Births
Marquise De Brinvillers
1630 – The Marquise De Brinvilliers – was a French aristocrat who gained infamy for allegedly poisoning her father and two brothers in the 1660s. Born into a wealthy and influential family, Marie-Madeleine married the Marquis de Brinvilliers in 1651. However, marital problems arose as she became involved with her husband’s friend, Captain Godin de Sainte-Croix. Her father disapproved of the affair and had Sainte-Croix imprisoned. This fueled a desire for revenge in both Marie-Madeleine and Sainte-Croix. Allegedly, they began experimenting with poisons, possibly testing them on unsuspecting victims. After her father’s suspicious death in 1666, followed by the deaths of her two brothers in 1670, suspicions arose. The turning point came with the death of Sainte-Croix, who left behind letters detailing their dark schemes. Marie-Madeleine fled but was eventually captured. Torture and interrogation led to a confession (though its validity is debated). In 1676, she was publicly beheaded and her body burned – a harsh punishment reserved for the most heinous crimes. The Marquise de Brinvilliers’ case became a national sensation, sparking fears of widespread poisoning and a public fascination with the dark side of the aristocracy. The Affair of the Poisons, as it came to be known, led to investigations and accusations against other nobles.
1943 – Benjamin Herbert Boyle – Gail Smith, a waitress in Ft. Worth, Texas, set out to hitchhike to visit her mother in Lake Meredith. Sadly, she never arrived. Truck driver Herbert Boyle picked her up and became the prime suspect after her body was found bound and beaten near Amarillo. A friend described Gail’s first ride as a red Peterbilt semi-truck with “Ruger Freight” on the trailer. This led investigators to Boyle, who claimed to have dropped Gail off alive. However, fibers from his truck matched those found on Gail’s body, and incriminating evidence like duct tape and bloody sheets was found in his possession. Additionally, hair samples linked Boyle to the crime scene. A background check showed a history of violence. Boyle had previously been convicted of attempted kidnapping and was a suspect in another rape case. Investigators also linked him to the unsolved murder of an unidentified woman in California whose body shared similar circumstances to Gail’s. Boyle was found guilty of Gail Smith’s murder and sentenced to death. This case highlights the dangers of hitchhiking and the importance of thorough investigations.
1961 – Masumi Hayashi – In 1998, a horrific event shattered the peace of a summer festival in Wakayama, Japan. A communal pot of curry meant for residents was laced with a lethal amount of arsenic. This act of poisoning resulted in the deaths of four people, including two children, and sent dozens more to the hospital suffering from acute arsenic poisoning. The investigation quickly focused on Masumi Hayashi, a resident who had been seen near the curry pot. Hayashi’s husband’s work as an exterminator provided her with easy access to arsenic, raising a red flag. As the investigation deepened, a disturbing pattern emerged. Hayashi was not only facing murder charges but also accusations of attempted murder by poisoning in several other incidents over the past decade. The motive in these cases was believed to be financial gain through insurance benefits. Additionally, it was suspected that Hayashi had even tried to poison her own husband. For the mass curry poisoning, some speculated that anger towards her neighbors might have been the motive. Crucially, tests confirmed that the arsenic found in the curry matched the type of arsenic Hayashi had access to through her husband’s business. Despite pleading not guilty, Hayashi was convicted and sentenced to death in 2002. Throughout the legal process, her defense team argued that the case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence. However, appeals to higher courts, including the Supreme Court of Japan, failed to overturn the sentence. Hayashi’s most recent attempt at a retrial in 2021 was also unsuccessful. The case of Masumi Hayashi and the curry poisoning continues to be a dark chapter in Japanese history.
1965 – Robert Andrew Lookingbill – His life took a dark turn, leading to a series of criminal activities. In 1989, Lookingbill was convicted of the brutal murder of his grandmother, Adeline Dannenberg, during a robbery attempt in San Juan, Texas. This crime was committed while he was under the influence of drugs. Lookingbill had a troubled past, including a previous conviction for burglary in 1986. His violent actions culminated in the attack on his grandparents, which resulted in the death of his grandmother and severe injuries to his grandfather. He was sentenced to death for his crimes and was executed by lethal injection on January 22, 2003, in Huntsville, Texas. Despite his criminal actions, Lookingbill’s final words expressed a message of love and faith, urging his loved ones to remain strong and not harbor hatred.
1967 – Edgar Arias Tamayo – was a Mexican national who was executed in Texas for the murder of a police officer. Born in Mexico, Tamayo moved to the United States, where he became involved in criminal activities. On January 31, 1994, Tamayo was arrested by Houston Police Department officer Guy P. Gaddis for robbery. During the arrest, Tamayo, who had a hidden gun, managed to shoot and kill Officer Gaddis while being transported in a patrol car. This incident led to his conviction for capital murder and subsequent death sentence. Tamayo’s case drew international attention due to the failure of authorities to inform him of his right to contact the Mexican consulate, a violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Despite appeals and interventions from various international bodies and officials, including the Mexican government and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Tamayo was executed by lethal injection on January 22, 2014, at the age of 46.
1973 – Ronald Ray Howard – was an American convicted murderer who was executed by lethal injection in Texas. Born in Houston, Texas, Howard dropped out of school in the 8th grade and became involved in criminal activities, including car theft and drug dealing, by the age of 15. On April 11, 1992, at the age of 19, Howard was stopped by Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Bill Davidson for a broken headlight. During the stop, Howard shot Davidson in the neck, leading to the trooper’s death three days later. Howard was convicted of capital murder on June 8, 1993, and initially sentenced to death. However, this sentence was overturned in 1996 due to a procedural error during jury selection, leading to a retrial in 1999 where he was again sentenced to death. Howard’s case drew attention partly because he claimed that the rap music he listened to, specifically 2Pac’s “Soulja’s Story,” influenced his actions. Despite his criminal past, Howard expressed regret for his actions and worked to dissuade at-risk youth from following a similar path. He was executed on October 6, 2005, in Huntsville, Texas.
1974 – Bobby Allen Raleigh – On June 5, 1994, Bobby Allen Raleigh and Domingo Figueroa went to Club Europe in DeLand to confront Douglas Cox, who had allegedly slapped Raleigh’s mother. They confronted Cox in the club’s parking lot, where Raleigh’s mother appeared and started yelling at Cox. Raleigh took his mother to his car and then returned to Cox, apologizing for his mother’s behavior. Raleigh and Cox shook hands and parted ways. After leaving the club, Raleigh went home to retrieve guns. He and Figueroa then drove to Cox’s trailer. Raleigh, armed with a gun, approached the front door. Ronald Baker, a friend of Cox, met them at the door and informed them that Cox was sleeping. Raleigh and Figueroa left but returned after some time. Raleigh went to the back of the trailer and shot Cox three times in the head at close range. Both Raleigh and Figueroa then shot Timothy Eberlin, Cox’s roommate, until their guns jammed. When Eberlin screamed, Raleigh beat him with his gun until he was silent. After the murders, Raleigh and Figueroa went to Raleigh’s home, where they burned their clothes, dumped bullets into a neighbor’s yard, and hid their guns in a secret compartment in Raleigh’s Subaru. That evening, the police visited Raleigh’s home. Raleigh initially denied involvement in the murders but confessed after learning that Figueroa had implicated him. His confession was recorded.
1979 – Eduardo Sencion – also known as Eduardo Perez-Gonzalez, was born on July 22, 1979, in Mexico. He later moved to the United States, where he held a valid U.S. passport and worked at his family’s business in South Lake Tahoe. Sencion had no prior criminal history but had a history of mental illness. On September 6, 2011, Sencion carried out a tragic mass shooting at an IHOP restaurant in Carson City, Nevada. He arrived at the scene in a minivan and began his attack by shooting a woman on a motorcycle outside the restaurant. He then entered the IHOP and targeted a group of National Guardsmen, killing three of them and a 67-year-old woman. In total, he killed four people and injured seven others before turning the gun on himself. The incident shocked the community and led to increased security measures in the area. Despite the severity of his actions, the motive behind Sencion’s attack remains unknown.
1981 – Tiffany Ann Powell – In Akron, Ohio, Tiffany Ann Powell was involved in a tragic and premeditated crime in 2014. She orchestrated the murder of her ex-boyfriend, James Harris, with the help of her then-boyfriend, Paul Reed. Powell’s relationship with Harris had ended, but tensions remained high. Seeking revenge, Powell devised a plan to have Harris killed. On the day of the murder, Reed carried out the fatal act, following Powell’s instructions. The crime was meticulously planned, and Powell’s involvement was later uncovered during the investigation. She was found guilty of aggravated murder and obstructing justice, leading to a life sentence in prison.
Deaths
Jane Officer & Andrew Lee Jones
1981 – Gao Haiping – was a Chinese mass murderer responsible for the Yangquan theatre bombing on July 22, 1981. Born in 1957, Gao worked as a miner and was described as a loner who was pessimistic and dissatisfied with his life. On the day of the bombing, Gao intended to kill himself and a woman who had previously rejected him. When she did not show up, he entered the San Kuang Club theatre in Yangquan alone, carrying a self-made explosive device. At around 8 p.m., he detonated the bomb, killing himself and 31 others, and injuring 127 people. The explosion caused significant damage to the theatre, including a partial collapse of the roof. Gao’s actions were premeditated, as evidenced by a suicide note and letters to his parents found at his home. His identity was confirmed through blood tests and the identification of his remains by his mother. This tragic event remains one of the deadliest mass murders in China’s history.
1991 – Andrew Lee Jones – was an American who was executed for the murder of Tumekica Jackson. He was tried, convicted, and executed in the electric chair in Louisiana. Jones was the last inmate to be executed using Louisiana’s infamous electric chair, “Gruesome Gertie.” Jones’s case was notable due to the circumstances surrounding the crime and his execution. Tumekica Jackson, an eleven-year-old girl, was found beaten, raped, and strangled in a drainage canal. The investigation quickly focused on Jones due to his previous relationship with Jackson’s mother and his suspicious behavior following the crime. Jones’s execution on July 22, 1991, marked the end of an era for Louisiana’s use of the electric chair, as the state transitioned to lethal injection shortly after.
2003 – Bryan Anthony Toles – was an Oklahoma state prisoner who was executed on July 22, 2003, for the 1993 murders of Juan Franceschi and his son, Lonnie. Toles was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for these crimes. The murders occurred during a home invasion in Lawton, Oklahoma, where Toles sought to steal the family car. Toles was 31 years old at the time of his execution. He expressed remorse and apologized to the victims’ family before his death. His case involved multiple legal proceedings, including an appeal for a writ of habeas corpus, which was denied.
Events
Jean Charles De Menezes
1916 – Preparedness Day bombing
1934 – Outside Chicago’s Biograph theatre “Public Enemy No1” John Dillinger is mortally wounded by FBI agents
1969 – Aretha Franklin arrested for disturbing the peace in Detroit
1991 – Cannibal and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is captured
1992 – Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar escapes prison
1994 – Former NFL running back, broadcaster & actor OJ Simpson pleads “Absolutely 100% Not Guilty” of murder
1995 – Susan Smith is found guilty of drowning her two children in South Carolina
2005 – Jean Charles De Menezes is killed by police as the hunt begins for the London bombers responsible for the 7/7 & 21/7 bombings
2011 – Norway is the victim of twin terror attacks, the first a bomb blast targeting government buildings in Central Oslo, second a massacre at a youth camp on the island of Utoya
2016 – A man shoots and kills 9 people at the Olympia shopping mall in Munich, Germany, and then kills himself
2017 – 10 die in overheated tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas in a human trafficking incident
2018 – A lone gunman shooting kills 3 including gunman and injures 13 in Toronto, Canada
