Births

Aileen Wuornos

1956 – Aileen Wuornos – led a troubled life marked by adversity and tragedy. Her early years were marred by a tumultuous childhood, including claims of abuse and abandonment. Eventually, she turned to a life of prostitution, struggling to survive on the fringes of society.  Wuornos gained infamy as a serial killer, confessing to the murders of seven men between 1989 and 1990. She asserted that her victims had attempted to sexually assault her during her work as a sex worker. Her case garnered widespread attention, sparking debates about mental health, criminal justice, and the impact of a traumatic upbringing on criminal behavior.  In 1992, Wuornos was convicted and sentenced to death for her crimes. Throughout her legal battles, she maintained that her actions were acts of self-defense. Her tumultuous life, brutal crimes, and the subsequent media frenzy have left an indelible mark on the annals of true crime history.  Aileen Wuornos faced execution by lethal injection on October 9, 2002, in Florida. Her life and legacy remain subjects of intense scrutiny, sparking discussions about the intersection of mental health, abuse, and criminality. Wuornos’s story serves as a haunting reminder of the complexities surrounding crime and the individuals caught in its dark web.

1960 – Richard Ramirez – known as the “Night Stalker,” emerged as one of the most notorious American serial killers. Raised in a tumultuous environment, Ramirez’s troubled upbringing foreshadowed the darkness that would define his adult life.  Ramirez’s criminal spree unfolded during a horrifying 14-month period in California from 1984 to 1985. Operating under the cover of darkness, he terrorized communities, committing gruesome acts of violence that included murder, rape, and burglary. The fear instilled by the Night Stalker left an indelible mark on the collective psyche.  His sinister acts earned Ramirez notoriety, and a media frenzy surrounded his trial. In 1989, he was convicted on 13 counts of murder, 5 counts of attempted murder, 11 sexual assaults, and 14 burglaries. The severity and sheer brutality of his crimes resulted in a death sentence.  While on death row, Ramirez maintained a menacing demeanor, showcasing the darkness that defined his life. He died on June 7, 2013, while still awaiting execution. Richard Ramirez’s legacy remains a chilling chapter in the history of American crime, a stark reminder of the terror inflicted by the Night Stalker upon unsuspecting victims and communities.

1960 – James Blake Colburn – life became entwined with criminality, marked by a series of offenses that culminated in a shocking act of violence. A career criminal with a troubled past, Colburn had a history of run-ins with the law, including convictions for burglary, theft, and arson.  The turning point in Colburn’s dark trajectory occurred when he invited 56-year-old Peggy Murphy into his home in 1960. What began as a sinister attempt at assault escalated into a horrific crime as Colburn, faced with resistance, resorted to strangulation and stabbing. A videotaped confession provided a chilling glimpse into the mind of a man seemingly determined to return to a life behind bars.  The motive behind this brutal act, as revealed in Colburn’s confession, sheds light on the intricate web of his criminal mindset. The crime, driven by a desire to return to prison, painted a disturbing picture of a man entangled in a cycle of criminality.  The life of James Blake Colburn serves as a haunting exploration of the complexities surrounding recidivism and the often incomprehensible motives that drive individuals to commit unthinkable acts. His story stands as a somber reminder of the intricate interplay between personal history, criminal behavior, and the quest for redemption within the confines of the criminal justice system.

Deaths

Melvin Purvis

1908 – Pat Garrett – born on June 5, 1850, in Chambers County, Alabama, was a notable figure in the American Old West. He was known for his roles as a lawman, bartender, and customs agent. His most famous act was the killing of the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid. Garrett served as the sheriff of both Lincoln County and Doña Ana County in New Mexico.  Garrett’s early years were spent in Alabama, where he was the second of five children born to John Lumpkin Garrett and Elizabeth Ann Jarvis. His family was of English ancestry, with ancestors hailing from various English counties. When Garrett was three, his father purchased a plantation in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana. However, the Civil War led to the financial ruin of the Garrett family. After the death of both his parents by the time he was 18, Garrett left Louisiana and headed west.  Garrett’s initial years in the West are somewhat obscure, but by 1876, he was in Texas hunting buffalo. During this period, he killed his first man, a fellow buffalo hunter named Joe Briscoe. When the buffalo hunting declined, Garrett left Texas for the New Mexico Territory.  In New Mexico, Garrett found work as a bartender and then as a cowboy. He married Juanita Martinez, who tragically died just 15 days after their wedding. He later married Apolinaria Gutierrez in 1880, with whom he had eight children.  Garrett’s pursuit of Billy the Kid, born Henry McCarty and also known as William Henry Bonney, Jr, began in earnest when he was elected sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, in 1880. His successful capture and killing of the notorious outlaw cemented his place in the annals of the Old West. Despite this, his reputation was somewhat tarnished in some circles due to the act.  In his later years, Garrett became friends with President Theodore Roosevelt, who appointed him as a customs agent in El Paso, Texas. Garrett’s life came to an end on February 29, 1908, when he was shot and killed in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

1960 – Melvin Purvis – was a prominent American law enforcement official and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent. He was born on October 24, 1903, in Timmonsville, South Carolina, to Melvin Horace Purvis, Sr., a tobacco farmer and businessman, and Janie Elizabeth Mims. He was the fifth of eight siblings.  Purvis was a well-educated man and known to be a crack shot. He received his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law and had a brief career as a lawyer. He joined the FBI in 1927 and headed the Division of Investigation offices in Birmingham, Oklahoma City, and Cincinnati. In 1932, he was placed in charge of the Chicago office by Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover.  Nicknamed “Little Mel” due to his short, 5 ft 4 in frame, Purvis became noted for leading the manhunts that captured or killed bank robbers such as Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger, and Pretty Boy Floyd. However, his high public profile was resented by local law enforcement.  Despite his successes, Purvis found himself sidelined after he began to enjoy better press than J. Edgar Hoover. After his high-profile career with the FBI, Purvis led an investigation into the crash of United Airlines Trip 23, which uncovered foul play as the cause of the crash.  Purvis was married to Marie Rosanne Willcox and they had three children: Melvin Horace Purvis III, Philip Alston Willcox Purvis, and Christopher Peronneau Purvis. He died on February 29, 1960, in Florence, South Carolina, from a gunshot wound.

1984 – Johnny Taylor Jr – was a convicted murderer who was executed on February 29, 1984. His crime involved the murder of David Vogler Jr., which took place on February 8, 1980, in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, USA. The motive behind the murder was robbery, specifically to steal a car.  Vogler was trying to sell his wife’s car, which he had left in a Kenner parking lot with a “For Sale” sign. Taylor contacted Vogler to arrange a meeting in the parking lot. The following day, Vogler’s body was discovered in the trunk of his own car. Four months later, Taylor was apprehended in Alabama, where he was found driving Mrs. Vogler’s car.  Taylor was arrested on June 17, 1980, and his method of murder was stabbing with a knife. He was executed by electrocution.  In his final words, Taylor expressed remorse for his actions, stating, “I’ve done a lot of wrong, caused a lot of hurt. I guess this is the price I pay for it.” He also mentioned finding solace in religion, saying, “I found God in Christ. I made a commitment with him. I’m ready to see this through.” He urged others to help those in need and reflected on the difficulty of his life, concluding with, “Living has been hard for me and it’s time for me to die, for whatever reason… I hope you will not leave with the sense this is going to deter crime. That’s it, let’s go.”

2012 – George Rivas – born on May 6, 1970, in El Paso, Texas, was a convicted criminal known for his role in the infamous “Texas Seven” prison escape. Rivas was originally serving a sentence for robbery when he became the reported ringleader of the largest prison escape in Texas history.  On December 13, 2000, Rivas, along with six other inmates, carried out an elaborate scheme and escaped from the John B. Connally Unit, a maximum-security state prison near Kenedy, South Texas. At the time of the breakout, Rivas was serving 18 consecutive 15-to-life sentences.  Following their escape, the group committed several robberies. The most notable of these was the robbery of a sports store on Christmas Eve 2000, during which Irving, Texas, police officer Aubrey Wright Hawkins was shot and killed. Hawkins, a father-of-one, was shot 11 times after interrupting the gang’s robbery. An autopsy later revealed that Hawkins had also been run over by a stolen SUV driven by Rivas.  Rivas took full responsibility for the fatal shooting but stated he never intended to kill the officer. He told a jury he deserved to die for the killing, but prosecutors suggested he was trying to use reverse psychology to avoid the death sentence.  Rivas was apprehended and put on trial for the murder of Officer Hawkins. He was sentenced to death and was executed by lethal injection on February 29, 2012, in Huntsville, Texas.

2012 – Robert Henry Moorman – was a convicted criminal who was executed in Arizona. He was sentenced to death in 1985 for the brutal murder of his adoptive mother, Roberta (Maude) Moormann. The murder occurred in a Florence, Arizona motel room while Moormann was on furlough from the Arizona State Prison.  Moorman was executed on February 29, 2012, at the age of 63. He was the first Arizona inmate to be executed with one lethal drug, as opposed to the state’s long-standing, three-drug protocol. The switch was made after it was realized that one of the drugs had expired.  Just before he was put to death, Moorman used his last words to apologize to his family and to the family of an eight-year-old girl he kidnapped and molested in 1972. He said: ‘I hope this brings closure and they can start healing now. ‘I just hope that they will forgive me in time.’  Moorman’s lawyers claimed the 63-year-old killer was mentally retarded and had the intellect and emotional capacity of a small child. They argued the attack was provoked by years of sexual abuse by his mother Maude Moormann – even while he was in prison.  For his last meal, he had requested a double hamburger, french fries, two beef burritos, two 14-oz containers of Rocky Road ice cream, and three RC Colas. The execution took place just a minute’s drive from the Blue Mist Motel, where on January 13, 1984, he beat, stabbed, and suffocated his adoptive mother. She had sexually abused him into adulthood, according to defense lawyers.  Moorman confessed to smothering his mother and standing naked in a hotel room, ‘dissecting’ her. He cut off her head, legs, and arms, halved her torso, and flushed all her fingers down the toilet. Despite the gruesome nature of his crimes, his case sparked debate due to his mental disabilities and the abuse he suffered.

Events

Kayla Rolland

1692 – Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne & Tituba – a West Indian slave are the first people accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts

1784 – Marquis de Sade is transferred from Vincennes to the Bastille

2000 – The youngest fatal school shooting occurred in Mount Morris Township, Michigan when 6-year-old Dedrick Owens shot and killed 6-year-old Kayla Rolland