Births
Westley Alan Dodd
1960 – Warren Eugene Bridge – known as Gene Bridge, was convicted in the 1980 robbery and shooting of Walter Rose, a convenience store clerk in Galveston, Texas. The incident took place at a Stop-N-Go store where Rose was shot four times and later died from his injuries. Bridge’s attempts to seek legal relief from his conviction were unsuccessful.
1961 – Westley Alan Dodd – was a convicted American serial killer and sex offender who terrorized Vancouver, Washington in 1989. Born in 1961, details about Dodd’s upbringing are conflicting. While he denied abuse, he reported a lack of emotional connection within his family. Dodd’s criminal history began in his early twenties with a string of child molestation charges. Despite these offenses, he received light sentences and continued to abuse children. In 1989, Dodd’s crimes escalated into a deadly rampage. He abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered three young boys in Vancouver. A failed kidnapping attempt at a movie theater later that year led to his arrest. Police discovered a chilling diary detailing Dodd’s crimes, solidifying the evidence against him. Dodd pleaded guilty to the murders and received the death penalty. He was executed by hanging in 1993, becoming the first person in Washington state to be executed in nearly 30 years. Westley Allan Dodd’s case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of child sexual abuse and the importance of taking such allegations seriously. His crimes continue to be studied by investigators and psychologists seeking to understand the motivations of serial killers.
1971 – Julian Assange – an Australian editor and activist, rose to prominence as the founder of WikiLeaks. Born in 1971, Assange’s early life was nomadic, traveling with his artistic family across Australia. He developed a passion for computers and even faced hacking charges as a teenager. In 2006, Assange launched WikiLeaks, a platform for anonymously publishing classified information. WikiLeaks gained international notoriety in 2010 for releasing a trove of leaked documents from US sources, including the Afghanistan and Iraq War logs and diplomatic cables. These leaks exposed alleged war crimes and diplomatic scandals, sparking global debate about transparency and government accountability. Assange became a symbol for both freedom of information and reckless endangerment. He won praise for his commitment to journalistic transparency but also faced criticism for endangering national security and putting lives at risk. Assange’s legal troubles began in 2010 when Sweden requested his extradition on sexual assault charges, which he denies. He sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years before being arrested in 2019. Currently, Assange faces extradition to the United States on espionage charges related to the WikiLeaks publications. Julian Assange’s story remains unresolved. He is a complex figure, lauded by some for his commitment to whistleblowing and condemned by others for his actions.
1979 – Elijah Dwayne Joubert – During an attempted robbery at the Ace America Check Cashing store, Elijah Dwayne Joubert was implicated in the fatal shooting of clerk Alfredia Jones, who had alerted the police. When Officer Charles Clark arrived in response, he was shot and killed after his weapon malfunctioned. The defense claimed that another individual was responsible for shooting the clerk and that Joubert was forced into participating in the robbery.
1979 – Kenyel Brown – An American criminal, who was the main suspect in a string of murders across three Wayne County, Michigan cities from December 7, 2019, to February 22, 2020, was located on February 24. During his arrest, he inflicted a self-shot wound to his head and was hospitalized. He succumbed to his injuries four days later without regaining consciousness. The case garnered significant attention in both the city and state upon revelation that Brown, who had a history of criminal behavior, was also serving as an informant for the police.
Deaths
Herb Baumeister
1939 – Ramiro Artieda – was born on September 4, 1889, in Bolivia and became infamous as a serial killer. His criminal activities came to light in the late 1930s after he had strangled seven young women. His arrest followed the escape of a young woman on May 9, 1939. Artieda confessed to his crimes and was executed by firing squad on July 3, 1939, at the Cochabamba prison.
1996 – Herb Baumeister – was an American businessman suspected of being a prolific serial killer. Baumeister presented himself as a successful businessman, husband, and father of three in the Indianapolis suburb of Westfield, Indiana. However, authorities believe he led a double life. In the early 1990s, he came under investigation for the murders of over a dozen men, many last seen at gay bars. Police discovered the remains of eleven men, eight identified, buried on Baumeister’s property. He fled to Canada and committed suicide shortly after a warrant was issued for his arrest. This tragic turn of events ended the possibility of a trial and definitive answers about the full extent of his crimes. Baumeister is also linked to the unsolved murders of at least eleven men along Interstate 70, which occurred between the early 1980s and early 1990s. These killings earned him the moniker “The I-70 Strangler.” The total number of victims attributed to Baumeister remains unknown. While details of Baumeister’s childhood are sketchy, reports suggest a seemingly normal upbringing that took a disturbing turn in his adolescence. Friends recounted his unusual behavior, including fascination with death and a lack of empathy. The crimes linked to Baumeister cast a dark shadow over the lives of his family and the families of his victims. The case serves as a chilling reminder that appearances can be deceiving.
2020 – Scott Erskine – was a convicted serial killer who cast a long shadow over California. Born in San Diego, his life ended tragically for both himself and his victims within the walls of San Quentin State Prison, where he succumbed to COVID-19 in 2020. Erskine’s path to death row began much earlier, marked by a troubled youth. Placed in special education programs due to behavioral problems, violence seemed to emerge early. Escaping a juvenile detention facility at 15, he embarked on a horrifying spree of assaults and rapes. Despite these early indications of a dangerous individual, the justice system failed to fully isolate him from society. This lapse tragically led to the murders of two young boys in San Diego in 1993. Erskine’s capture and conviction in 2003 brought a measure of justice to the victims’ families, but also highlighted the complexities of dealing with violent offenders. The Erskine case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact such individuals can have, and the ongoing challenges faced by the justice system in effectively protecting the public.
Events
Erich Muenter
1915 – After exploding a bomb in the US Senate reception room the previous day, Erich Muenter, a German instructor at Cornell University shoots JP Morgan for representing the British Government in war contract negotiations
1948 – Kidnapper Caryl Chessman is sentenced to death in California, the execution doesn’t take place until 1960
