Births
Jonathan Wesley Stephenson
1903 – John Dillinger – a notorious American gangster, rose to infamy during the Great Depression era. Born in 1903, Dillinger’s formative years were marked by a troubled home life. After his mother’s death at a young age, he developed a rebellious streak that landed him in trouble with the law. Dillinger’s criminal career began in the 1920s and escalated during the 1930s. He led the Dillinger Gang, a crew accused of robbing numerous banks and police stations across the Midwest. Dillinger’s reputation was further amplified by his daring escapes from prison, including one where he allegedly used a gun carved from wood. Dillinger’s exploits captured the public imagination, and he became a folk hero to some during a time of economic hardship. However, authorities relentlessly pursued him. The FBI, then a relatively new agency, prioritized his capture. John Dillinger’s reign ended in 1934 when he was shot and killed by federal agents outside a Chicago theater. Though his criminal career was short-lived, John Dillinger left a lasting mark on American history.
1942 – George Emil Banks – was a man whose life story is marred by violence and despair. He gained notoriety for the horrific 1982 Wilkes-Barre shootings in Pennsylvania, where he killed thirteen people, including five of his children. Born biracial in Wilkes-Barre, Banks reportedly faced racial prejudice throughout his childhood, which he later blamed for his troubles. Despite an average IQ, he struggled academically. Legal issues began early when he participated in an armed robbery at 19, leading to a prison sentence. Paroled in 1969, Banks married and had children, but his life remained unstable. He cycled through jobs and relationships, with reports of violence and controlling behavior. In September 1982, the depths of Banks’ turmoil became horrifyingly clear. Armed with an AR-15 rifle, he embarked on a shooting rampage across two locations. The victims included his current and former girlfriends, their relatives, and most tragically, five of his children. A bystander was also killed. Banks’ attorneys argued insanity, but he was convicted of twelve counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. He remains on death row at Graterford Prison in Pennsylvania. The Wilkes-Barre shootings left a deep scar on the community. Banks’ story serves as a cautionary tale of the devastating consequences of violence and unresolved emotional issues.
1960 – Erin Brockovich – born Erin Pattee on June 22, 1960, in Lawrence, Kansas, USA, is an American legal clerk, consumer advocate, environmental activist, and producer and writer. She is known for her role in a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) involving groundwater contamination in a town in California in 1993, which resulted in a $333 million settlement, the largest direct-action lawsuit in US history. She had no formal law education and worked with attorney Ed Masry. Her story was adapted into an Oscar-winning film, Erin Brockovich (2000), starring Julia Roberts and Albert Finney. She has also hosted and appeared in several TV shows and runs a consulting firm. Erin was the youngest child of an industrial engineer father and a journalist mother. She graduated from Lawrence High School, then attended Kansas State University, in Manhattan, Kansas, and graduated with an Associate in Applied Arts Degree from Wade College in Dallas, Texas. Brockovich is dyslexic. In 1993, Brockovich became a whistleblower when she spoke out against PG&E after finding widespread unexplained illness in the town of Hinkley, California. She became instrumental in suing the utility company on behalf of the town. The case was settled in 1996 for $333 million, the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit in United States history to that date. Masry & Vititoe, the law firm for which Brockovich was a legal clerk, received $133.6 million of that settlement, and Brockovich received $2.5 million as part of her fee.
1961 – Kevin Shelby Malone – On March 18, 1981, Kevin Malone arrived at the downtown Greyhound Bus station in St. Louis, Missouri, having traveled from Los Angeles, California. In his suitcase, he carried a .25 caliber Raven automatic pistol and a Galesi .25 caliber pistol. Shortly after Malone’s arrival, William Parr, a Yellow Cab driver, received a request to pick up a package from the First National Bank in downtown St. Louis. However, while en route, Parr’s cab was observed parked outside the bank with its dome light on by another cab driver, Richard Eder. Eder also noticed a person with a suitcase attempting to hail a cab, later identified as Malone. Daniel Ward, a bank employee, saw a man with a suitcase in the back seat of Parr’s cab around 1:00 a.m., but Parr never reached his destination and was found dead later that morning at Entrance Park in Berkeley, having been shot in the head. Police discovered an abandoned Yellow Cab in Berkeley, near Michael Crenshaw’s residence. Emanuel Bego, a resident there, testified that Crenshaw greeted a visitor named “Kelvin” around 1:30 a.m. on March 18. Malone and Crenshaw were seen leaving the house later that day, heading back to Los Angeles. A Greyhound Bus ticket from Los Angeles to St. Louis dated March 15, 1981, was found at the Crenshaw residence. On March 24, 1981, Kevin Malone and Michael Crenshaw were found asleep in a Mercury Capri by officers of the San Jose, California Police Department. They resisted providing identification and attempted to flee, resulting in a high-speed chase and their subsequent apprehension. Upon their arrest, a .25 caliber Raven pistol, a Galesi .25 caliber pistol, and a small suitcase were recovered. Ballistics tests conducted by experts in California confirmed that the bullets fired from the Galesi .25 caliber pistol recovered from Malone and Crenshaw matched the bullet found in William Parr, establishing a connection to his murder.
1963 – Jonathan Wesley Stephenson – On December 4, 1989, Lisa Stephenson was found shot dead in her car. Investigations led to Ralph Thompson’s home where a rifle was found, but the connection to the murder weapon was inconclusive. Testimony revealed Jonathan Stephenson’s repeated attempts to hire someone to kill his wife, offering various incentives. Stephenson’s co-worker and another man, Michael, testified to being solicited for the murder. Stephenson’s girlfriend, Julie, testified about his behavior before and after the murder, including misleading statements and attempts to cover up his involvement. David Davenport, a TBI agent, recounted Stephenson’s conflicting statements during questioning, leading to his admission of planning the murder with Thompson but denying pulling the trigger himself. Stephenson’s father testified about a missing boat, later found at Julie’s house. Lisa’s father testified about discovering her murder and subsequent care of her children. He identified a ring, previously owned by Lisa, that Stephenson had given to Julie without permission. In summary, Jonathan Stephenson orchestrated his wife’s murder with Ralph Thompson’s help, though he denied firing the fatal shot. Testimonies from various witnesses provided crucial evidence against him, including his attempts to cover up his involvement and his dishonesty.
1964 – Dennis Mitchell Orbe – was a man known for his involvement in a series of crimes that took place over a 10-day period in January 1998. His actions during this time included assaults, shootings, break-ins, and thefts in Richmond and in Chesterfield and New Kent counties. The most notable crime committed by Orbe was the murder of Richard Sterling Burnett, a 39-year-old convenience store clerk. On January 24, 1998, Orbe entered the Exxon convenience store where Burnett was working alone. He pointed a revolver at Burnett’s chest and shot him after Burnett opened the cash register drawer. Despite claiming that the shooting was accidental, the evidence, including a clear surveillance tape, showed that the shooting was unprovoked. Orbe was sentenced to death in October 1998 for the murder of Richard Burnett. He was executed by lethal injection in Virginia on March 31, 2004.
Deaths
Nancy Benoit
1996 – Arthur T-Boy Ross – was an American singer and songwriter, most notable for his collaborations with Leon Ware. He was the younger brother of the famous entertainer Diana Ross. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Ross spent his early years in the rougher sections of Detroit while his elder sister Diana Ross gained fame as the lead singer of The Supremes and later as a solo artist. In 1972, after Diana Ross had established herself as a solo artist, she recruited him to Motown as a songwriter. Ross collaborated with songwriter Leon Ware and together, they wrote hits for artists such as Michael Jackson, The Miracles, and Marvin Gaye. Among the hits were the Top 20 “I Wanna Be Where You Are” and “I Want You”. Ross released his first album for Motown Records in 1979, titled “Changes”. Despite performances from artists such as jazz pianist Joe Sample, the album sold only 12,000 copies. Frustrated with the business, Ross retired from music in the early 1980s and returned to Detroit, where he lived in seclusion. In June 1996, police found the bodies of Ross and his wife, Patricia Ann Robinson, in a basement inside a home in Oak Park, Michigan. The couple were reportedly bound and gagged and died of suffocation. Ross was 47 years old and his wife was 54. His work with Ware continues to be covered. “I Want You” has been covered by Robert Palmer, Madonna, Michael McDonald, and even Diana Ross herself on her 2007 album “I Love You”. His sole rare album on Motown, “Changes”, was finally released on CD in August 2012.
2007 – Nancy Benoit – was an American professional wrestling manager and model. She was best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Woman. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Nancy started her career in the wrestling industry in 1984. She initially worked as a model and was featured on the cover of the June 1984 edition of the pro-wrestling magazine Wrestling All Stars. She later became an on-air valet, taking the ring name “Fallen Angel” and made her in-ring debut on June 30, 1984, in Miami, Florida, for Florida Championship Wrestling. Throughout her career, Nancy was part of several promotions, including Jim Crockett Promotions, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling. She was known for her unique blend of beauty and charisma, which made her a popular figure in the wrestling world. In her personal life, Nancy was married three times. Her first marriage was to Jim Daus in 1982, which ended in divorce in 1985. She then married Kevin Sullivan in 1985, and they divorced in 1997. Her third marriage was to Chris Benoit in 2000. Tragically, Nancy and her son Daniel were victims of a murder-suicide committed by her husband, then WWE professional wrestler Chris Benoit, in 2007. This tragic event shocked the wrestling world and led to a federal investigation into steroid abuse in professional wrestling.
2007 – Calvin Alphonso Shuler – was a man from South Carolina, United States. He was sentenced to death in 1998 for the murder of James Brooks during an armed robbery in 1997. He was executed in South Carolina on June 22. His case was notable enough to attract the attention of Amnesty International.
Events
Whitey Bulger
1924 – German serial killer Fritz Haarmann is arrested
1931 – A mass trial of the Sicilian mafia ended in Italy after almost a year, 124 were given prison terms while 54 were freed
1932 – Congress approves the “Lindbergh Act” making kidnapping a Federal offense
1934 – John Dillinger is informally named America’s first public enemy no 1
1954 – In Christchurch, New Zealand, Pauline Parker & Juliet Hulme murder Pauline’s mother because they think she is in the way of their close friendship – it would later be dramatized in the film “Heavenly Creatures”
1977 – Former Attorney General John Mitchell starts 19 months in Alabama prison
1981 – Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to murdering John Lennon
1983 – Frank R. Davis was arrested for the murders of 2 teenagers
1990 – Florida passes a law that prohibits wearing a thong bathing suit
1993 – Wilson Pickett pleads guilty to auto assault due to drink driving
2011 – After hiding for 16 years, Boston gangster Whitey Bulger is arrested outside an apartment in Santa Monica, California