Robert Henderson was a spree killer who was executed by the State of Florida for a series of murders
According to court documents Robert Henderson would go on a reign of terror through several States that would leave at least twelve people dead
- Henderson would begin his reign in Ohio with the sexual assault and murder of Jerilyn Stanfield
- Henderson would then murder Ivan Barnett, his wife Marie, and their eleven-year-old son Clifford in Ohio
- Robert Henderson would murder Lucinda Lee Russell in South Carolina
- He would then murder Murray Ferderber and retail clerk Dorothy Wilkinson in Florida
- Henderson would then murder Cheryl McDonald in Mississippi
- Sam Corrent would be the next victim in Louisiana
- His reign of terror would end in Florida with the murders of Robert Dawson, Frances Bell Dickey, and Vernon D. Odom
After the last murders Robert Henderson would turn himself over to police
Robert Henderson would be convicted and sentenced to death
Robert Henderson would be executed via the electric chair on April 23 1993
Robert Henderson Case
Robert Dale Henderson was executed in Florida’s electric chair Wednesday for the 1982 murders of three hitchhikers.
A spokeswoman at the Florida State Prison said the official time of death was 7:10 a.m.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Henderson’s request for a stay of execution Tuesday night. The Florida Supreme Court rejected a similar request on Monday.
Henderson, 48, was put to death for the 1982 fatal shootings of David Vernon Odom, 27, of Clarksdale, Miss.; Robert Lee Dawson, 18, of West Helena, Ark.; and Francis Bell Dickey, 23, of Batesville, Miss.
According to trial evidence, Henderson picked up the three as they were hitchhiking in Florida’s Big Bend area near Tallahassee on Feb. 2, 1982, and drove them to Hernando County.
At gunpoint, Henderson forced the woman to tie up the two men and put adhesive tape over their mouths. He forced her to watch as he shot the men to death, then shot her to death.
Four days later, Henderson surrendered to authorities on unrelated charges of filing a false burglary report. He then confessed to the killings, gave police the murder weapon and led them to the bodies.
Authorities said Henderson, a native of Esther, Mo., went on a killing rampage in early 1982 that left 12 dead, including the three hitchhikers.
After being strapped into the electric chair, Henderson was asked by prison Superintendent Everett Perrin whether he had any last words.
‘No sir, I don’t,’ Henderson replied.
Henderson was the 30th man to die in Florida’s electric chair since the death penalty was reinstituted in 1976.
Michael Radelet, a paralegal who worked on the case, met with Henderson a few hours before the execution.
‘He expressed remorse for his crime, he expressed — sympathy understates it — but he expressed his heartfelt regret to the families of the victims, (and) expressed concern for his own family,’ Radelet said. ‘He expressed a lack of understanding of what led him to commit the crimes other than a general feeling it was drugs and alcohol.
‘There’s nobody in the state of Florida who knows more than Mr. Henderson the horror of his own crimes. He had come to grips with that. He was at peace with himself and his God.’
Henderson was represented by Terri Bacchus of the state office of the Capital Collateral Representative, which represents Death Row inmates.
In addition to the three deaths for which he was executed, Henderson confessed to the January 1982 shooting deaths of Dorothy Wilkinson, 50, and Dr. Murray Ferderber, 71, in Putnam County and had been sentenced to life in prison for those killings.
In Ohio, Henderson was given life in prison for the 1982 murder of Jerilyn Stanfield of Cincinnati, and the 1982 killing of Henderson’s in- laws, Evan and Marine Barnett, and their 11-year-old son, Clifford.
Henderson also admitted to killing Lucinda Russell, 21, in South Carolina in January 1982 and was also sentenced to life in prison.
He had been charged but not tried in the January 1982 killings of Sam Corrent in Baton Rouge, La.; and Cheryl McDonald, in Pascagoula, Miss.
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/04/21/Florida-executes-convicted-killer-Henderson/4223735364800/