Raymond Lee Stewart

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raymond Lee Stewart
Ray Stewart.jpg
Stewart being recaptured after escaping from police custody in 1982
Born(1952-01-21)January 21, 1952
Burlington, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedSeptember 18, 1996(1996-09-18) (aged 44)
Stateville Correctional Center, Crest Hill, Illinois, U.S.
Cause of deathExecution by lethal injection
Criminal statusExecuted
Conviction(s)Illinois:
Murder (3 counts)
Wisconsin:
First degree murder (2 counts)
Armed robbery
Criminal penaltyIllinois:
Death
Wisconsin:
Life imprisonment
Details
DateJanuary 27, 1981 – February 2, 1981
Location(s)Rockford, Illinois and Beloit, Wisconsin
Killed6
WeaponRevolver

Raymond Lee Stewart (January 21, 1952 – September 18, 1996) was an American robber and spree killer who murdered six people during a week-long rampage in Rockford, Illinois and Beloit, Wisconsin in 1981. Stewart was sentenced to death for the murders he committed in Illinois and was executed in 1996 at Stateville Correctional Center.[1]

Background[]

Stewart was born in Burlington, North Carolina, in 1952, and raised in an abusive environment.[2] According to Stewart's sister, his father frequently physically and sexually abused his nine children and threw Stewart out of the house when he was 14 years old, telling him to never come back. Stewart dropped out of high school and drifted through several jobs. He would go on to spend six years in prison for several armed robbery and theft convictions in the 1970s. At some point, Stewart moved to Rockford, Illinois.[3]

Murder spree[]

On the afternoon of January 27, 1981, Stewart shot and killed Willie Fredd, a 54-year-old store owner, and his stock boy, 20-year-old Albert Pearson, in Rockford's west side, using a .38-caliber revolver. The next day, Stewart shot and killed Kevin Kaiser, an 18-year-old service station attendant, at a gas station 2 miles away. Within 24 hours, Stewart killed Kenny Foust, a 35-year-old service station attendant.[3]

Stewart's rampage ended at a shopping mall in Beloit, Wisconsin, where Richard Boeck, 21, and Donald Rains, 26, were both found shot in the head inside a RadioShack.[3]

Trial, imprisonment, and execution[]

Stewart was charged and convicted of three of the four murders he committed in Illinois and for the two murders he committed in Wisconsin.[4] He was sentenced to life in prison for the murders he committed in Wisconsin and sentenced to death for the murders he committed in Illinois. During one of his murder trials, Stewart fled the courtroom and attempted to hide in an oilcan. He sustained a shoulder wound during his escape attempt.[5] After exhausting all of his appeals, Stewart was executed by lethal injection at Stateville Correctional Center on September 18, 1996. Shortly before his execution, Stewart expressed remorse for the murders, saying on tape "All these crimes were morally and legally wrong. I want to apologize." His last words were "Hello to everyone. May you all have peace because of this. May my victims' families have peace."[1] For his last meal, Stewart had fried perch, potato salad, coleslaw, canned peaches and fruit juice.[6][7][8]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "RAY STEWART EXECUTED FOR KILLING SPREE". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  2. ^ "N.C. native taken to Ill. for charges". The News & Observer. March 10, 1981. p. 23. Retrieved December 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c "ROCKFORD KILLER BREAKS SILENCE". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  4. ^ "People v. Stewart". Justia Law. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  5. ^ "Stewart captured, found hidden in oilcan". UPI. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  6. ^ "Last suppers". weeklywire.com. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  7. ^ Thompson, Don (September 18, 1996). "Condemned man gets final wish; meets with Cardinal Bernardin". The Daily Herald. p. 78. Retrieved December 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "If you believe this one, there's this bridge..." The Daily Herald. September 13, 1996. p. 280. Retrieved December 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
Retrieved from ""