Births
Judith Neelley
1940 – Samuel Little – Born with the name Samuel McDowell in 1940, Little’s life was shrouded in darkness from the start. Abandoned as a child, he navigated a tumultuous upbringing between Reynolds, Georgia, and Lorain, Ohio. School provided little solace, and by his teens, a path of criminality began to take shape. Arrests for theft and assault marked the early chapters of a long criminal record. The 1950s saw Little morph into a nomadic drifter, crisscrossing the country and accumulating a rap sheet studded with offenses. Fraud, DUI, assault, armed robbery, and rape became his calling cards. By 1975, he had been arrested over 25 times across 11 states, serving a mere 10 years for these various transgressions. Yet, the most sinister darkness of his soul remained hidden. Between 1970 and 2005, Little embarked on a reign of terror that would claim the lives of 93 women, according to his chilling confessions. Targeting marginalized communities, often sex workers and drug users, he operated with impunity, aided by the anonymity of the highways and a society less attuned to the plight of these vulnerable individuals. Strangling his victims, he meticulously disposed of their bodies, leaving behind a trail of cold cases and shattered lives. It wasn’t until 2014 that justice finally caught up with Little. Convicted for three murders, he began a late-life spree of confessions, detailing his horrifying acts with a disturbingly vivid memory. While not all claims have been corroborated, the FBI’s investigation confirmed his involvement in at least 60 murders, making him the deadliest serial killer in American history. Samuel Little’s biography is a testament to the darkest recesses of human nature. It is a cautionary tale of a life unmoored by circumstance and twisted by depravity. It is also a grim reminder of the vulnerable populations often forgotten amidst the noise of a nation, their voices easily silenced in the shadows. While justice prevailed in the end, the true scope of his crimes may never be fully known, leaving a trail of chilling unanswered questions to mark his descent into the abyss.
1946 – Jimmie Wayne Jeffers – He was involved in a significant legal case, where he was convicted of first-degree murder by an Arizona jury. The case was complex and involved multiple appeals, with Jeffers petitioning for a writ of habeas corpus. In May 1976, Jeffers and his girlfriend, Penelope Cheney, were arrested on narcotics charges and receiving stolen property. Jeffers was able to post bond for Cheney, but not for himself, and he remained behind bars. Later, he was convicted for the murder of Penelope Cheney. Jeffers was executed on September 13, 1995. His case is notable for its legal complexities and the multiple appeals that took place.
1947 – George Douglas Lott – was a former lawyer who became infamous for a shocking crime. On July 1, 1992, Lott opened fire inside the Tarrant County Courthouse, killing two lawyers and wounding three other people. The victims included Assistant District Attorney Chris Marshall, 41, and John Edwards, 33. The wounded were Judge John G. Hill and Judge Clyde Ashworth, both of the state’s appellate court for the Second District, and another assistant district attorney, Steven Conder, 28. Lott was reportedly still angry about losing his child custody case four years before the incident. After the shooting, he turned himself into the authorities at a Dallas television station. He was quoted as saying, “It is a horrible, horrible thing I did today,” and “I sinned. I am certainly wrong.” He was executed for his crimes in 1994. His actions led to a tragic loss of life and left a lasting impact on the community.
1957 – Kermit Smith Jr – was an American convicted murderer who was executed by the state of North Carolina. He was born on June 7, 1957, in Halifax County, North Carolina, and died on January 24, 1995. Smith was convicted for the kidnap, rape, and murder of a 20-year-old college cheerleader. The crime took place on December 4, 1980, when Smith, then 23 years old, abducted three women after a basketball game at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He took the women to a wooded area where he raped and bludgeoned one of them, Whelette Collins, to death. The two surviving abductees escaped Smith and were later found by a passing motorist. Smith was arrested at the scene in bloody clothing and was identified by the surviving victims. On April 29, 1981, he was sentenced to death in Halifax County, North Carolina. In addition to the death sentence, he was sentenced to 40 years for rape and 10 years for robbery. In 1982, Smith was additionally sentenced to 25 years in prison for the kidnappings as part of a plea bargain. Smith was executed by lethal injection on January 24, 1995. At the time of his execution, The New York Times and Associated Press noted that Smith was just the second white person to be executed for the murder of a black victim since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976.
1960 – Bryan Eric Wolfe – also known as “Boobie”, was born in 1961 in Houma, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, USA. He lived a life that unfortunately led him down a path of crime. On February 15, 1992, the body of 84-year-old Bertha Lemell was found on the floor of her Beaumont, Texas home. She had been stabbed 26 times in the head, trunk, and abdomen. Her coin purse, missing cash, was found on the floor near her body. There was no sign of forced entry into Lemell’s residence. Wolfe, who lived in the same neighborhood as the victim, was seen within a few blocks of the crime scene shortly before and shortly after the murder. Blood collected from throughout the victim’s home was tested and confirmed through DNA testing as coming from Wolfe. Wolfe had previous convictions for robbery in Kansas in 1985 and in Louisiana in 1990. He was arrested two days after the murder and was sentenced to death for the capital murder of Bertha Lemell on October 25, 1993. While on death row for 13 years, Wolfe expressed his feelings in his last statement: “Yes sir. To Edie, Tom, and Carma – I love all of you. I appreciate all your support. I love you Margherita, Father Guido, and Father Angelo. I appreciate… I will be OK. I am at peace with all of this and I won’t have to wake up in prison anymore. I love you all. I totally surrender to the Lord. I am ready, Warden.” Bryan Eric Wolfe was executed by lethal injection in Texas on May 18, 2005. He was 44 years old at the time of his execution.
1960 – Theodore Washington – Fred Robinson and Susan Hill cohabitated for several years, starting in 1984. Despite Susan’s attempts to break free from Robinson on multiple occasions, she was consistently compelled to return against her will. In February 1987, Susan took a week-long trip to visit her father and stepmother, Sterleen Hill, in Yuma. Following this visit, she relocated to California to reside with other family members without informing Robinson. On June 8, 1987, Robinson decided to travel to Yuma to forcibly bring Susan back. He enlisted the assistance of his friends, Washington and Jimmy Mathers. The trio loaded Robinson’s car with weapons and headed to Yuma, with Washington notably wearing a red bandanna. At approximately 11:45 p.m., two individuals entered the Hills’ residence, coercing Mr. and Mrs. Hill to lie on their bedroom floor and securing them with restraints. A gun-wielding assailant, identified as a black man sporting a red bandanna, held Mr. Hill at gunpoint while the other intruder ransacked drawers and closets. Tragically, both Mr. and Mrs. Hill were shot with a 12-gauge shotgun. Mrs. Hill succumbed to her injuries, while Mr. Hill survived. Subsequently, Robinson, Washington, and Mathers underwent a joint trial, each receiving a death sentence. However, during the appeals process, the state supreme court overturned Mathers’ conviction, citing insufficient evidence to support the jury’s verdict.
1964 – Judith Neelley – is an infamous American criminal known for her involvement in a series of heinous crimes during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Neelley’s criminal activities, marked by a shocking level of violence and brutality, have earned her a place among the most notorious female offenders in U.S. history. Neelley’s troubled childhood and early adolescence set the stage for her descent into criminality. Born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, she experienced a tumultuous upbringing marked by abuse and instability. These factors may have contributed to her troubled path, ultimately leading her into a life of crime. In 1982, Neelley, along with her then-husband Alvin Neelley, embarked on a spree of crimes that included kidnapping, rape, and murder. One of the most notorious incidents was the abduction and brutal murder of Lisa Ann Millican, a 13-year-old girl. The heinous nature of the crimes shocked the nation, and the Neelleys quickly became targets of a massive manhunt. Judith Neelley’s involvement in these crimes brought her to the forefront of public attention, and her subsequent trial captivated the nation. In 1983, she was convicted of murder, kidnapping, and other charges, leading to a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Over the years, Neelley’s case has been a subject of intense scrutiny, with debates surrounding her sentence and the possibility of parole. Despite numerous appeals, her imprisonment has been sustained, and she remains incarcerated.
1968 – Domingo Cantu Jr – He is known for his criminal activities, specifically the rape and murder of a 94-year-old woman named Suda Eller Jones. On June 25, 1988, Ms. Jones was taking her morning walk in front of her home in Dallas when Cantu accosted her. A neighbor heard her screams for help and saw Cantu dragging her into her backyard. Cantu raped her and then beat her head on the sidewalk repeatedly until she was dead. Cantu was arrested the same day. Forensic evidence linked him to the crime, and he confessed. He was executed by lethal injection on October 28, 1999. Before his execution, Cantu married Brigitte Koch Cantu on November 16, 1998. His last words were expressions of love and faith.
Deaths
Barton Kay Kirkham
1862 – William B. Mumford – was a North Carolinian residing in New Orleans who ignited a firestorm of controversy during the American Civil War. His actions cemented him in history, though interpretations of his deeds and legacy remain deeply contested. Born in Onslow County, North Carolina, Mumford moved to New Orleans in the mid-1840s, becoming a successful dry goods merchant. Though born in a Union state, he embraced the Southern cause upon the outbreak of the Civil War. However, his wartime contributions were hampered by injuries sustained during the Mexican-American War. The fateful act for which Mumford is remembered occurred in April 1862. Union forces had captured New Orleans, raising the United States flag over the city mint. Fueled by Confederate loyalty and perhaps exacerbated by personal turmoil, Mumford brazenly scaled the building and tore down the flag. This defiant act ignited outrage among Union officials, with General Benjamin Butler deeming it treason. Mumford’s trial and execution were swift and controversial. Accused of violating Union martial law, he was convicted and sentenced to death. Despite pleas for clemency, even from Abraham Lincoln, Butler remained unyielding. On June 7, 1862, Mumford was hanged in Lafayette Square, becoming the first civilian executed by the Union during the Civil War. The repercussions of Mumford’s execution were far-reaching. It galvanized Confederate supporters and fueled Northern animosity towards the South. Historians and legal scholars continue to debate the legal and ethical nuances of Mumford’s case, exploring issues of wartime law, patriotism, and dissent.
1958 – Barton Kay Kirkham – was a young American man whose life took a tragic turn, leading him down a path of crime and ultimately to his execution. His story is a complex one, marked by rebellion, mental instability, and the harsh realities of the justice system. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kirkham was raised in a Mormon family. However, he displayed a rebellious streak early on, clashing with the strictures of his upbringing. He left school in the 11th grade and enlisted in the Air Force, seeking a sense of freedom and adventure. His military career was short-lived, though, as he was discharged in 1955 after committing a robbery while on leave. Following his discharge, Kirkham’s life spiraled downward. He struggled to find stable employment and grappled with personal demons. In 1956, he committed a fatal armed robbery in Salt Lake City, shooting and killing two grocery store clerks. This act of violence sealed his fate. Kirkham was arrested and tried for the murders. During the trial, his mental state was called into question, with some arguing that he was suffering from schizophrenia. However, he was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to death. In a controversial move, Kirkham chose to hang as his method of execution, believing it would generate more publicity for his case and cause inconvenience for the state. He was executed on June 7, 1958, at the age of 21.
2005 – Alexander Rey Martinez – was born on June 16, 1976, in Texas, USA. He had a troubled life and was involved in criminal activities. He was on parole after serving a 7-year sentence for attempted murder when he committed another crime. He was convicted for the murder of Helen Joyce Oliveros, age 45, on August 12, 2001. Martinez was sentenced to death and was executed on June 7, 2005. His life serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of crime and violence.
2013 – John Zawahri – He was the perpetrator of a mass shooting that occurred in Santa Monica, California on June 7, 2013. The incident began with a domestic dispute and subsequent fire at a home, followed by a series of shootings near and on the Santa Monica College campus. Zawahri, armed with an AR-15-type semi-automatic rifle and a .44 1858 Remington model cap-and-ball revolver, killed five people, including his father, Samir Zawahri, 55, and older brother, Christopher Zawahri, 24
2013 – Richard Ramirez – also known as Ricardo Leyva Muñoz Ramirez, was born on February 29, 1960, in El Paso, Texas, U.S. He was an American serial killer and sex offender, infamously dubbed the Night Stalker, the Walk-In Killer, and the Valley Intruder. His crime spree took place in California from June 1984 until his capture in August 1985. Ramirez’s crimes were heavily influenced by a troubled childhood. Frequently abused by his father, he began developing horrid and macabre interests in his early and mid-teens from an older cousin who taught him military skills that he would later employ during his killing spree. He also cultivated a strong interest in Satanism and the occult. By the time he had left his home in Texas and moved to California at the age of 22, Ramirez began to frequently use cocaine. Ramirez would often commit burglaries to support his drug addiction, many of which were later frequently accompanied by murders, attempted murders, rapes, attempted rapes, and battery. Ramirez’s murder spree terrorized the residents of Greater Los Angeles, and later the San Francisco Bay Area, for fourteen months. However, his first known murder occurred as early as April 1984; this crime was not connected to Ramirez, nor was it known to be his doing, until 2009. Ramirez used a wide variety of weapons, including handguns, various types of knives, a machete, a tire iron, and a claw hammer. He punched, pistol-whipped, and strangled many of his victims, both with his hands and in one instance a ligature; stomped at least one victim to death in her sleep; and tortured another by shocking her with a live electrical cord. Ramirez also frequently enjoyed degrading and humiliating his victims, especially those who survived his attacks or whom he explicitly decided not to kill. In 1989, Ramirez was convicted of thirteen counts of murder, five attempted murders, eleven sexual assaults, and fourteen burglaries. The judge who upheld his nineteen death sentences remarked that his deeds exhibited “cruelty, callousness, and viciousness beyond any human understanding.” Ramirez never expressed any remorse for his crimes. He died on June 7, 2013, of complications from B-cell lymphoma while awaiting execution on California’s death row.
Events
Carrie Nation
1899 – American temperance crusader Carrie Nation begins her campaign of vandalizing alcohol-serving establishments by destroying the inventory in a saloon in Kiowa, Kansas
1935 – May & Howard Carey are hung for the murder of May’s brother, Robert
1968 – Sirhan Sirhan is indicted for the murder of Robert F. Kennedy
1971 – The US Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Paul Cohen for disturbing the peace, setting the precedent that vulgar writing is protected under the First Amendment
1979 – Rock n Roll musician Chuck Berry is charged with tax evasion, he would later be sentenced to 4 months in prison.
1992 – The Springfield three disappear in Springfield, Missouri, and are never heard from again
1998 – James Byrd Jr is dragged to death by Shawn Allen Berry, Lawrence Russell Brewer & John William King in Jasper, Texas in a racially motivated hate crime
2017 – The police warn bald men against attacks in Mozambique after 5 men are murdered for the gold believed to be in their heads
2018 – Baltimore ex-police sergeant Wayne Earl Jenkins, head of a rogue police unit is sentenced to 25 years for robbery and racketeering
2021 – Maggie & Paul Murdaugh are found shot
