Case Summaries of Juvenile Offenders Who Were on Death Row in the United States

These case descriptions are taken from Professor Victor Streib’s 2005 article, “The Juvenile Death Penalty Today: Death Sentences and Executions for Juvenile Crimes, January 1, 1973 - February 28, 2005.” 

Alabama (13)

(Last Execution of a Juvenile: November 24, 1961)

Adams, Ranaldo: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 7-1-1980); rape, robbery, burglary, and murder; sentenced on 12-11-1998.

Bonds, James Willis: Black male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 7-24-1983); robbery and murder of white male age 59 in Houston County on 9-?-1999; sentenced on 11-11-2002.

Davis, Timothy Charles: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 3-18-1961); robbery of store and rape and murder of white female age 60 in Coosa County on 7-20-1978; sentenced on 7-28-1980.

Duke, Mark Anthony: White male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 5-15-1980); murder of white male age 39 (his father), white female age 29, white female age 7, and white female age 6 in Pelham (Shelby Co.) on 3-22-1997; sentenced on 3-25-1999.

Duncan, Trace: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 11-15-1976); kidnapping and murder of white female age 37 in St. Clair County on 2-22-1994; sentenced on 3-8-1996.

Hart, Gary Davis II: Black male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 9-19-1972); robbery and murder of white male age 22 in Mobile on 8-12-1989; sentenced on 5-9-1990.

Hyde, James Matthew: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 3-2-1977); murder of white male age 36 (police officer) in Albertville (Marshall County) on 1-24-1995; sentenced on 7-9-1996.

Knotts, William Thomas: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 11-20-1971); burglary and murder of black female age 37 in Montgomery County on 10-18-1989; sentenced on 8-1-1992.

Loggins, Kenneth: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 9-15-1976); kidnapping and murder of white female age 37 in St. Clair County on 2-22-1994; sentenced on 3-8-1996.

Pressley, Marcus Dewayne: Black male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 11-24-1978); robbery and murder of white male age 44 and white female age 48 in Sterrett (Shelby County) on 7-25-1996; sentenced on 10-10-1997.

Slaton, Nathan: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 10-5-1969); rape and murder of white female age 68 in Albertville (Marshall County) on 5-28-1987; sentenced 5-22-1990.

Wimberly, Shaber Chamond: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 9-6-1979); murder of white male age 67 and white female age 53 in Midland City on 1-27-1997; sentenced on 7-30-1998; reversed in 1999; resentenced to death on 5-?-2001.

Wynn, Gregory: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 2-9-1981); robbery and murder of female age 30 in Anniston on 4-8-1998; sentenced on 9-17-1999.


ARIZONA (4)
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: July 6, 1934)

Aguilar, Tonatihu: Latin male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 2-11-1980); murder of Latin male age 28 and Latin female age 28 in Phoenix on 10-15-1996; sentenced on 6-19-2003

Jackson, Levi Jaimes: White male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 1-15-1976); car jacking and murder of white female age 40 in rural Pima County on 12-7-1992; sentenced on 1-26-1994.

Laird, Kenneth Jeremy: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 3-21-1975); burglary, robbery and murder of white female age 37 in North Phoenix on 9-3-1992; sentenced on 4-15-1994.

Soto-Fong, Martin Raul: Chinese/Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 10-6-1974); robbery and murder of 3 Asian males, ages 32, 45, and 77, in Pima County (Tucson) on 6-24-1992; sentenced on 2-3-1994.


FLORIDA (3)
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: November 8, 1954)

Bonifay, James Patrick: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 12-26-1973); robbery and murder of white male age 36 in Pensacola on 1-26-1991; sentenced on 9-20-1991; reversed in 1993; resentenced to death on 12-6-1994.

LeCroy, Cleo Douglas: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 3-7-1963); robbery and murder of white male age 27 and white female age 25 in Palm Beach County on 1-4-1981; sentenced on 10-1-1986.

Ramirez, Nathan: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 4-22-1977); rape and murder of white female age 71 in New Port Richey on 3-7-1995; sentenced on 11-8-1996; reversed in 1999; resentenced on 12-13-2003.


GEORGIA (2) 
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: December 7, 1993)

Gibson, Exzavious Lee: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 3-31-1972); robbery and murder of male age 46 in Eastman (Dodge County) on 2-2-1990; sentenced on 6-14-1990.

Jenkins, Larry Leonarde: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 11-10-1975); robbery, kidnapping and murder of white female age 37 and white male age 15 in Jessup (Wayne County) on 1-9-1993; sentenced on 9-30-1995.


LOUISIANA (4)
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: May 18, 1990)

Bridgewater, Roy: Black male; age 17 at crime; burglary and murder of white female age 70 and white male age 45 in Marrero (Jefferson Parish) on 10-31-1996; sentenced on 3-1-1999.

Craig, Dale Dwayne: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 9-22-1974); car-jacking and murder of white male age 18 in Baton Rouge on 9-14-1992; sentenced on 1-13-1995.

Howard, Cedric D’Wayne: Black male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 6-6-1978); robbery and murder of white female age 82 on 10-24-1994; sentenced on 7-14-1997.

Wilson, Aaron: Black male; age 17 at crime; kidnapping, robbery, rape, and murder of white female age 48 in Caddo Parish on 12-23-2000; sentenced on 9-25-2002.


MISSISSIPPI (5)
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: May 25, 1950)

Dycus, Kelvin: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 9-19-1979); robbery and murder of female age 76 on 9-24-1996; sentenced on 6-19-1998.

Eskridge, Roderick: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 1-25-1980); robbery and murder of female age 34 in Grenada County on 12-2-1997; sentenced on 1-26-1999.

Foster, Ronald Chris: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 1-8-1972) robbery and murder of white male adult in Lowndes County on 6-10-1989; sentenced on 1-18-1991.

Holly, William Joseph: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 8-6-1974); robbery and murder of black male age 37 in Grenada County on 7-12-1992; sentenced on 3-3-1993.

McGilberry, Stephen Virgil: American Indian/white male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 2-7-1978); four death sentences for murders of white female age 44 (his mother), white male age 44 (his stepfather), white female age 24 (his stepsister), and white male age 3 (his stepsister’s son) in St. Martin (Jackson County) on 10-23-1994; sentenced on 2-9-1996.


NEVADA (1)
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: April 22, 1949)

Domingues, Michael (AKA Miguel): Latin male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 1-29-1977); burglary, theft, and murder of Asian female age 24 and Asian male age 4 in Las Vegas on 10-22-1993; sentenced on 9-16-1994.


NORTH CAROLINA (4)
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: October 30, 1942)

Adams, Thomas Mark: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 7-20-1970); robbery and murder of white female age 70 in Iredell County on 12-13-1987; sentenced on 11-19-1988; reversed in 1994; resentenced to death on 9-1-1995.

Chapman, Lamorris: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 12-12-1982); murder of black female age 16 in Johnston County on 7-9-2000; sentenced on 11-2-2001.

Golphin, Kevin Salvador: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 12-26-1979); murder of white male age 48 (Highway Patrol officer) and white male age 58 (Sheriff’s Corporal) near Fayetteville on 9-23-1997; sentenced on 5-13-1998.

Walters, Travis LeVance: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 7-8-1980); murder of American Indian female age 18 in Lumberton on 1-6-1998; sentenced on 4-5-2001.


PENNSYLVANIA (2)
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: December 4, 1916)

Hughes, Kevin: Black male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 3-5-1962); rape and murder of black female age 9 in Philadelphia on 3-1-1979; sentenced on 10-27-1983.

Lee, Percy: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 8-24-1968); murder of two black females, ages 17 and 33, in Philadelphia on 2-27-1986; sentenced on 1-28-1988.


SOUTH CAROLINA (3)
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: January 10, 1986)

Hughes, Herman Lee, Jr.: Black male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 7-26-1977); robbery and murder of male age 20 in Orangeburg on 3-18-1994; sentenced in 1995.

Morgan, Eric Dale: White male; age 17 at crime; robbery and murder of white male age 57 near Woodruff (Spartanburg County) on 5-3-2000; sentenced on 3-9-2004.

Powers, Ted Benjamin: White male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 9-19-1973); burglary, robbery, and murder of white male age 68 in Lexington County on 9-8-1990; sentenced on 2-23-1996.


TEXAS (29)
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: August 28, 2002)

Acuna, Robert Aaron: Latin male; age 17 at crime; robberies and murders of adult white (?) male age 75 and white (?) female age 74 in Baytown (Harris County) on 11-11-2003; sentenced on 8-11-2004

Alvarado, Steven Brian: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 8-11-1974); robberies and murders of adult Latin male and adult Latin female in El Paso on 9-22-1991; sentenced on 10-5-1993.

Arroyo, Randy: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 10-31-1979); kidnapping and murder of Latin male age 39 on 3-11-1997 in San Antonio; sentenced on 3-6-1998.

Arthur, Mark Sam: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 8-1-1979); murder of Latin male age 41 in Harris County on 12-21-1996; sentenced on 12-17-1997.

Barraza, Mauro Morris: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 5-5-1972); robbery and murder of white female age 73 in Haltom City (Tarrant County) on 6-14-1989; sentenced on 4-8-1991.

Bernal, Johnnie: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 8-20-1976); murder of white (?) male age 19 in Houston on 8-19-1994; sentenced on 5-8-1995.

Capetillo, Edward Brian: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 5-13-1977); murders of white male age 19 and white female age 20 in Harris County on 1-16-1995; sentenced on 2-6-1996.

Cobb, Raymond Levi: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 6-18-1976); murders of white female age 23 and white female age 16 months in Huntsville on 12-27-1993; sentenced on 2-27-1997; reversed in 2000; resentenced to death in 2001.

Dewberry, John Curtis: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 1-30-1977); murder of white male age 57 in Beaumont (Jefferson County) on 12-25-1994; sentenced on 11-21-1996.

Dickens, Justin Wiley: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 7-28-1976); murder of white male age 50 in Randall County on 3-12-1994; sentenced on 5-17-1995.

Dixon, Anthony Tyrone: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 11-7-1976); robbery and murder of white female age 34 in Houston (Harris County) on 5-15-1994; sentenced on 2-8-1995.

Guillen, Derek Jermaine: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 10-20-1980); robbery, rape and murder of white female age 52 in Tempe on 3-26-1998; sentenced on 6-1-1999.

Horn, Patrick: Black male; age 17 at crime; kidnapping and murder of male age 8 in Tyler on 10-13-1991; sentenced on 10-4-1999 [currently serving life sentence in federal prison in Atlanta, GA.].

Johnson, Eddie C.: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 11-26-1978); robbery and murder of white male age 42 in Fort Worth on 3-6-1996; sentenced on 7-31-1997.

Jones, Anzel Keon: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 2-4-1978); murder of white female age 49 in Grayson County on 5-2-1995; sentenced on 6-4-1996.

Little, Leo Gordon: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 7-14-1980); kidnapping, robbery and murder of Latin male age 22 in San Antonio on 1-22-1998; sentenced on 3-5-1999.

Lopez, Michael Anthony, Jr.: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 4-28-1981); murder of male age 25 (deputy constable) in Harris County on 9-29-1998; sentenced on 5-25-1999.

Monterrubio, Jose Ignacio: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 8-26-1976); rape and murder of Latin female age 16 in Brownsville (Cameron County) on 9-5-1993; sentenced on 8-25-1994.

Perez, Efrian: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 11-19-1975); rape and murder of white female age 14 and white female age 16 in Houston (Harris County) on 6-24-1993; sentenced on 9-22-1994. [Co-defendant of Raul Villareal]

Reeves, Whitney: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 8-21-1981); murders of white female age 14 and white male age 40 in Beaumont on 8-20-1999; sentenced on 9-8-2000.

Salinas, Jorge Alfredo: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 4-1-1984); robbery and murder of Latin male age 20 and Latin female age 21 months in Mission (Hidalgo County) on 7-28-2001; sentenced on 8-29-2002.

Solomon, Christopher Julian: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 1-30-1980); robbery and murder of white male adult in Texarcana on 9-19-1997; sentenced on 6-4-1999.

Soriano, Oswaldo Regalado: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 6-26-1975); robbery and murder of white male age 59 in Amarillo on 11-17-1992; sentenced on 5-4-1994.

Springsteen, Robert Burns, IV: White male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 11-26-1974); robbery and murder of white female age 13 in Austin on 12-6-1991; sentenced on 6-1-2001.

Tran, Son Vu Khai: Asian-American male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 5-11-1980); murder of Latin male adult and Asian-American male age 20 in Houston on 10-25-1997; sentenced on 12-18-2000.

Villareal, Raul Omar: Latin male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 9-25-1975); rape and murder of white female age 14 and white female age 16 in Houston (Harris County) on 6-24-1993; sentenced on 9-22-1994. [Co-defendant of Efrian Perez]

Williams, Bruce Lee: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 12-16-1981); car-jacking, rape and murder of Asian-American female age 24 in Dallas on 2-3-1999; sentenced on 12-10-1999.

Williams, Nanon McKewn: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 8-2-1974); murder of white male age 19 in Harris County on 5-14-1992; sentenced on 9-22-1995.

Wilson, Geno Capoletti: Black male; age 17 at crime (DOB: 5-24-1981); robbery and murder of male age 19 in Houston on 12-2-1998; sentenced on 12-10-1999.


VIRGINIA (1)
(Last Execution of a Juvenile: January 19, 2000)

Johnson, Shermaine Ali: Black male; age 16 at crime (DOB: 12-30-1977); rape and murder of black female age 22 in Petersburg (Prince George County) on 7-10-1994; sentenced on 2-22-1998; reversed in 2001; resentenced to death on 10-28-2002.