Missouri Death Row

The day before convicted killer Dennis Skillicorn is scheduled to die by lethal injection for a 1994 killing in Lafayette County, the State Supreme Court hands down another execution date.

This one is for the execution of Reginald Clemons, who was convicted in the 1991 deaths of two women who were raped and shoved off the Chain of Rocks Bridge into the Mississippi River near St. Louis. He is scheduled to die Wednesday, June 17th.

The women’s male cousin was forced to jump off the bridge. He survived. The two women died. The body of one of the women was recovered near Caruthersville while the body of the other woman was never found.

Clemons was one of four men involved in the attack. One of the others, Marlin Gray, was executed in 2005. His execution was the most recent carried out by the state. [Story by Steve Walsh, Missourinet]

Dennis Skillicorn is to be executed May 20th (midnight Tuesday) at the Bonne Terre Prison for the murder of a man who stopped to help him and his accomplice when their car broke down more than 15 years ago. Missourinet News Director Bob Priddy will be in Bonne Terre covering (and witnessing) the execution.

Download SC78864 Skillicorn 05-18-09 reply suggestions in support of motion

Update: The Supreme Court of Missouri just overruled the latest motion for stay of execution, which Mr. Skillicorn filed last Wednesday.

Download SC78864 order letter 05-18-09 overruling Skillicorn fourth motion to stay

The Missouri Supreme Court has rejected Dennis Skillicorn's request for stay of execution rejected. He's scheduled to die at 12:01 a.m. May 20th.

State Supreme Court judges have set up the potential for the first execution in Missouri since October of 2005. The Supreme Court has set a May 20th execution date for Dennis Skillicorn, convicted of killing an Excelsior Springs businessman in 1994. The last person to be executed in Missouri was Marlin Gray, who was executed October 26, 2005. A de facto death penalty moratorium has been in place since as inmates both in Missouri and nationally challenged the constitutionality of lethal injection.

Skillicorn and two other condemned inmates have filed suit in federal court, questioning Governor Nixon’s ability to fairly consider their clemency requests since Nixon served as Attorney General when they were sentenced to the death penalty. In a written statement, Nixon said he would carefully review any petition for clemency submitted by Skillicorn.

Skillicorn and co-defendant Allen Nicklasson were both sentenced to death for killing Richard Drummond in Lafayette County. Drummond had stopped to help the men after their car broke down. A Blue Springs teen-ager who was traveling with the men received a lesser sentenced. [Missourinet.com]

In the early morning hours of July 12, 2001, police responded to the report of a traffic accident near Stafford.  On their arrival, they found the victim’s car abandoned with the keys in the ignition and the engine running, the headlights and hazard lights on, and the driver’s window down.  Police found the victim’s personal items in the vehicle, including her purse, credit card and medication.

After the evening news broadcast the victim’s disappearance, the owner of a motel near Camdenton recognized the victim’s picture as the woman who checked into a room with Mr. Zink.  The motel owner provided the police with Mr. Zink’s motel registration card, and, using this information, the police apprehended Mr. Zink at his home. After police showed him evidence that placed him near the scene of the abduction, Mr. Zink waived his rights under Miranda v. Arizona,1 and confessed to killing and burying the victim.  He led police straight to the spot in a cemetery where he said he buried the victim’s body, and the police discovered the body positioned just as Mr. Zink had described.  Pathologists found that the victim’s neck was broken, she sustained injuries consistent with strangulation and being tied up, and she had eight broken ribs and between 50 and 100 blunt force injuries.  Semen found in the victim’s anus matched Mr. Zink’s DNA, hair samples taken from Mr. Zink’s truck matched the victim’s hair, and paint left on the victim’s car from the accident matched paint from Mr. Zink’s truck.

In two videotaped confessions, Mr. Zink described the murder in detail.  He said that he rear-ended the victim’s car on an exit ramp.  In one confession, Mr. Zink told police that the victim voluntarily left the accident scene with him in his truck but later threatened to call police if he did not return her to her vehicle.  In another confession, he said that he gave the victim no choice but to get in his truck, but that she willingly went with him after she was in the truck.

After he drove the victim around in his truck, they stayed for a short time at the motel near Camdenton.  Mr. Zink then decided to kill the victim because he was worried he would go back to prison if she called the police.  He took her to the cemetery and tied her to a tree.  He told her to look-up, and then he broke her neck.  He strangled her with his hands, and then with a rope, and stuffed her mouth with mud and leaves.  He looked for a spot to bury her and then dragged her body to that spot with the rope.  Because he was worried that she might revive, he stated that he stabbed the back of her neck with a knife to cut her spinal cord.  He then covered the body with leaves, went home to get a shovel, and came back to the cemetery and covered the body with dirt.

Download Opinion_SC88279 (PDF)

John Clayton Smith was executed at 12:05 a.m., October 29, 2003

Supreme Court Case Number SC82000

Case Facts: John Clayton smith started dating Brandie Kearnes in 1995. At that time, Kearnes lived with her mother, Yvonne Kurz, and her stepfather, Wayne Hoewing, near Canton, Missouri. Around June 1, 1997, Kearnes broke off the relationship with Smith. Kearnes continued to live at the Howewing residence with her daughter, mother and stepfather.

At 11:05 on the evening of July 4, 1997, Smith drove to the Hoewing residence and parked his truck some distance from the house. Smith entered the house through the basement door, took off his shoes, and went upstairs. Once inside, he went to Kearnes’ bedroom, and attacked her with a knife.

Kearnes got away from Smith and ran toward the living room area. As she ran, Smith grabbed the back of her shirt and tried to stab her in the back. Smith scuffled with Kearnes, stabbing and cutting her eight times. As Kearnes lay dying, she wrote, “It was John_.” on the kitchen floor in her own blood. At some point, Kearnes also tried to call her father, and she left a message that said, “Dad, come to the house and get Tatum.”

Smith then went toward Wayne Hoeweing’s bedroom and attacked Hoewing, who had been awakened by the sounds of the struggle. Smith pushed Hoewing onto the bed, got on top of him, and started stabbing him. Smith stabbed and cut Hoewing eleven times, but Hoewing did not die immediately. Kurz, who had also gotten out of bed when she heard the sounds of the struggle, tried to push Smith off of Hoewing, but Smith cut her on the forearm, and she rand into the bathroom. Smith followed Kurz to the bathroom and while he was at the bathroom door, Hoewing was able to pick up a gun that he kept in the house. As he tried to get into the bathroom, Smith saw Hoewing with the gun, and he said, “Shoot me. Go ahead and shoot me.” Hoewing did not fire the gun, however, and eventually, smith left the bedroom, went back downstairs, put on his shoes, and left the house through the basement door.
After Smith left the Hoewing residence, Kurz was able to leave the bathroom and call for help. When medical responders reached the scene, Kearnes was already dead. She had been partially stripped of her clothing during the attack, and she was lying face up on the kitchen floor. Kearnes had been stabbed or cut eight times in the neck, chest, abdomen, arm and thigh. Two stab wounds in her right breast punctured her lung. The first responders treated Hoewing briefly, but while still at the scene, he was pronounced dead. He had been cut and stabbed eleven times in the chest, arms, leg, and hand. He died from loss of blood.
Proposed Last Statement of John Clayton Smith: “First of all I want to tell the whole family of the victims just how truly sorry I am for all the pain and grief I have caused you by my actions. I sincerely have been praying for all of you. I only ask that somewhere down life’s road, you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. I know my death can never bring back your loved ones, but I pray my death may give you some sort of peace. Just as I have asked and received forgiveness from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for my awful crime, I ask now that you will please do the same and somehow forgive  me. Last but not least, I also pray that all of you will find that perfect peace as I have, in Christ Jesus alone.” — [signed] John Clayton Smith.

Legal Chronology
1997
07/05 – John Smith kills his ex-girlfriend, Brandi Kearnes and her stepfather, Wayne Hoewing.
08/25 – Smith is charged by information with two counts of Murder First Degree in the Circuit Court of Audrain County
1999
05/14 – Smith is found guilty in a jury trial on both counts of Murder First Degree.
05/15 – The jury recommends the death penalty on both counts of Murder First Degree
07/06 – Smith is sentenced to death on both counts of the murder convictions
07/15 – Smith files a notice of appeal.
2000
12/05 – The Missouri Supreme Court affirms Smith’s convictions and sentences of death.
2001
04/12 – Smith files a motion for post-conviction relief in circuit court.
07/25 – Smith asks the circuit court to dismiss his motion for post-conviction relief.
2002
09/18 – The circuit court dismisses Smith’s motion for post-conviction relief.
10/25 – Smith’s attorney files a notice of appeal.
2003
03/18 – The Missouri Supreme Court affirms the dismissal of post-conviction relief.
04/22 – The Missouri Supreme Court denies Smith’s attorney’s motion for rehearing and sets an execution date for May 14, 2003.
05/01 – The Missouri Supreme Court resets petitioner’s execution date for October 29, 2003.
10/23 – The United States Supreme Court denies certiorari review of the dismissal of Smith’s motion for post-conviction relief.

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796 SW 2d 607 (Mo Banc 1990)

Glennon Paul Sweet was executed on April 22, 1998

On February 8, 1987 at approximately 4:30 p.m. Trooper Russell Harper of the Missouri State Highway Patrol was stationed on Highway 60 near Springfield, Missouri operating a radar device. A red mid-sixties Chevrolet pickup truck passed Trooper Harper at an excessive rate of speed. Trooper Harper activated his red lights and pursued the truck about a mile and a half where the truck pulled off and stopped on a farm road.

Before Trooper Harper could get out of his car, Sweet Leapt from the truck, stepped toward the patrol car and fired several bursts of gunfire. One bullet struck Trooper Harper in the head causing death. Twenty-nine bullet holes or indentations were found in the patrol car.

Sweet drove to the home of Donald Bills where the two began the task of refurbishing the truck by replacing the tires, repainting and further modifying it to disguise the vehicle. Sweet also shaved his moustache to disguise himself.

On February 9, 1987 Highway Patrol Troopers arrived at the Bills residence on a tip that Sweet was staying in an old bus on Bills’ property. In a search of the area an H.K. 93 semiautomatic assault rifle, later determined to be the murder weapon was found in a junked vehicle about 1000 yards from the Bills’ residence. After obtaining a search warrant to further search the house, Troopers found Sweet hiding in the attic.

Witnesses to the slaying identified Sweet as the assailant and gun cartridges found at the scene of the crime were found to have been fired from Sweet’s rifle.

Legal Chronology

1974
02/26 — Glenn Sweet was found guilty of Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana) Under 35 grams in Bolivar, Missouri. He was sentenced to one year in the Polk County Jail.
05/15 — Sweet was fined $50 and court costs for disturbing the peace in Springfield, Missouri.
06/19 — Sweet was fined $25 and court costs for disturbing the peace in Springfield, Missouri.

1975
10/24 — Sweet was sentenced to a three year and a concurrent four year sentence for Shooting into a Dwelling and Felonious Assault without Malice in Springfield, Missouri. The Execution of the sentence was suspended and Sweet was placed on three years probation. He was discharged from probation on October 2, 1978.

1978
11/08 — Sweet was fined $50 and court costs for Affray in Springfield, Missouri.

1979
May — Sweet was fined $57 for Common Assault in Springfield, Missouri.

1981
April — Sweet was fined $ 69.50 for Property Destruction in Springfield, Missouri.

1982
04/01 — Sweet was sentenced to server two, six month consecutive sentences for Peace Disturbance and Stealing in Springfield, Missouri. Sweet was also fined one hundred dollars and court costs.

1983
01/19 — Sweet was sentenced to 30 days in the Greene County Jail and fined $ 500 and court costs for Driving while Intoxicated in Springfield, Missouri. The jail sentence was suspended and Sweet was placed on two years unsupervised probation.

1987
2/9 – Sweet is arrested for the murder of Trooper Russell Harper of the Missouri State Highway Patrol in Springfield, Missouri.
3/12 – Sweet is charged with Murder First Degree in Greene County.
12/7 – Sweet’s trial begins in Clay on a change of venue.
12/12 – Sweet is convicted of Murder First Degree.

1988
1/20 – Sweet is sentenced to death and his conviction and sentence is appealed to the Missouri State Supreme Court.
11/29 – Sweet filed a motion in the Circuit court for post-conviction relief.

1989
9/15 – The Circuit Court denied Sweet’s motion for post-conviction relief.

1990
9/11 – The Missouri State Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, sentence and denial for post-conviction relief.

1991
3/18 – The United States Supreme Court denied discretionary review of Sweet’s state court appeal.
3/20 – Sweet filed a federal petition for writ of habeas corpus in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

1995
11/22 – The U.S. District Court denied Sweet’s habeas corpus petition.

1997
11/10 – The United States of Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed the District Court’s decision denying federal habeas corpus relief.

1998
3/9 – The United States Supreme Court declined to review Sweet’s habeas case.
3/22 – The Missouri State Supreme Court issued an order and warrant of execution setting Sweet’s execution for April 22, 1998.

709 S.W. 2d 857 (Mo. banc 1986)

Roy Michael Roberts was executed on March 10, 1999

Roberts, RoyCase Facts: On July 3, 1983 at approximately 9:45 p.m. Correctional Officer Thomas Jackson, assigned to the Moberly Correctional Center, entered the B wing of Housing Unit 2 in order to remove an unruly inmate named Jimmy Jenkins. Jenkins refused to come out of the area upon Officer Jackson’s order. Officer Jackson went to the control center within the housing unit to obtain backup support.

About 30 inmates gathered in B wing as Officer Jackson and two other officers returned to the wing to escort Jenkins out. As the two officers escorted Jenkins, Officer Jackson was following about ten feet behind. It was at this time that Roy Roberts challenged the rest of the inmates to keep the officers from taking Jenkins from B wing. About 20 to 30 inmates, including Roberts, rushed the officers. The two officers and Jenkins made it safely to the rotunda area of the control center where four or five other officers awaited. Some of the inmates also made it into the rotunda while a group of about ten inmates surrounded Officer Jackson who was still in B wing.

As Officer Jackson attempted to make it out the door and back to the control center, Roberts grabbed him by the head and hair and pinned him against the door casing. Another inmate, Robert Driscoll, stabbed Officer Jackson three times in the chest, twice penetrating his heart. As officers on the other side of the door attempted to pull Officer Jackson to safety Roberts struck the officers, grabbed Officer Jackson and pulled him back into the wing where he was stabbed in the abdomen by inmate Rodney Carr. The officers were then able to pull Officer Jackson into the rotunda of control center area. Officer Jackson died from the stab wounds inflicted by the inmates.

Legal Chronology

1970
10/16 — Roberts was arrested for Tampering in St. Louis City. He was fined and placed on probation.
12/18 — Roberts was arrested for Stealing Over Fifty Dollars. He was placed on probation, but that period of supervision was later revoked and Roberts was sentenced to 60 days in the St. Louis Medium Security Institution.

1973
09/28 — Roberts was arrested in St. Louis City on the charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced to six months in the St. Louis Medium Security Institution.

1979
08/14 — Roberts was sentenced to 1 2 and 18 years on two charges of Robbery First Degree and two years on a charge of Stealing Over $1 50 by Deceit in the City of St. Louis to run concurrently.

1983
7/3-Correctional Officer Thomas Jackson is killed by inmates at the Moberly Correctional Center in Moberly, Missouri.

1984
1/30-Roberts is charged by information with capital murder in Randolph County.

1985
2/1-After a three day trial in Marion County on a change of venue from Randolph County, a jury finds Roberts guilty of Capital Murder and recommends a sentence of death.
3/15-A motion for a new trial is denied and Roberts is sentenced to death. Roberts files a notice of appeal.

1986
5/7-The Missouri Supreme Court affirms Roberts’ conviction and sentence.
11/3-The United States Supreme Court denies certiorari review.
11/24-Roberts files a motion for post conviction relief in the Circuit Court.

1988
1/13-The Circuit Court denies post conception relief.
1/14-Roberts files a notice of appeal.
7/5-Roberts case is remanded to the Circuit Court for a new evidentiary hearing.
10/21-The Circuit Court denies post conviction relief.
11/1-Roberts files a notice of appeal.

1989
8/1-The Missouri Supreme Court affirms the denial of relief.

1990
3/19-The United States Supreme Court denies review.
3/29-Roberts files a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

1995
8/3-The District court denies the petition for writ of habeas corpus.

1996
9/27-The District Court denies the Motion to Reconsider.
10/25-Roberts appeals the denial of habeas relief.

1998
3/3-The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirms the denial of relief.

1999
1/11-The United States Supreme Court declines the review.
2/4-The Missouri Supreme Court sets March 1O, 1999 as Roberts’ execution date.

979 S.W.2d 171 (Mo.banc 1998)

Donald Jones was executed at 12:07 a.m., April 27, 2005

Case Facts: On March 6, 1993, Donald Jones went to his grandmother’s house around midnight to get some money to buy crack cocaine. When Jones arrived, the grandmother, Dorothy Knuckles, let him in, and they went to her bedroom on the second floor. While in the bedroom Jones asked the grandmother for money. She refused and started lecturing Jones about his drinking and use of cocaine.

Jones went downstairs to the kitchen, picked up a butcher block that contained knives, hid it behind him and went upstairs. His grandmother started lecturing him again, and Jones hit her several times with the butcher block while she screamed. Jones apparently became afraid that the neighbors might hear her screaming, picked up a knife that had fallen out of the butcher block and stabbed her until she stopped screaming and fell back onto her bed.

Jones took his grandmother’s car keys, money, and VCR, and he drove off in her car. Jones purchased some drugs, sold the VCR and rented out the car to get money to but drugs.

The grandmother’s body was discovered on March 8, 1993, by her son. On March 9, 1993, the police went to Jones’ place of work to question him. Jones was not under arrest at this time, and he agreed to follow the police to the homicide office. After some conversations at the office, Jones became a suspect and was informed of his Miranda rights. Jones then said, “It’s the monster inside of me.” He explained that the monster inside him was the crack cocaine that had caused him to kill his grandmother. He gave an audiotape statement of the above facts on how he killed his grandmother.

Final Statement by Donald Jones

Praise God!
Every day is a day to give the Lord thanks for all He’s done! To my Beautiful Family, Friends, and all those whose been in prayer, in thought and support, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. To my Family, you will never truely know how your love, prayers, and forgiveness has sustained me all these years, to all my friends and supporters, especially my Beautiful Angels at St. Louis University, your courage and conviction is inspiring, keep the sturggle alive. To my mother who truly has been hurt the most, your love and strength I carry with me always. Take care of my son. I”m finally free and I’m going home to grandmother now. I love you all and God Bless.

Donnie

Legal Chronology

1993
03/07 – Donald Jones murders and robs Dorothy Knuckles in St. Louis, Missouri.

1994
06/06 – Jones goes on trial for First Degree Murder and ARmed Criminal Action in the Circuit Court of St. Louis city. On June 16, 1994, Jones is found guilt of both counts and the jury recommends a sentence of death for the murder and Life for the Armed Criminal Action.

07/22 – Trial court sentences Jones to death.

1995
03/01 – Jones files a post-conviction relief motion in the circuit court.

1997
10/22 – Circuit court denies Jones’ post-conviction relief motion.

1998
11/03 – The Missouri Supreme Court affirms Jones’ conviction and sentence. State. v. Jones, 979 S.W. 2d 171 (Mo.banc 1998)

1999
01/19 – The United States Supreme Court denies Jones petition for writ of certiorari. Jones v. Missouri, 525 U.S. 1112 (1999).

2000
01/18 – Jones files petition for writ of habeas corpus in the United States District Court.

2001
10/01 – The United States District Court of Appeals affirms the District Court’s denial of Jones’ petition for writ of habeas corpus.

2004
03/03 – The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirms the District Court’s denial of Jones’ petition for write of habeas corpus. Jones v. Leubbers, 359 F.3d 1005 (8th Cir. 2004)
12/06 – The United States Supreme Court denies Jones’ petition for writ of certiorari. Jones v. Roper, 04-6756.

2005
01/21 – State files motion to set execution date wiht the Missouri Supreme Court.
03/28 – Missouri Supreme kCourt sets Jones’ execution date for April 27, 2005.