Births

Wayne Williams

1837 – Wild Bill Hickok – Hickok, whose real name was James Butler Hickok, was an American frontiersman, scout, lawman, and gunfighter of the 19th century. He was born on May 27, 1837, in Homer, Illinois. Hickok became a legend of the American West due to his exploits as a skilled gunfighter and his reputation as a fearless lawman. He worked as a stagecoach driver, a lawman, a scout for the Union Army during the Civil War, and a professional gambler. Hickok gained notoriety as a gunfighter after killing several men in gunfights. He was known for his lightning-fast draw and his ability to shoot accurately with either hand. He also had a reputation for being a sharpshooter with a rifle. In 1867, Hickok became the sheriff of Hays City, Kansas, where he gained a reputation for being a tough but fair lawman. He was later elected marshal of Abilene, Kansas, where he continued to enforce the law with his trademark fearlessness. Despite his reputation as a skilled gunfighter, Hickok’s career was not without controversy. In 1868, he accidentally shot and killed his deputy during a gunfight, which haunted him for the rest of his life. Hickok’s life came to a tragic end on August 2, 1876, when he was shot in the back of the head while playing poker at a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota. The killer, Jack McCall, claimed that he had avenged his brother’s death, but some speculate that Hickok’s reputation may have played a role in his murder. Wild Bill Hickok remains a legendary figure of the American West, and his legacy as a skilled gunfighter and lawman continues to fascinate people to this day.

1850 – Thomas Neill Cream – Cream was a Scottish-born doctor who gained notoriety as a serial killer in the late 19th century. He was born on May 27, 1850, in Glasgow, Scotland, and later moved to Canada and the United States. Cream graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in medicine in 1876 and moved to London to begin his medical career. However, he soon became involved in the illegal distribution of drugs, particularly abortion drugs, and was eventually arrested and imprisoned in 1879. After his release from prison in 1891, Cream moved to the United States and settled in Chicago. He continued his illegal activities, providing abortion services to wealthy women and using his medical knowledge to poison others for financial gain. Cream’s victims were primarily prostitutes and mistresses of wealthy men, and he is believed to have killed at least seven people. He was known for using strychnine as his poison of choice, and he often targeted women who had crossed him in some way. Cream was eventually caught and convicted of the murder of one of his mistresses, Ellen Stack, in 1892. He was hanged for his crimes in November of that year. Despite his relatively low body count, Cream is remembered as one of the most notorious serial killers of the 19th century. His crimes were particularly shocking because he was a doctor, a profession that was supposed to be dedicated to healing and saving lives.

1918 – Frank Balistrieri (Frankie Bal) – Balistrieri was a prominent American mobster and the boss of the Milwaukee crime family from 1967 until he died in 1993. He was born on May 27, 1918, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Italian immigrant parents. Balistrieri started his criminal career in his early 20s, running illegal gambling operations and bootlegging alcohol during Prohibition. He quickly became a rising star in the Milwaukee underworld and rose through the ranks of the local mafia, eventually becoming the boss of the crime family. As the boss, Balistrieri was known for his tight control over the Milwaukee underworld, and he was known for his shrewd business sense and his ability to keep a low profile. He was also known for his connections to other crime families across the country, including the Chicago Outfit and the New York Mafia. Balistrieri’s criminal empire included illegal gambling operations, loan-sharking, and labor racketeering. He was also involved in skimming profits from Las Vegas casinos, and he was indicted for his involvement in a scheme to bribe a Nevada state senator in the 1970s. Balistrieri’s reign as boss came to an end in the 1980s, when he was convicted on charges of extortion and sentenced to 13 years in prison. He was released in 1991 due to ill health, and he died of a heart attack on February 7, 1993, at the age of 74. Despite his criminal activities, Balistrieri was a respected figure in the Milwaukee Italian-American community, and he was known for his charitable works and donations to local organizations. His legacy as a powerful and influential mob boss continues to fascinate people to this day.

1921 – Caryl Chessman – was a complex and controversial figure in American history. Convicted of robbery, kidnapping, and rape in 1948, he spent 12 years on death row before being executed in the California gas chamber in 1960. His case sparked heated debate about the death penalty, justice, and the potential for rehabilitation. Chessman’s childhood was troubled. He spent time in reform schools and jails for petty crimes before escalating to more serious offenses in his late teens. In 1941, he was sentenced to 16 years to life for robbery, assault, and attempted murder. He escaped in 1943 but was recaptured and released on parole in 1947. Shortly after his release, Chessman was arrested for a series of crimes dubbed the “Red Light Bandit” case. He was accused of posing as a police officer, using a red light to lure couples to secluded areas, and then robbing and assaulting them. Though he maintained his innocence, Chessman was convicted and sentenced to death under California’s “Little Lindbergh Law,” which made kidnapping a capital offense under certain circumstances. Chessman’s time on death row was marked by two main activities: fighting for his life and writing prolifically. He filed numerous appeals, arguing that his conviction was unfair and the death penalty was unjust. He also wrote four books, including “Cell 2455, Death Row,” which became a bestseller and brought his case to international attention. Chessman’s case became a lightning rod for the debate over the death penalty. Supporters of capital punishment saw him as a symbol of the dangers posed by violent criminals, while opponents argued that his execution was inhumane and that the legal system had failed him. Despite numerous stays of execution and international pleas for clemency, Chessman was executed in 1960 at the age of 38.

1924 – Ernest Ingenito – A US Army veteran who spent two years in Sing Sing for several crimes committed whilst serving. He married 21-year-old Theresa Mazzoli and worked for the family business where he had a good relationship with his father-in-law but not so much with his mother-in-law. Later he was offered a job away from the Mazzoli business and the family did not like this, the father-in-law believed he was seeing other women and was forcing Theresa to get a divorce. On November 17th, 1950, Ingenito went on a shooting spree when he shot 9 people, he killed five and injured four others. Eventually, he received 5 life sentences to be served concurrently and was released in 1974.

1931 – James Q. Wilson – Wilson was an American political scientist and criminologist, best known for his contributions to the field of public policy and the study of crime and policing. He was born in Denver, Colorado, and grew up in California. Wilson studied political science at the University of Redlands and later received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1959. He went on to teach at Harvard University, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and Pepperdine University. Wilson was a prolific writer, and his works on crime and policing are highly regarded in the field of criminology. He was one of the leading proponents of the “broken windows” theory of policing, which argues that small signs of disorder and decay in a community can lead to more serious crimes if left unchecked. This theory has had a significant impact on policing strategies in many cities around the world. In addition to his work on crime and policing, Wilson was also known for his research on public policy, including studies on the welfare state and bureaucracy. He was a leading proponent of “New Institutionalism,” which argued that the formal rules and structures of organizations have a significant impact on their behavior and performance. Wilson received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, and he served as president of the American Political Science Association from 1986 to 1987. James Q. Wilson passed away on March 2, 2012, at the age of 80. His legacy as a pioneering scholar in the fields of criminology and public policy continues to influence and inspire scholars and policymakers around the world.

1942 – Lee Baca – Baca is a former sheriff of Los Angeles County, California. He served in the position from 1998 until his resignation in 2014 and was one of the longest-serving sheriffs in the county’s history. During his tenure, Baca was known for his emphasis on rehabilitation programs for inmates, and his outreach efforts to minority communities. He also faced several controversies and scandals, including allegations of excessive use of force by his deputies, mismanagement of the county’s jails, and charges of corruption and obstruction of justice. In 2013, the FBI began investigating allegations of abuse and corruption in the Los Angeles County jails, which led to indictments and convictions of several sheriff’s deputies and high-ranking officials. Baca himself was also indicted on charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators in connection with the investigation. He initially pleaded not guilty, but later changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to three years in federal prison. The scandal surrounding Baca and his department highlighted longstanding issues of corruption and abuse within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and led to significant reforms in the department’s policies and procedures.

1947 – Linda T. Jones – Linda had been married to her husband Jack for over thirty years, they had two daughters and a lovely home, once the girls had left home, Linda invited a young girl, Carrie, from her office to move into the family home. A short while later Linda discovered that Jack and Carrie were having an illicit affair, furious, Linda threw the girl out, and eventually, things seemed to be going back to normal, however, Linda then found out that Jack had rented an apartment for the girl and even gone so far as proposing. Shortly after this discovery, there was a home invasion at Linda & Jack’s home with Jack being beaten to death, after an extensive investigation that lasted nearly a year, Linda was arrested and charged with murder as she had arranged for the home invasion and the killing of her husband. Linda Jones was sentenced to life in prison on November 6, 1997.

1952 – Robert Lee Yates – Yates Jr. was an American serial killer who was active between 1975 and 1998. He was convicted of murdering thirteen women and attempting to murder one other woman in Spokane County, Washington. Yates was born on May 27, 1952, in Oak Harbor, Washington. He served in the U.S. Army from 1971 to 1996, during which time he was deployed to Germany and the Gulf War. He was married and had five children. Yates was arrested in April 2000 and charged with the murder of a woman named Jennifer Joseph. He later pleaded guilty to 13 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder and was sentenced to death. Yates was also suspected in the deaths of several other women but was not charged with those crimes due to a plea agreement. He remains on death row at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington.

1958 – Wayne Williams – Williams is an American convicted murderer who is believed to be responsible for the Atlanta Child Murders. The Atlanta Child Murders were a series of murders that took place in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1979 and 1981. The victims were primarily African-American children and young adults. Williams was born on May 27, 1958, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the second of three children and grew up in the Dixie Hills neighborhood of Atlanta. Williams showed an interest in music at a young age and became a talented producer and songwriter. He produced several hits for local artists and founded his own music company, the Atlanta Sound Studio. Williams was arrested in June 1981 after police stopped him for questioning on a bridge over the Chattahoochee River. He was later charged with the murder of two adults, Nathaniel Cater and Jimmy Ray Payne, and was convicted in 1982. Although Williams was not charged with the murders of any of the children, he was named as the prime suspect in the Atlanta Child Murders. He has maintained his innocence in the child murders but was found guilty of two adult murders and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison. The Atlanta Child Murders remains a controversial and heavily debated case, with some people believing that Williams was not responsible for all of the murders.

1966 – Troy Albert Kunkle – An American thief, kidnapper, and murderer who seemingly had no remorse for the murder he carried out. On August 12th, 1984, Kunkle and a few friends offered a lift to 31-year-old Stephen Horton, when Horton was in the car they put a gun to his head and demanded his wallet and he refused, they then drove to a skating rink Kunkle forced Horton out of the car and shot him in the back of the head. Kunkle was convicted of the murder and executed in January 2005.

1968 – Richard Alexander Murdaugh – He graduated from the University of South Carolina (USC) in 1990 and from USC’s School of Law in 1994. He joined the civil litigation firm that his family founded in 1910, now known as The Parker Law Group, which specializes in personal injury litigation. He also volunteered part-time in the 14th Circuit solicitor’s office. Alex Murdaugh is a member of the Murdaugh family, an affluent American family that has lived in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina since the 18th century. Three generations named Randolph Murdaugh served consecutively as circuit solicitors for the state’s 14th judicial district between 1920 and 2006. In 2023, Alex Murdaugh was tried for the murder of his wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, on June 7, 2021. The trial in the fourteenth circuit of the South Carolina Circuit Court began on January 25, 2023, and ended on March 2 with a guilty verdict on all four counts. Murdaugh, who had pleaded not guilty, was sentenced to two life sentences to run consecutively without the possibility of parole. His attorneys have filed a notice of appeal.

1970 – Mark Wesley Bailey – Bailey lived in Hampton, Virginia with his wife, 22-year-old Katherine, and their son 2-year-old Nathan. Bailey thought that his wife had been unfaithful and in the early morning of September 1998 he woke early and shot his wife three times with a .22 pistol that he had borrowed, he then went into the room of his toddler Nathan and as he was climbing out of bed, Bailey shot the child twice.

1975 – Peter Anthony Cantu – was a notorious figure involved in one of the most infamous crimes in Houston, Texas. He was the leader of a small gang known as the “Black and Whites”. On June 24, 1993, this gang was involved in the horrific rape and murder of two teenage girls, Elizabeth Pena, 16, and Jennifer Ertman, 14. The girls were taking a shortcut home across a railroad bridge when they encountered the gang, who were conducting a fight-filled initiation ceremony for a prospective member. The girls were subjected to a sadistic frenzy of gang rape for over an hour and were eventually strangled. The crime made headlines due to its brutal nature and the subsequent legal proceedings. All perpetrators were found guilty on all counts, with convictions including capital murder, kidnapping, and aggravated sexual assault. Cantu, along with two other members of the gang, were sentenced to death. Seventeen years after the crimes, Peter Anthony Cantu was executed on August 17, 2010. His execution was carried out by lethal injection. He declined to make a final statement before his execution.

Deaths

Ensio Koivunen

1994 – Charles Rodman Campbell – was born on October 21, 1954, and was a convicted murderer who was executed by hanging in 1994 by the state of Washington. Campbell was born in Hawaii, U.S. His criminal history began in December 1974 when he attacked and raped 23-year-old Renae Wicklund at knifepoint in her Clearview, Washington home. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for first-degree rape. However, his sentences ran concurrently, allowing him to be paroled in seven years. He was released in 1981 for good behavior. On April 14, 1982, Renae Wicklund, her nine-year-old daughter Shannah, and her friend Barbara Hendrickson were found murdered, all with their throats cut. Campbell, then residing at a halfway house, was arrested the following week and charged with first-degree murder and second-degree theft. He was convicted on November 16th, 1982, for all three murders. Campbell was executed by hanging in 1994 by the state of Washington. His case remains a significant part of the history of capital punishment in the United States.

1994 – Stephen Ray Nethery – An American rapist who, whilst raping a 22-year-old woman had the police pull up alongside them the police didn’t realize the gravity of the situation so simply told them to move along, Nethery got out of his car, apologized to the officers and shot one of them three times, the officer would die two days later. Nethery was convicted of the murder and sentenced to death by the Texas state court and was executed on May 27, 1994. His last statement was a request for people to pray for two families: his own and the family of Officer McCarthy. He was buried at Hamilton County Memorial Park Cemetery in Soddy-Daisy, Hamilton County, Tennessee, USA.

2003 – Ensio Koivunen – born on 23 June 1930 and passed away on 27 May 2003, was a Finnish serial killer known for poisoning three female hitchhikers using carbon monoxide in the summer of 1971. This led to him being nicknamed Häkä-Enska, which translates to “Carbon monoxide-Enska”. His victims included 23-year-old Salme Helena Metsänikula, who was born on 28 January 1948 and disembarked a bus in Anjala while en route from Helsinki to Turku on 11 July 1971. The other two victims were 17-year-old Ritva Anneli Raijas, born on 27 November 1953, and 16-year-old Pirjo Marjatta Laiho, born on 20 July 1954. Both left Pitäjänmäki to visit an aunt in Hyvinkää on 17 August 1971. Koivunen was found guilty on all three charges of assault, false imprisonment, and negligent homicide, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was pardoned by Mauno Koivisto in the fall of 1981. Koivunen died on 27 May 2003.

2003 – Robert Wesley Knighton – was an American spree killer. Born in Springfield, Missouri, Knighton had a troubled upbringing. He was emotionally and physically abused as a child and ended up in a boy’s reformatory at the age of 12. He idolized Elvis Presley and dreamed of becoming a singer at one point. Knighton served time for kidnapping and manslaughter in Missouri. In 1968, he was convicted of armed robbery in Oklahoma and sentenced to 10 years in prison. After his release, he embarked on a four-day, two-state killing spree along with Lawrence Lingle Brittain and Ruth Renee Williams. Brittain and Williams both pleaded guilty and testified against Knighton in exchange for leniency, and have since been released from prison. Knighton was convicted of two murders in Oklahoma and executed in 2003.

Events

Debra Jeter

1679 – The Habeas Corpus Act passes in England, strengthening a person’s right to challenge unlawful arrest and imprisonment.

1856 – Dr. William Palmer (The Rugelely Poisioner) is found guilty of poisoning in Stafford, England.

1895 – Oscar Wilde is imprisoned for sodomy.

1981 – The failed assassin of President Ronald Reagan, John Hinckley Jr attempts suicide by overdosing on Tylenol.

1993 – The Mafia bombs Uffizi Museum in Florence, killing six people.

1997 – American sports commentator Marv Albert pleads innocent to charges of sexual assault.

1998 – Oklahoma City Bombing: Michael Fortier is sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $200,000 for failing to warn authorities about the terrorist plot.

2010 – Debra Jeter pleads guilty to the murder of one of her daughters.