Births
Nicole Diar
1851 – Sam Bass – was an American outlaw whose short criminal career left a long shadow in Wild West lore. Born in Indiana, Bass drifted westward in his late teens, eventually landing in Texas. There, he went from ranch hand to gambler and racehorse owner, but financial strains pushed him towards a life of crime. In 1877, Bass joined a gang that pulled off a daring heist: the robbery of a Union Pacific train in Nebraska. The gang netted a massive $60,000 in gold, making it the largest train robbery in U.S. history at the time. Bass formed his own gang and continued robbing trains in Texas, but the Texas Rangers were hot on their trail. A betrayal by a former associate led to a bloody shootout in Round Rock, Texas, where Bass was fatally wounded. He died on his 27th birthday, forever linked to the legend of the Wild West through folk ballads like “The Ballad of Sam Bass.”
1944 – Fredrich Heinz Leibacher – was a Swiss mass murderer responsible for the tragic Zug massacre. On 27 September 2001, he entered the parliament of the Canton of Zug in Switzerland and opened fire, killing 14 people and injuring 18 others before taking his own life. Leibacher had a troubled past, marked by several failed marriages and a history of criminal behavior, including convictions for child molestation, incest, theft, and forgery. Diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder and alcoholism, he was unemployed and received an invalidity pension. His grievances with the authorities and belief in a government conspiracy against him culminated in the violent attack. The massacre led to significant changes in Swiss gun laws and security measures.
1945 – Freddie Lee Hall – He became widely known due to his involvement in a high-profile criminal case in Florida. On February 21, 1978, Hall, along with an accomplice, committed the brutal rape and murder of Karol Hurst, a 21-year-old woman who was seven months pregnant. Later that same day, they also murdered Deputy Sheriff Lonnie Coburn during an attempted apprehension. Hall was sentenced to death on June 27, 1978. His case gained further attention due to his intellectual disability, which became a significant factor in legal proceedings. In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Hall v. Florida that Florida’s strict IQ threshold for determining intellectual disability in death penalty cases was unconstitutional. This ruling highlighted the complexities and ethical considerations in applying the death penalty to individuals with intellectual disabilities.
1954 – Julia Rothon Andrews – Details about her early life and background are sparse, but she lived in Vidor, Orange County, California. On November 28, 2012, a tragic incident occurred at Andrews’ home. Randy Peddy, a 42-year-old man, visited her house under the pretense of repairing her car’s muffler. During his visit, Andrews discovered that Peddy was intoxicated, as a vodka bottle fell out of his pocket. Concerned about his state, she took him to his father’s house. However, Peddy returned later that day, still intoxicated. The situation escalated when Peddy approached Andrews to discuss his relationship with her daughter. An altercation ensued, during which Andrews shot Peddy with a .22 rifle, resulting in his death. During her trial, Andrews claimed she acted in self-defense. However, the jury did not accept this argument. On August 8, 2013, she was sentenced to 44 years in prison for first-degree murder. She will have to serve at least 22 years before being eligible for parole. Throughout the trial, Andrews expressed deep remorse for her actions, stating that she had lost her best friend. Despite her emotional testimony, the jury’s decision was influenced by her previous felony probation and recorded statements that contradicted her defense.
1963 – Rickey Lynn Lewis – was an American convicted murderer and rapist who was executed in Texas on April 9, 2013. Born on July 21, 1962, Lewis had a troubled past, including multiple incarcerations for burglary before the incident that led to his death sentence. On September 17, 1990, Lewis broke into the home of George Newman in Smith County, Texas. During the break-in, he shot and killed Newman and then raped Newman’s fiancée, Connie Hilton. Despite maintaining his innocence regarding the murder until his execution, DNA evidence linked him to the crime scene. Lewis was sentenced to death on May 6, 1994, and spent nearly two decades on death row before his execution. His case drew attention due to his final statements, where he expressed remorse for the rape but continued to deny the murder.
1965 – Marvin Barnett Jones – purchased a used car from Ezra Harold Stow, the owner of San Pablo Motors in Jacksonville, Florida. The following month, Jones returned the car due to a “blown engine.” They agreed to rebuild the engine for $1,500, with Jones paying $800 upfront and financing the rest. After the repairs, Stow asked for the $800, but Jones wrote a check for $4,200, covering the remaining amount owed for the car and the repair costs. Jones left with the repaired vehicle, knowing he had only $5 in his account and had bounced six previous checks. The bank informed Stow that the check bounced. Stow’s 22-year-old daughter, Monique, called Jones about the bounced check. Jones promised to return on March 3, 1992, to pay Stow. He arrived at the dealership around 6:00 p.m., entered Stow’s office, and said he needed to get something from his car. Jones returned with a .25 caliber pistol and shot Monique in the restroom, hitting her between the eyes and behind her left ear. Hearing the shots, Stow reached for his gun. Jones rushed into Stow’s office and aimed at his face. Stow raised his arm, and the bullet went through his arm and grazed his head. Stow collapsed behind his desk, momentarily unconscious. Jones then shot Stow a second time in the face, with the bullet entering his cheek, breaking his jaw, and lodging in his neck. Jones took the car papers from Stow’s desk and left. Despite his injuries, Stow managed to communicate through writing and gestures that Jones was the shooter. Stow survived, but Monique died later that night. At the trial, Jones claimed that Stow had agreed to hold the $4,200 check until he deposited the money. Jones testified that he gave Stow $4,200 in cash on March 3, but Stow demanded an additional $2,000. Jones said he shot Stow in self-defense when Stow reached for his gun. He also claimed that he shot Monique reflexively when startled by a noise in the restroom.
1975 – Nicole Diar – is an American woman who gained notoriety for her involvement in a tragic criminal case. In 2003, she was convicted of the murder of her 4-year-old son, Jacob. Prosecutors argued that Diar suffocated her son before setting their house on fire in Lorain, Ohio. The exact cause of Jacob’s death was never determined due to the severe burns on his body. Diar’s trial was highly publicized, and in 2005, she was sentenced to death. However, in 2008, the Ohio Supreme Court overturned her death sentence, citing that the jury was not informed that a single vote could prevent her from receiving the death penalty. Subsequently, in 2010, she was resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Nicole Diar’s life before the incident was marked by personal tragedy as well. At the age of four, she suffered severe burns when her nightgown caught fire, leading to numerous surgeries throughout her childhood. Despite these challenges, her later actions led to a life sentence, and she remains incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio.
Deaths
Tommy David Strickler
1878 – Sam Bass – See above
1972 – Misao Katagiri – was a Japanese criminal known for his involvement in the Zama and Shibuya shootings on July 29, 1965. Born in Setagaya, Tokyo, Katagiri had a fascination with guns from a young age. On the day of the shootings, Katagiri killed one police officer and injured another in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture. He then stole a handgun, hijacked four cars, and took four hostages in a gun shop in Shibuya, Tokyo. This led to a gun battle with the police, during which 16 people were injured. Katagiri was eventually captured by the police after a hostage attacked him. Katagiri was sentenced to death and executed by hanging on July 21, 1972. His case remains one of the notable instances of spree shootings in Japan.
1992 – Edward Dean Kennedy – was an American criminal known for his violent crimes and dramatic prison escape. Born in the United States, Kennedy’s life took a dark turn leading to multiple convictions for serious offenses. In 1978, Kennedy, along with an accomplice, committed a robbery in Miami that resulted in the murder of a motel clerk. This crime led to his initial life sentence at the Union Correctional Institution in Florida. However, his notoriety grew when he escaped from prison in 1981. During his brief time on the run, Kennedy committed further crimes, including the murders of Florida state trooper Robert McDermon and McDermon’s cousin, Floyd Cone. Kennedy’s escape and subsequent crimes led to his recapture and a high-profile trial, where he was sentenced to death. Despite attempts to appeal his sentence, Kennedy was executed by electrocution on July 21, 1992.
1999 – Tommy David Strickler – was an American man born in 1966. He was convicted of the abduction and murder of Leann Whitlock, a 19-year-old James Madison University student, in 1990. The crime occurred in Augusta County, Virginia, where Whitlock was found dead after being struck multiple times with a boulder. Strickler’s trial and subsequent appeals were marked by controversy, including claims of false testimony from a key witness and questions about his mental capacity. Despite these issues, his conviction and death sentence were upheld through multiple appeals. Strickler maintained his innocence until his execution by lethal injection on July 21, 1999.
1999 – Zhao Lianrong – was a Chinese mass murderer born in 1963. He became infamous for a brutal crime committed on May 30, 1999, when he stabbed eight young women to death in Beijing. The victims, aged between 17 and 24, were migrant workers from the southeastern province of Fujian and the eastern province of Zhejiang. Zhao, who lived next door to the victims, was reportedly drunk during the incident and entered their dormitory with the intent to rob them. When one of the women woke up and screamed, Zhao reacted violently, leading to the tragic deaths. Zhao was arrested on June 6, 1999, and subsequently sentenced to death. He was executed on July 21, 1999. Despite his heinous actions, Zhao had no prior history of violent behavior and was considered an introvert and a good citizen before the incident.
2009 – Marvallous Keene – was a central figure in the tragic events known as the “Christmas killings” that took place in Dayton, Ohio, in 1992. Born in 1973, Keene was 19 years old when he led a group called the “Downtown Posse” on a violent spree over the Christmas weekend, from December 24 to December 26. The group, which included his 16-year-old girlfriend Laura Taylor, 20-year-old Heather Matthews, and 17-year-old DeMarcus Smith, was responsible for the deaths of six people and the injury of two others. The spree began on Christmas Eve and continued through Boxing Day, with the group targeting both random individuals and acquaintances. The police described their actions as “joy killing” due to the seemingly senseless nature of the violence. Keene was convicted for five of the six murders and was the only member of the group to receive the death penalty. He was executed by lethal injection on July 21, 2009, at the age of 36.
Events
“Wild” Bill Hickok
1730 – The states of Holland put the death penalty on sodomy
1865 – In Market Square of Springfield, Missouri, Wild Bill Hickok shoots and kills Davis Tutt in what is regarded as the first true western showdown
1873 – Jesse James & James Younger gang’s first train robbery at Adair, Iowa
1925 – John T. Scopes is found guilty of teaching evolution in the “Scopes Monkey Trial” in Dayton, Tennessee – he is fined $100 plus costs
1971 – Sam Giancana returns to the United States after spending 7 years of exile in Mexico
1972 – In New York, 57 murders occur in 24 hours
1973 – In Lillehammer, Norway, Mossad agents kill a waiter whom they mistakenly thought was involved in the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre
1994 – Ray Don Mosley was involved in a robbery gone wrong that killed 4 at Katie’s Lounge in Kilgore, Texas