final statement, Long expressed regret for his actions and apologized to the Graber family. He also urged the public to get involved with prisoners and the rehabilitation process, stating that “locking away criminals and forgetting about them solves nothing.” Despite his remorse, the pain and loss experienced by the Graber family and their friends remained, marking a very painful event in their lives.
2008 – Larry Davis – later known as Adam Abdul-Hakeem, was born on May 28, 1966, in New York City. He gained notoriety in November 1986 for a shootout in the South Bronx with officers of the New York City Police Department, during which six officers were shot. Davis claimed self-defense and was acquitted of all charges except for illegal gun possession. Davis was also involved in the murder of a Bronx drug dealer in 1986. He was convicted for this crime in April 1991. Despite his criminal activities, Davis became a controversial figure, with some viewing him as a folk hero. Davis’s life took a tragic turn when he was stabbed by a fellow inmate in 2008, leading to his death on February 20 of that year. His life and actions continue to be a topic of discussion and debate.
2009 – Luke A. Williams III – was a man who became known for his involvement in a tragic crime. He was convicted and sentenced to death in South Carolina state court for the 1991 murders of his wife and son. The Supreme Court of South Carolina affirmed his conviction and sentence and later denied his application for post-conviction relief. On June 19, 1991, the bodies of his wife and son were discovered inside the family van in a forest in Edgefield County, South Carolina, approximately six miles from their home near Augusta, Georgia. Despite the legal proceedings and appeals, Williams was executed on February 20, 2009, at the age of 56. His life and actions continue to be a topic of discussion and debate, particularly in discussions surrounding capital punishment in the United States.
Events
Jason Brian Dalton
1979 – 11 loyalists known as “The Shankill Butchers” are sentenced to life in prison for 19 murders, the gang was named for its late-night kidnapping, torture & murder of random Catholic civilians in Belfast
1987 – A bomb blamed on the Unabomber explodes at a computer store in Salt Lake City, Utah
2016 – Jason Brian Dalton randomly shoots and kills 6 people in Kalamazoo County, Michigan
