Edward Harper was executed by the State of Kentucky for the murders of his adoptive parents
According to court documents Edward Harper would shoot and kill Edward Lee and Alice Harper in 1982 in order to collect his inheritance
Edward Harper would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Edward Harper would be executed by lethal injection on May 25 1999
Harper was the first person executed by lethal injection in Kentucky
Edward Harper Photos
Edward Harper Case
A summary of the evidence introduced at trial shows that about a month before the murders Harper had asked a girl friend if she would have her brother procure an untraceable and unregistered gun for him. Nothing came of this request. Later, Harper asked an acquaintance to purchase a .38 special or a .357, without serial numbers. Harper called several times inquiring about progress in procuring the gun and then, two days before the murders, advised that he was getting the gun from someone else.
On the same day, Harper called a Vernon Priddy who had advertised that he had a .38 special for sale. Harper told Priddy *667 that he wanted to buy the gun for his wife and that his name was Johnson. Harper met with Priddy at about 6 p.m. on the day of the murders and purchased the gun and six bullets. Earlier that day, Harper had purchased some .38 special bullets from a hardware store. After the purchase from Priddy, he returned the bullets purchased from the hardware store and insisted that his name be removed from the log book.
Harper then went to a park where he loaded the gun and test fired it. After watching his son play ball for a while, Harper then went to a bar. He left the bar about 11 p.m., went home, and shot and killed both of his parents. He then attempted to make it appear as if a burglary had occurred by throwing articles of clothing around and removing some items from the house. He threw the gun into a lake and disposed of other items in a ditch and the river. After this, he went home and called the police.
When asked by the police, Harper told them his father kept a .38 special in a bedroom closet. This was false. He added that he had purchased bullets at a hardware store and then returned them because they were not the type his father wanted. The police later found some of the items disposed of by Harper. The individual from whom Harper had wanted to purchase a .38 special or .357 notified the police of this fact. When Harper set up an appointment with this individual, the police put a tape recorder on him and taped the conversation with Harper. Nothing incriminating was on the tape.
While tracing guns sold through a publication, Bargain Mart, the police contacted Vernon Priddy who described the person who purchased the gun from him. This description fit Harper, and subsequently at a lineup, Priddy identified Harper as the purchaser. Harper was then advised of his constitutional rights and was placed under arrest for two counts of murder. At first, he maintained he was not involved and had not purchased a gun. A few minutes later, he said he would make a statement and did so. He confessed to purchasing the gun and killing his parents. He also showed the police where he had disposed of the gun, which was recovered by divers.
Harper relied upon a defense of insanity. He testified in his own defense. His testimony was that his mother was becoming increasingly violent towards his father, that his father was depressed, and asked Harper to kill him. After repeated requests by his father, Harper testified, he decided to kill him. He then told the jury how he purchased the gun and how he killed his father and mother.
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