Births
Tommaso Buscetta
1821 – Nathan Bedford Forrest – was a Confederate general whose legacy is deeply intertwined with the American Civil War. Rising through the ranks from a private to Lieutenant General, Forrest was a brilliant and unorthodox cavalry commander. Earning the nickname “The Wizard of the Saddle,” he emphasized speed and surprise attacks to great effect, disrupting Union supply lines and inflicting heavy casualties. However, his military career is forever tarnished by the Fort Pillow Massacre of 1864. During this battle, Confederate troops under Forrest’s command killed many Black Union soldiers who had already surrendered, an act considered a war crime. Prior to the Civil War, Forrest accumulated significant wealth as a cotton planter and slave trader. This raises questions about his motivations for joining the Confederacy. Was he driven by a belief in states’ rights and preserving a way of life, or was it the economic interests tied to slavery? Following the war’s conclusion, Forrest became the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist organization formed by Confederate veterans. While he later claimed to disapprove of the Klan’s violence, his association with the group cemented his image as a symbol of racial hatred. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s life and actions continue to spark debate. He was undoubtedly a military innovator who left his mark on the Civil War. However, his brutality, racism, and association with the Klan cast a long shadow over his legacy.
1856 – George Washington Coe – wasn’t your typical farmer. Drawn to the Wild West, he ventured to New Mexico Territory in his teens alongside his cousin Frank Coe. There, they honed their cowboy skills on a ranch near Fort Stanton and later near Raton, even taking part in pursuits of cattle rustlers and horse thieves. By 1876, George Coe wasn’t shying away from violence. Along with his cousin and a posse that included figures like Doc Scurlock and Billy the Kid, he participated in the daring jailbreak and lynching of a suspected horse thief. This act foreshadowed his involvement in the much larger Lincoln County War. The Lincoln County War, a bloody conflict between ranchers and a powerful political faction, found Coe siding with Alexander McSween and John Tunstall. He wasn’t just present; he was a participant in key events, including the shootout at Blazer’s Mill where he reportedly lost a finger. After the war subsided, Coe wasn’t one to stay amidst lingering tensions. He left Lincoln County, only returning in 1884 when things had settled down. He then focused on a more peaceful life, establishing his own ranch and spending the rest of his days as a New Mexico farmer. George Washington Coe’s story offers a glimpse into the lives of cowboys and frontiersmen who navigated a lawless era in the American West. While details beyond the major events are scarce, his involvement in the Lincoln County War and his connection to notorious figures like Billy the Kid solidify his place as a footnote in Wild West history.
1928 – Tommaso Buscetta – was a complex figure who straddled the line between criminal and collaborator. A high-ranking member of the Sicilian Mafia, Buscetta became the first major informant, forever altering the organization’s landscape. Born in Palermo, Sicily in 1928, Buscetta entered the Mafia in his early twenties. By the 1960s, he was a powerful figure within the Porta Nuova family. Internal Mafia conflicts, however, led to his involvement in the violent “First Mafia War.” Facing arrest, Buscetta embarked on a life on the run, fleeing to countries like Switzerland, Mexico, and the United States. The brutal murder of his sons in 1982, allegedly on orders from rival Mafia factions, proved to be a turning point. Buscetta decided to break the Omertà, the Mafia’s code of silence, and cooperate with Italian authorities, particularly the determined anti-Mafia prosecutor, Giovanni Falcone. Buscetta’s revelations were unprecedented. He provided detailed accounts of the Mafia’s structure, rituals, and operations. His testimony proved invaluable in prosecuting numerous Mafia figures and exposing the organization’s deep reach into Italian society. Buscetta’s decision to collaborate was a major blow to Cosa Nostra. His information led to Maxi Trial, a landmark case that convicted hundreds of Mafia members. However, his actions also brought death threats and forced him to live the rest of his life under witness protection. Tommaso Buscetta remains a controversial figure. Hailed as a hero by some for his role in dismantling the Mafia, others criticize his past criminal activities. Regardless of perspective, there’s no doubt his decision to break the Omertà significantly weakened the Mafia and forever changed the course of the fight against organized crime in Italy.
1943 – Billy Glaze – also known as “Jesse Sitting Crow,” was a man shrouded in controversy. Convicted of murdering three Native American women in Minneapolis during the 1980s, Glaze’s guilt has been called into question in recent years. Glaze’s life was marked by transience and criminal activity. With a long rap sheet for offenses like rape and assault, he became a suspect in the Minneapolis murders after a tip from a waitress. Glaze reportedly confessed to a high number of killings across the country, but these claims remain unverified. Despite the lack of concrete evidence linking him directly to the Minneapolis crimes, Glaze was convicted and sentenced to three life terms. However, after his death in 2015, DNA testing excluded Glaze and pointed towards another suspect. This discovery reignited the case and sparked debate about wrongful conviction. Glaze’s legal team, including the Innocence Project, continues to fight for his posthumous exoneration. Their goal is to clear Glaze’s name and identify the true perpetrator, bringing long-awaited justice for the victims and their families. Billy Glaze’s story remains a complex one. While convicted, questions linger about his guilt. His case highlights the importance of DNA evidence in ensuring a just legal system.
1950 – Genene Jones – is a chilling figure in American history. A licensed vocational nurse, Jones is suspected of being a prolific serial killer, responsible for the deaths of up to 60 children entrusted to her care during the 1970s and 1980s. Details about Jones’s early life are murky. Adopted as a child, she reportedly had a troubled upbringing. She entered the medical field as a beautician before becoming a licensed vocational nurse in the late 1970s. Jones’s nursing career quickly turned sinister. She is believed to have injected her young patients with lethal doses of medications like digoxin and heparin, creating medical emergencies in order to appear as a hero by reviving them (though many children did not survive). This manipulative tactic earned her the nickname “The Angel of Death.” By the early 1980s, suspicion began to surround Jones. Medical staff noticed a pattern of deaths and illnesses occurring under her watch. A crucial turning point came when a doctor discovered a puncture mark in a vial of medication. Shortly after, a baby named Chelsea McClellan died after a routine checkup administered by Jones. In 1984, Jones was convicted of murder and injury to a child. She received lengthy sentences, but the true scale of her crimes remains a nightmarish question. Hospital records are believed to have been misplaced or destroyed, hindering a full accounting of the victims. Jones continues to be incarcerated, with additional charges brought against her as recently as 2017. The exact number of lives she claimed may never be known, but her case serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of children and the importance of vigilance in healthcare settings.
1965 – Stephen Anthony Mobley – was a convicted murderer executed by the state of Georgia in 2005. His case gained notoriety for the unusual defense strategy employed by his attorneys. In 1991, Mobley robbed a Domino’s pizza store and fatally shot the manager, John C. Collins, a 25-year-old college student. Following a string of robberies over the next three weeks, Mobley was apprehended and confessed to the crimes. During trial, Mobley’s lawyers presented a novel defense, arguing that he was genetically predisposed to violence. This strategy, while unsuccessful, made Mobley’s case one of the most cited instances of using genetics in a criminal defense “https://www.nature.com/articles/419422b“. Details about Mobley’s upbringing are limited, but reports indicate a troubled childhood marked by lying, stealing, and violence. School records documented further behavioral issues, and by his mid-twenties, Mobley had served prison time for forgery and embarked on a path of armed robbery. Mobley was executed by lethal injection in 2005. While his crime was undeniably tragic, the Mobley case continues to spark debate about the role of genetics in criminal behavior.
1968 – Julia Lynn Turner – also known as Lynn Turner, was a convicted murderer from the United States. Born in 1968, Turner was adopted as a baby. Her early life was marked by instability as her adoptive parents divorced when she was young. She reportedly struggled with substance abuse as a teenager. Turner was drawn to law enforcement. She worked as a 911 dispatcher and aspired to be a police officer but failed the psychological exam. This didn’t stop her from gravitating towards police officers in her personal life. She married her first husband, Glenn Turner, a Cobb County police officer, in 1994. Tragedy struck in 1995 when Glenn Turner died under suspicious circumstances. Initially attributed to the flu, his death was later connected to antifreeze poisoning. Years later, in 2001, Turner’s long-term boyfriend, Randy Thompson, also died from antifreeze poisoning. Authorities re-examined Glenn Turner’s death, and in 2007, Julia Lynn Turner was convicted of murdering both men with antifreeze. Turner maintained her innocence throughout the trial. She died in prison in 2010, with the cause of death officially undetermined. Julia Lynn Turner’s case gained notoriety for the manipulative and deadly way she targeted her romantic partners. Her story continues to be featured in true crime documentaries and articles highlighting the dangers of domestic violence and the complexities of investigating poisoning murders.
1987 – Wellington Menezes de Oliveira – was a former student at the Tasso da Silveira Municipal School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In a horrific event on April 7, 2011, he carried out a shooting at his former school, taking the lives of twelve students aged 13 to 15 and injuring another twenty. Those who knew Oliveira described him as a quiet and introverted young man. Unfortunately, details about what motivated him to commit such a tragedy remain unclear. Oliveira was adopted as a baby by Dicéa Menezes de Oliveira. His biological mother reportedly battled mental illness. Dicéa, who raised Oliveira, was a Jehovah’s Witness. While Oliveira participated in some aspects of the religion, it wasn’t a defining part of his life. The April 7th shooting unfolded when 23-year-old Oliveira entered the Tasso da Silveira school armed with two revolvers. He gained access by claiming to be a former student interested in visiting the school. Tragically, he used this opportunity to open fire in a classroom, inflicting devastating casualties. Police intervened before Oliveira could continue his attack. He died by suicide after a brief exchange with officers. The Tasso da Silveira shooting remains a dark stain on Brazil’s history, marking the first non-gang related school shooting with a significant number of victims in the country.
Deaths
Albert W. Hicks
1860 – Albert W. Hicks – also known by aliases like William Johnson and “Pirate Hicks,” was a notorious American criminal who holds a dark distinction: he was one of the last people executed for piracy in the United States. His life transcended the golden age of pirates, bridging the gap between the swashbuckling buccaneers of old and the rise of organized crime in the 19th century. Hicks’ origins were humble. Born around 1820 in Foster, Rhode Island, he was the second youngest of seven sons on a farm. He chafed at the drudgery of farm labor and possessed a rebellious streak. By 15, he’d run away to Norwich, Connecticut, where a life of crime beckoned. There, his criminal career began, landing him in jail for theft. Exactly how Hicks descended into piracy remains unclear. Some accounts suggest he may have been brutalized in jail, fostering a violent rage that manifested later. He drifted from job to job, eventually finding himself on the oyster sloop E.A. Johnson in 1860. What transpired next solidified his infamy. Hicks, along with accomplices, murdered Captain George Burr and his two crewmates in a brutal axe attack. Their motive? Likely robbery. Hicks’ ruthlessness earned him the moniker “Pirate Hicks.” He was eventually apprehended and brought to trial in New York City. The trial was a media sensation. The infamous showman P.T. Barnum even struck a deal with Hicks, offering him a flamboyant electric blue suit in exchange for his death mask. Hicks, reveling in the morbid attention, sported the suit throughout the proceedings. Found guilty of piracy and murder, Hicks was sentenced to hang. On July 13, 1860, he met his end on Bedloe’s Island (now known as Liberty Island) in New York Harbor. Albert W. Hicks, the restless farmhand turned ruthless pirate, became a cautionary tale and a footnote in American history.
1894 – Patrick Eugene Prendergast – an Irish-born man who arrived in America with dreams yet to be realized, took a dark turn in 1893. Born in 1.868, Prendergast’s early life hinted at potential struggles. Family history suggested a predisposition towards mental instability, with his grandfather reported to have died insane and his mother suffering from unexplained episodes. A serious head injury as a child may have further impacted his well-being. These early challenges manifested in Prendergast’s behavior. Described as withdrawn, irritable, and forgetful, he left home at a young age and drifted through life. Eventually settling in Chicago, he found work as a newspaper distributor. However, beneath the surface, something was amiss. On a fateful day in October 1893, Prendergast’s troubled path took a horrifying turn. He shot and killed Chicago’s Mayor Carter Harrison Sr. The motives behind this act remain unclear. Some theories suggest political discontent, while others point towards delusions of grandeur. Regardless of the reason, the assassination sent shockwaves through the city. Prendergast’s trial became a spectacle. Represented by the famed attorney Clarence Darrow, the defense attempted to secure an insanity plea. Ultimately, however, Prendergast was found guilty and sentenced to death. On July 13, 1894, he became the only client of Darrow’s to receive the death penalty, marking a tragic end to a troubled life and leaving a lasting scar on Chicago’s history. The assassination also sparked important conversations about mental health and political violence, issues that continue to resonate today.
1937 – Emmett Dalton – born in 1871, carved a unique path in the American Wild West. He was an outlaw, a gunfighter, but also a later-life author and even a Hollywood actor. Emmett belonged to a large family. His mother, Adeline Younger, was kin to the notorious James-Younger gang, and several of his brothers held positions as lawmen. However, Emmett himself drifted towards a life of crime. By the early 1890s, he was a member of the Dalton Gang, alongside some of his brothers. This gang gained fame, or perhaps infamy, for a series of train robberies. The Dalton Gang’s most famous, and ultimately disastrous, attempt came in 1892. They tried to rob two banks simultaneously in Coffeyville, Kansas. A fierce gunfight erupted, leaving townspeople and lawmen facing off against the outlaws. Emmett, though wounded a staggering 23 times, was the only gang member to survive. Two of his brothers were killed. Emmett served a lengthy prison sentence for his crimes. After 14 years, he was pardoned. Interestingly, he then used his notoriety to carve out a new life. He wrote a book about his experiences, “When the Daltons Rode,” and even appeared in films, sometimes portraying himself in Wild West stories. He became a symbol of the bygone era, a former outlaw with a story to tell. Emmett Dalton died in 1937, leaving behind a legacy as a complex figure of the Wild West. He was an outlaw involved in a bloody shootout, but also a man who later sought redemption and even a bit of fame through Hollywood.
1955 – Ruth Ellis – born Ruth Neilson in 1926, was a British woman whose life story has become entwined with a pivotal moment in British history. Born in Wales, Ellis’s early life was marked by instability. Her family, with a mother who was a Belgian refugee and a father who frequently changed their surname, moved from place to place. Some biographers speculate this transience stemmed from a desire to escape a difficult home environment. As a young adult in London, Ellis found work as a nightclub hostess. This was a common path for women of the era, but Ellis yearned for a more secure and glamorous life. In 1950, she married George Ellis, though the marriage proved short-lived. Following the dissolution of her marriage, Ellis became involved with David Blakely, a wealthy racing driver. However, this relationship also turned sour, marked by jealousy and possessiveness. Tragedy struck in 1955. In a fit of rage, Ellis shot and killed Blakely outside a pub. Tried for murder, she was convicted and sentenced to death. Her execution in 1955 made her a cause célèbre. Ruth Ellis became the last woman to be hanged in the United Kingdom, a fact that sparked a national conversation about capital punishment. The controversy surrounding her case is believed to have played a role in the abolition of the death penalty in the UK a decade later. Though her actions were undeniably tragic, Ruth Ellis’s story continues to resonate. Books, films, and documentaries explore the complexities of her life and the social context that surrounded her.
1967 – Tommy Lucchese – a name synonymous with power in the American Mafia, wasn’t always the leader of a vast criminal empire. Born Gaetano Lucchese in Sicily in 1899, he immigrated to the United States with his family as a child. By the 1920s, the streets of East Harlem became his stomping ground. Joining the 107th Street Gang, Lucchese earned the nickname “Three-Finger” due to a missing digit, possibly from a job at a munitions factory. Unlike some of his flashy counterparts, Lucchese operated in the shadows, steadily climbing the ranks of the criminal underworld. The violent Castellammarese War of the 1930s proved to be a pivotal point in Lucchese’s rise. This bloody conflict reshaped the Mafia landscape in New York, and Lucchese emerged as a trusted lieutenant within the Gagliano crime family, a forerunner of the Lucchese family we know today. In 1951, opportunity knocked. With the death of boss Tommy Gagliano, Lucchese ascended to the leadership position. He steered the family away from the brutal tactics of the past, opting for a more discreet and strategic approach. Earning a reputation for political savvy, Lucchese focused on amassing wealth through racketeering, gambling, and other illicit activities. A shrewd operator, he forged a powerful alliance with Carlo Gambino of the Gambino family. This strategic move not only solidified Lucchese’s own power but also cemented a lasting bond between the two families. To further strengthen this connection, Lucchese arranged the marriage of his daughter to Gambino’s son. Tommy Lucchese reigned over the Lucchese family until his death from a brain tumor in 1967. He left behind a powerful organization that continues to be a shadowy presence, albeit a diminished one, within the infamous “Five Families” of New York City’s Mafia. Lucchese’s story reflects the American Mafia’s transformation from its ruthless beginnings to a more business-oriented criminal enterprise.
1984 – David Leroy Washington – was born on December 13, 1949, and passed away on July 13, 1984. He was a former choirboy and drummer in his high school band. Washington was the oldest of seven children. He was involved in a string of burglaries and was under extreme stress caused by his inability to support his family. In 1976, he killed three Dade County residents in three different robberies over 12 days. He pled guilty in a Florida trial court to an indictment that included three capital murder charges. His case, Strickland v. Washington, became a landmark Supreme Court case that established the standard for determining when a criminal defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel is violated by that counsel’s inadequate performance. On July 13, 1984, Washington was executed in the electric chair. Before his execution, he met with his wife and his 12-year-old daughter Florence. He told his daughter, “I want you to do better,” and encouraged her to set goals for herself and to focus on her education. His last words were an apology to the families of his victims and a message of resilience to his fellow inmates.
2016 – Bernardo Provenzano – a name synonymous with Sicilian Mafia brutality, was a ruthless figure who rose through the ranks to become the de facto leader of the entire Cosa Nostra. Born in Corleone, Italy in 1933, Provenzano joined the Corleonesi clan in his youth. He earned the nickname “Binnu u tratturi” (Sicilian for “Bernie the Tractor”) for his ruthlessness, while others called him “il ragioniere” (“the accountant”) for his seemingly low-key demeanor compared to his violent colleagues. Provenzano became a fugitive in 1963 after a failed assassination attempt. Despite this, he remained active within the Corleonesi, rising to become second-in-command under Salvatore Riina. After Riina’s arrest in 1993, Provenzano became the effective leader of the Mafia, ruling from the shadows. Provenzano was known for his extreme caution and reliance on coded messages to communicate. For decades, authorities hunted for him, yet he remained elusive, earning him the moniker “The Invisible Man.” Finally, in 2006, after 43 years on the run, Provenzano was captured in a farmhouse in Sicily. He died in prison in 2016, marking the end of an era for the Mafia. Provenzano’s legacy is one of violence and fear. He was a key player in some of the Mafia’s most notorious acts, including the assassinations of anti-Mafia prosecutors. Despite his efforts to evade capture, Provenzano’s reign as “boss of bosses” ultimately came to an end.
Events
Trayvon Martin
1863 – Anti-draft mobs lynch blacks in New York City, approximately 1000 die
1955 – The last execution of a woman in Britain, Ruth Ellis, takes place at Holloway Prison, London
1976 – A court martial begins in the USSR for Valery Sablin
1978 – Alexander Ginsburg is sentenced to 8 years by a Soviet court
1987 – A Federal judge throws out Bette Midler’s $10 million suit against Ford Motor Co who used a soundalike for TV commercials
1994 – Jeff Gilooly is sentenced to 2 years for an attack on ice skater Nancy Kerrigan
1994 – Former NFL running back OJ Simpson gives hair samples for testing
2012 – Elizabeth Collins (8) & Lyric Cook-Morrisey (10) go missing from Meyers Lake, Evansdale, Iowa in Black Hawk county
2013 – Black Lives Matter was created in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman on trial for the murder of Trayvon Martin
2015 – Sandra Bland is found dead in Waller County jail, Texas after spending the weekend in jail after a traffic offense. Her family disputes her supposed suicide.
