Buddy Justus
Buddy Earl Justus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 25, 1952 Niagara Falls, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 13, 1990 (aged 37) |
| Cause of death | Execution by electrocution |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Capital murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death by electrocution |
| Details | |
| Victims | 3 |
Span of crimes | October 3–6, 1978 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Virginia, Georgia, Florida |
Buddy Earl Justus (December 25, 1952 – December 13, 1990) was an American spree killer who killed three women, including a pregnant woman who he raped and murdered, across Georgia, Florida, and Virginia in October 1978. Convicted of all three murders and receiving deaths sentences in all three states, Justus was executed in Virginia in 1990.[1]
Early life[]
Justus was born in Niagara Falls, New York on Christmas Day, 1952. He came from an abusive family, and eventually ended up in a Virginia orphanage.[2]
Murders[]
On October 3, 1978, Justus broke into the trailer of Ida Mae Moses, 21, and proceeded to rape and murder her. Moses, a nurse, had been set to give birth in two weeks and had already planned a name for her unborn son.
Justus moved south, picking up an 18-year-old hitchhiker, Dale Goins, along the way. They kidnapped, raped, and murdered Rosemary Jackson, a 32-year-old housewife, while she was leaving a store in Atlanta. Days later, in Florida, Justus and Goins kidnapped, raped, and murdered, Stephanie Hawkins, who had been preparing for her son's birthday party.
Trial and execution[]
Justus was arrested on October 11, 1978, in Grundy, Virginia. He and Goins were tried for each murder they had committed. Justus was convicted of killing Moses, Jackson, and Hawkins, receiving a death sentence for each murder. Goins was convicted of murdering Jackson and Hawkins, receiving life sentences in Georgia and Florida, which he is still serving.[3] After his appeals failed, Justus was executed in the electric chair at the Virginia State Penitentiary on December 13, 1990. Justus had no last words, but gave an interview earlier that day. In a morning interview with WFIR, Justus said "I want it to be over with, not for me, but for the victims' families. I'm ready to go to a better place. I want it to be put to rest. I've asked for forgiveness to a lot of people and I was able to forgive myself." Justus also admonished capital punishment, calling it "barbaric". "Let me be the last person," he said. "There is a better way to deal with crimes than taking people's lives."[4] His last meal consisted of sirloin steak, french fries, tossed salad, strawberry pie and tea. Justus was the last man executed at the Virginia State Penitentiary. All subsequent executions in Virginia were carried out at Greensville Correctional Center.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Slayer Of Three Women Dies In Virginia Electric Chair". December 14, 1990.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Niagara Falls Reporter". www.niagarafallsreporter.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
- ^ "Inmate Population Information Detail". www.dc.state.fl.us. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
- ^ Ap (1990-12-15). "Man Who Killed 3 Women Dies in Virginia Electric Chair". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
- 1952 births
- 1990 deaths
- American spree killers
- American people convicted of murder
- People convicted of murder by Virginia
- People executed by Virginia by electric chair
- 20th-century American criminals
- 20th-century executions by Virginia
- People executed for murder
- Executed spree killers
- People from Niagara Falls, New York