548:
Knighton and
Coffier had an argument. Claude was shot in the neck and survived, but Coffier was fatally wounded. Immediately following the shootings, Knighton went to the home of a young couple and kidnapped them and their 6-year-old daughter, threatening to kill the girl if they did not comply. During the kidnapping, the man was forced to drink beer and vodka. The kidnapping, which lasted 11 hours, came to an end after Knighton stopped at a café to buy the family food. The woman, fearing her family would be killed, attacked Knighton with a steak knife, cutting his face. Knighton was arrested shortly afterward, and the woman would later testify at the sentencing phase of Knighton's murder trial.
576:. While he was there, he started a romantic relationship with a 22-year-old woman named Ruth Renee Williams, who was in a program for drug addicts, and a 17-year-old boy named Lawrence Lingle Brittain. In 1990, after learning that Brittain would be moved to a more restrictive jail setting, they and Williams decided to flee the city. Knighton told Brittain, according to testimony, that they would be committing robberies and possibly murders. Knighton stole a van in which the trio made their getaway. The three intended to flee to either
31:
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what they wanted. As the three drove through rural
Oklahoma, Knighton told Brittain he would perform the next robbery since he needed to "grow up". Brittain and Williams started observing homes as they drove. They paused at one home but rejected it when they thought they saw a child in the yard. The "child" was actually a short woman and the toys were wooden decorations.
603:
police. Knighton said he did not "want to have to" kill the Denny's, but then offered
Brittain the chance to shoot the couple. When Brittain declined, Knighton shot the couple execution-style as they were begging for their lives. He later told Williams that at least Virginia had enough time to pray. The trio also stole $ 61, a pocketknife, and some cigarettes.
633:
Prosecutors sought a death sentence for
Knighton. His lawyer had planned to try to blame either Brittain or Williams for the murders on the grounds that they had to advance themselves in the ranks of the white supremacist gang of which Knighton was a member, however, Knighton admitted responsibility
602:
Virginia offered
Knighton and Brittain some milk but they wanted beer instead. Richard attempted to bargain with Knighton, saying they did not have to die, and that Knighton could take whatever he wanted. Richard said he did not have a phone, so the trio would not have to worry about him calling the
598:
The two eventually went to the home of 62-year-old
Richard and 64-year-old Virginia Denny. Brittain got out of the van and asked Richard for directions, intending to pull a gun on him when he was distracted. However, he lost his nerve and froze. Knighton intervened and held a revolver to the back of
660:
Knighton befriended Sue Norton, the adopted daughter of one of his victims, while he was on death row. Norton testified on
Knighton's behalf at a clemency hearing, asking the state pardon and parole board for mercy. The request was unanimously denied. Norton's forgiving nature temporarily estranged
594:
After the murders, the trio drove south to
Oklahoma. After Knighton became concerned that they had driven the stolen van too long, the two tried to steal another vehicle, but failed. They kept driving west, searching for an isolated home in which Knighton said they would kill the residents and take
551:
Knighton was convicted of three counts of kidnapping and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was charged with first degree murder for killing
Coffier Day, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter and had 10 years added to his sentence. Knighton also pleaded guilty to first degree robbery and received a
547:
On
September 15, 1973, Knighton, who had been released from prison days ago and was now wanted on assault charges for an incident in which a man was stabbed and a woman was non-fatally strangled with a telephone cord, shot Claude Day, 53, and his son, 32-year-old Coffier Day, with a pistol after
528:
One of Knighton's mother's boyfriends hit him hard enough that he was sent to the hospital. Another destroyed his favorite toy. Knighton, who only stayed in school through the fourth grade, ended up in a boy's reformatory when he was 12, where he said that boys were punished for misbehavior with
618:
Knighton, Brittain, and Williams were each charged with two counts of first degree murder in Missouri and Oklahoma. During a preliminary hearing, Brittain, who the court ruled would be tried as an adult, said he and Williams were stupid for having ever agreed to accompany Knighton. Brittain and
629:
In exchange for leniency, Brittain and Williams agreed to testify against Knighton. Brittain pleaded guilty to two counts of first degree murder and Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of being an accessory to murder after the fact. Brittain received two concurrent life terms with parole
610:. Knighton decided they needed another car, and the trio searched for another home to break into. A local woman became suspicious of the trio after they repeatedly circled around the block and called the police. They were arrested and the murders were discovered shortly after.
661:
from her sister, who thought Knighton deserved to die. In Knighton's final statement, which was barely audible, he thanked his attorneys and apologized. He then spoke to Sue Norton, saying" I'll see you again someday. God bless you," he said. She replied with a thumbs-up.
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501:(born February 1967). Brittain and Williams both pleaded guilty and testified against Knighton in exchange for leniency, and have since been released from prison. Knighton was convicted of two murders in
591:. Merrifield was inside with his stepson, Ray Donahue. Merrifield showed Knighton a pistol and invited him to test it. Knighton then fatally shot Merrifield and Donahue and stole their guns and money.
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The day after their escape, the three drove to the home of Knighton's mother, who gave them money. The following day, they drove to the home of Frank Merrifield, a friend of Brittain's father, in
626:
punched a Native American man who was placed in his cell, and threatened to kill him if the man was returned to his cell. Knighton later admitted to having assaulted black inmates in prison.
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and dreamed of becoming a singer at one point. Knighton was emotionally and physically abused as a child. When he was about 6 years old, he was forced to sit outside during a
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517:, to a woman who had eight husbands and many boyfriends. Knighton said he could not recall wanting to be anything in life. He said he idolized
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Knighton was convicted of two counts of first degree murder in 50 minutes, and was sentenced to death after four hours of deliberations.
678:
513:
Knighton, who was nicknamed "Bobby" as a child, did not like to talk about his upbringing, but some details are known. He was born in
619:
Williams discussed their hope that Knighton would be willing to take most of the blame for the murders since he was the ringleader.
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for the murders saying "I know they're going to kill me over this deal. I just don't want the kids to take the heat for it."
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consisted of a large pepperoni pizza, a strawberry milkshake, a large order of onion rings, and banana cream pie.
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539:, and dropped out of school in 8th grade. At the time of the murders, he was on probation for auto theft.
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Williams was paroled shortly before Knighton's execution. Brittain was paroled on August 10, 2007.
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In 1968, Knighton was convicted of armed robbery in Oklahoma and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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Richard's head. He marched him inside, where Virginia was sitting in the kitchen.
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eligibility and Williams received two concurrent 15-year sentences.
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While in jail awaiting trial, Knighton, a confessed member of the
963:"Her prayers answered, woman forgives, befriends father's killer"
525:
at his grandparents' house for looking too much like his father.
889:"Woman Tells Jurors How Man Threatened to Kill Her Daughter"
493:
embarked on a four-day, two-state killing spree along with
489:
who, after serving time for kidnapping and manslaughter in
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The trio stole the keys to the Denny's truck and drove to
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beatings and were placed in a cellar for days at a time.
16:
American serial killer executed in Oklahoma (1941–2003)
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Racially motivated violence against African Americans
684:
List of people executed in the United States in 2003
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481:(February 5, 1941 – May 27, 2003) was an American
572:In 1989, Knighton was sent to a halfway house in
552:concurrent 10-year sentence. He was sent to the
1148:People executed by Oklahoma by lethal injection
419:Accessory to first degree murder after the fact
186:September 15, 1973 – January 7, 1990
8:
564:tattoos as well as a "White Power" tattoo.
860:"Clipped From Springfield Leader and Press"
689:List of serial killers in the United States
1088:21st-century executions of American people
372:
361:
230:
219:
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1113:American people convicted of manslaughter
1118:American people convicted of kidnapping
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1143:People convicted of murder by Oklahoma
1123:American neo-Nazis executed for murder
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444:January 6 – January 9, 1990
328:January 6 – January 9, 1990
1153:Prisoners and detainees of Missouri
1083:21st-century executions by Oklahoma
679:List of people executed in Oklahoma
1108:Anti-Indigenous racism in Oklahoma
641:Knighton's execution and aftermath
14:
887:Weaver, Patti (8 November 1990).
1128:Executed American serial killers
387:February 1967 (age 57)
1078:20th-century American criminals
556:. While in prison, he joined a
674:Capital punishment in Oklahoma
497:(born September 11, 1972) and
1:
1133:Executed people from Missouri
1103:Anti-black racism in Oklahoma
758:"Robert Wesley Knighton #855"
87:Execution by lethal injection
1163:Serial killers from Oklahoma
1158:Serial killers from Missouri
864:Springfield Leader and Press
839:Springfield Leader and Press
651:Oklahoma State Penitentiary
554:Missouri State Penitentiary
71:Oklahoma State Penitentiary
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645:Knighton was executed by
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28:
1043:. 1990-11-07. p. 82
944:. 1990-02-06. p. 28
919:. 1990-10-27. p. 77
495:Lawrence Lingle Brittain
224:Lawrence Lingle Brittain
1098:American male criminals
1018:. 1990-10-30. p. 3
866:. 1973-09-16. p. 1
841:. 1974-04-04. p. 4
816:. 1990-02-09. p. 8
810:"Brittain and Williams"
788:. 1990-02-28. p. 8
762:www.clarkprosecutor.org
720:. 1990-12-08. p. 9
505:and executed in 2003.
479:Robert Wesley Knighton
23:Robert Wesley Knighton
653:on May 27, 2003. His
574:Kansas City, Missouri
560:gang and got several
535:Brittain was born in
515:Springfield, Missouri
429:15 years imprisonment
155:30 years imprisonment
52:Springfield, Missouri
318:2 (as an accomplice)
128:First degree robbery
1041:The Daily Oklahoman
1016:The Daily Oklahoman
988:"KNIGHTON v. STATE"
942:The Daily Oklahoman
917:The Daily Oklahoman
814:The Daily Oklahoman
786:The Daily Oklahoman
718:The Daily Oklahoman
523:Thanksgiving dinner
499:Ruth Renee Williams
440:Span of crimes
366:Ruth Renee Williams
324:Span of crimes
289:First degree murder
182:Span of crimes
137:First degree murder
83:Cause of death
75:McAlester, Oklahoma
969:. 10 November 2000
913:"Knighton tattoos"
568:1990 killing spree
252:September 11, 1972
1093:Aryan Brotherhood
624:Aryan Brotherhood
589:Clinton, Missouri
558:white supremacist
537:Clinton, Missouri
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304:Life imprisonment
259:Clinton, Missouri
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714:"Knighton death"
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426:Criminal penalty
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378:Williams in 1990
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519:Elvis Presley
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483:serial killer
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452:United States
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413:Conviction(s)
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283:Conviction(s)
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142:Armed robbery
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109:Conviction(s)
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1045:. Retrieved
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543:First murder
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487:spree killer
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119:Manslaughter
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65:(2003-05-27)
63:May 27, 2003
1073:2003 deaths
1068:1941 births
893:Tulsa World
1062:Categories
1047:2022-04-30
1037:"Knighton"
1022:2022-04-30
1012:"Brittain"
997:2023-08-09
992:Justia Law
973:2022-04-30
948:2022-04-30
938:"Brittain"
923:2022-04-30
898:2022-04-30
870:2022-05-01
845:2022-05-01
820:2022-04-30
792:2022-04-30
782:"Brittain"
767:2022-04-30
724:2022-04-30
695:References
578:California
509:Early life
421:(2 counts)
294:Auto theft
291:(2 counts)
248:1972-09-11
139:(2 counts)
130:(2 counts)
125:(3 counts)
123:Kidnapping
44:1941-02-05
835:"Tuckers"
655:last meal
668:See also
562:Swastika
503:Oklahoma
491:Missouri
467:Oklahoma
463:Missouri
458:State(s)
402:Released
391:Missouri
351:Oklahoma
347:Missouri
342:State(s)
209:Oklahoma
205:Missouri
200:State(s)
158:Oklahoma
152:Missouri
133:Oklahoma
115:Missouri
97:Executed
649:at the
582:Florida
449:Country
434:Details
333:Country
315:Victims
310:Details
271:Paroled
191:Country
173:Victims
168:Details
393:, U.S.
261:, U.S.
77:, U.S.
54:, U.S.
614:Trial
162:Death
485:and
465:and
384:Born
349:and
242:Born
207:and
60:Died
38:Born
580:or
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246:(
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42:(
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