James Paster

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James Emery Paster (born January 30, 1945 in Hamilton County , Ohio , † September 20, 1989 in Huntsville , Walker County , Texas ) was an American criminal who murdered three people with two accomplices and was executed in 1989 .

Events

James Paster became known after he was arrested as a member of a murder trio. Together with Stephen McCoy and Gary LeBlanc, they each wanted to commit a murder in front of their accomplices in order to be sure of their secrecy in case of arrest. Paster shot and killed 38-year-old Robert Howard, the divorced husband of Trudy Howard LeBlanc, in Houston in October 1980 . This was the new wife of the brother of his accomplice Gary LeBlanc.

In November 1980, they kidnapped and raped Diane Oliver, 27, in Harris County before Stephen McCoy killed her with a knife. In January 1981, they kidnapped and raped 18-year-old Cynthia Johnson in Conroe . LeBlanc and Paster strangled the young woman while McCoy held her. Paster then stuck a nail through her nose to be sure of her death.

In June 1983, Paster confessed to the murder of Robert Howard for which he had received $ 1,000 from Trudy Howard LeBlanc. At that time he was serving a life sentence in Alabama as a repeat offender for break-ins, robbery and assault. He had served a term in San Quentin State Prison back in the 1970s . In September 1983, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Judge Ted Poe stated that the death penalty had been introduced for people like Paster. The verdict and sentence were upheld by the Texas Court of Appeals in 1985. For the murder of Howard, Trudy Howard LeBlanc and her husband Edward LeBlanc were sentenced to life imprisonment for both contracting and aiding and abetting.

Gary LeBlanc testified extensively about the crimes and was sentenced not to death but to a 35-year prison term. For the murder of Cynthia Johnson, Paster was again sentenced to life imprisonment. His accomplice Stephen McCoy was sentenced to death for the crime and executed in May 1989.

James Paster died from lethal injection in the Huntsville Unit in September 1989 . He confessed to two other murders prior to his execution .

literature

  • Monsters of Death Row by Anthony Brown and Christopher Berry-Dee
  • Texas Death Row by Bill Crawford

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Death Row Information
  2. ^ Ex-Singer Executed in Texas for Contract Killing
  3. ↑ James Emery Paster, Petitioner Appellant
  4. ↑ Five-time murderer executed
personal data
SURNAME Paster, James
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Paster, James Emery
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American murderer
DATE OF BIRTH January 30, 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH Hamilton County, Ohio
DATE OF DEATH September 20, 1989
Place of death Huntsville, Texas, USA