California, February 15th 1944: GLENARD BROWN Executed in San Quentin by Gas for the Murder of 78-year-old Ada Belle Turner

 

People vs. Brown , 22 Cal.2d 752

[Crim. No. 4486. In Bank. Sept. 15, 1943.]

THE PEOPLE, Respondent, v. GLENARD BROWN, Appellant.

COUNSEL

Charles A. Tuttle for Appellant.

Robert W. Kenny, Attorney General, and T. G. Negrich, Deputy Attorney General, for Respondent.

OPINION

THE COURT

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On September 27th, 1942, Mrs. Ada Turner, a widow seventy-eight years of age, was living alone at her home in Colfax, Placer County, California. She was seen that day in her yard by neighbors. She was seen in the rear yard of her home with Brown on the same day, and he was carrying a gun.

DOWNTOWN Colfax

The dead body of Mrs. Turner was discovered in the basement of her home the following morning, and shortly thereafter, County and State Peace officers were at the scene. The basement where the killing occurred showed blood on the floor, walls and furniture. There were large smears of blood on the floor indicating that the body of Mrs. Turner had been dragged about. Mrs. Turner's body was practically nude.

Dr. Smith made a post-mortem examination of the body and examined all wounds, as well as the vaginal tract. Eight knife wounds were found; also one wound on the face made by a blunt instrument. The blow producing this last wound was of sufficient force to fracture the jaw bone. The cause of death was hemorrhage due to multiple lacerations. There was no evidence of trauma in the vaginal tract; the vagina was dry and there was no evidence of rape.

On October 1st, 1942, Brown made a statement to the District Attorney and Peace Officers. In this statement he admitted the killing and asserted repeatedly that he did not know why he had done it. The rifle and knife used by defendant in the killing were found by officers at places designated by Brown.

Glenard Brown, (a Goat Herder) testified that he drank large quantities of intoxicating liquors the day of the killing; that he was "rumdum" as a result of such drinking; and that he was eighteen years of age at the time of the killing.

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Youth Sentenced To Gas Chamber

Nineteen-year-old Glenard Brown will be executed in the prison gas chamber Friday for the knife slaving of 78-year-old Mrs. Ada Bell Turner of Colfax, Placer County. Brown employed as a goat herder in the Oolfax area, was convicted in November 1942. He admitted knifing Mrs. Turner to death after she refused to lend him 4 Dollars. He was arrested soon after Mrs. Turner's body was found in the basement of her home. She was the widow of a former Colfax City Councilman.

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Who's Who in the Colfax District cemetery

FROM: www.colfaxhistory.org
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Ada Belle Turner (Maiden Name: Powers) 1864-1942

A Colfax housewife and widow of Colfax City Coucilman Randle L. Turner, who preceded her in death by 19 months. She was murdered by 19-year old Glenard Brown, who was employed as a goat herder in this area. He was convicted in November 1942 for knifing Mrs. Turner to death after she refused to give him $4. He was executed at San Quentin in 1944. She is buried next to her husband at the Colfax District Cemetery.

Another event happened in 1942 when an infamous murder occurred in Colfax. A 78-year-old woman, Ada Belle Turner, was found dead in the basement of her Auburn Street home. Coroner West took part in the investigation that led to the arrest and conviction of a local goat herder. Glenard Brown was found guilty and sentenced to the death penalty, which was carried out in the San Quentin gas chamber on February 15th, 1944.

Source Link: http://www.auburnjournal.com/article/funeral-home-has-lively-history

JOSEPH RUDOLPH WOOD III (Arizona)------------------------------------------------------ Death Sentenced for killing Debra Dietz and her Father Eugene Dietz in the Summer of 1989

JOSEPH R. WOOD III

ARIZONA OFFENDER INFORMATION:
Source: www.azcorrections.gov

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STATE of Arizona, Appellee,
vs.
Joseph Rudolph WOOD, III, Appellant

FROM: www.courtlistener.com (October 11th 1994)
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Joseph Wood shot and killed his estranged girlfriend, Debra Dietz, and her father, Eugene Dietz, on August 7th, 1989 at a Tucson automotive paint and body shop owned and operated by the Dietz family.

Since 1984, Joseph and Debra had maintained a tumultuous relationship increasingly fueled by Woods’s abusive and violent behavior. Eugene generally disapproved of this relationship, but did not actively interfere. In fact, the Dietz family often invited Joe to dinners and other social activities & events. Several times, however, Eugene refused to let Joseph visit Debra during business hours, while she was working at the shop. On the other hand, Joseph Wood disliked Eugene and told him he would “get him back” and that Eugene would “be sorry.”

Debra had rented an apartment that she shared with Joseph. Because Wood was seldom employed, Debra supported him as well financially. Wood nevertheless assaulted Debra periodically. At some point she finally tried to end the destructive relationship after a fight during the 1989, 4th of July weekend. She left her apartment and moved in with her parents, saying “I don’t want any more of this.” After Debra left, Joseph ransacked and vandalized the apartment. She obtained an order of protection against Wood later on July 8th, 1989.

In the following weeks, however, Joseph repeatedly tried to contact Debra at the shop, her parents’ home, or her apartment. Debra was often bruised and sometimes wore sunglasses to hide blackened eyes. A neighbor who heard “thuds and banging” within Debra’s apartment called police on June 30th, 1989, after finding Debra outside in a “hysterical” mood. The responding officer saw cuts and bruises on Debra.

Joe Wood left at least 10 messages on Debra’s apartment answering machine on the night of Friday, August 4th, 1989. Some messages contained threats of harm, such as: “Debbie, I’m sorry I have to do this. I hope someday somebody will understand when we’re not around no more. I do love you babe. I’m going to take you with me.”

Debra and Eugene drove together to work at the shop early on August 7th, 1989, a Monday morning. Wood phoned the shop three times that morning, where Debra hung up on him once, and Eugene hung up on him twice. Joseph then called back again and asked another employee if Debra or Eugene were at the shop. The employee said that they had temporarily left but would return back soon. Debra and Eugene came back at 8:30 a.m. and began working in different areas of the shop. Six other employees were also present that morning. At about 8:50 a.m., a Tucson Police Officer saw Joe Wood driving in a "suspicious manner" near the shop.

The LE officer slowed her patrol car and made eye contact with Wood, as he left his truck and entered the shop. Eugene was on the telephone in an area where three other employees were working. Joseph waited for Eugene to hang up the phone, drew a .38 caliber revolver, and approached to within four feet of him. The other employees shouted for Wood to put the gun away. Without saying a word, he fatally shot Eugene once in the chest and then smiled. When the Police Officer saw (or heared) this from her patrol car she immediately called in for more Police Officers to get to the scene. Wood then left the shop, but in some moment quickly returned and again pointed his revolver at the now supine Eugene. Donald Dietz, an employee and Eugene’s seventy-year-old brother, struggled with Wood, who then ran to the area where Debra was working.

Debra had apparently heard an employee shout that her father had been shot and was trying to telephone for medical help when Wood grabbed her around the neck from behind and placed his revolver directly against her chest. Debra struggled and screamed, “No, Joe, don’t!” Another employee heard Wood say, “I told you I was going to do it, I have to kill you.” He then called Debra a “bitch” and shot her twice in the chest.

By then several Police Officers were already on the scene when Wood left the shop after shooting Debra. Two officers ordered him to put his hands up. He instantly complied and dropped his weapon, but then regrabbed it again, and began raising it toward the Officers (possibly in attempt to deal with "suicide by cops"). After once more ordering Wood to raise his hands, the officers shot Joe Wood several times but did not die.

A grand jury indicted Defendant on two counts of first degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault against the officers. Although he did not testify, Defendant did not dispute his role in the killings but argued he had acted impulsively and without premeditation.

A jury found Defendant guilty on all counts. The trial court sentenced him to death for each of the murders and to concurrent fifteen-year prison terms for the aggravated assaults, to be served consecutively to the death sentences.

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Prosecutors ask Arizona court to order execution

FROM: The Washington Post (April 23rd 2014)
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State prosecutors are asking the Arizona Supreme Court to order the execution of a man sentenced to death for killing his estranged girlfriend and her father in Pima County nearly a quarter-century ago.

The Attorney General’s Office on Tuesday asked for a warrant scheduling the execution of 55-year-old Joseph Rudolph Wood III for the 1989 killings of Debra and Eugene Dietz.

Appeals courts have upheld Wood’s convictions and death sentence and the Attorney General’s Office says Wood has exhausted his appeals and has no action pending in any court.

A defense lawyer for Wood, assistant public defender Dale Baich, says the Department of Corrections’ recent decision to use a two-drug combination for executions is “novel and highly untested.”

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Additional Information Links:

• http://www.azcorrections.gov/inmate_datasearch/results_Minh.aspx?InmateNumber=086279&LastName=WOODJOSEPH%20R&SearchType=SearchInet
• http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2012/09/appeals-court-rejects-claims-of-death-row-inmate-in-tucson-murders/
• http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/death-row/2014/04/23/arizona-joseph-wood-execution-lethal-injection/8056101/
• http://leagle.com/decision/1994233180Ariz53_1222.xml/STATE%20v.%20WOOD