Thomas Battle was executed by the State of Missouri for the murder of Birdie Johnson
According to court documents Thomas Battle decided to rob his eighty year old neighbor Birdie Johnson. Once inside of the home Birdie Johnson would be sexually assaulted and beaten to death
Thomas Battle would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Thomas Battle would be executed by lethal injection on August 8 1996
Thomas Battle Case
In the early morning hours of July 5, 1980 Thomas Battle and Tracy Rowan were in Battle’s bedroom drinking beer and “getting high.” Battle suggested they burglarize the apartment of Ms. Birdie Johnson, an 80 year old neighbor of Battle’s.
The two gained entrance to Ms. Johnson’s apartment by ripping the screen from an open kitchen window and climbing into the apartment. As the two entered the kitchen Battle picked up a twelve-inch butcher knife.
Evidence showed that while in the apartment Ms. Johnson was brutally beaten and raped. The apartment was ransacked. At one point, Rowan turned on a light and Battle announced that because Ms. Johnson had seen their faces she would have to die.
Battle repeatedly stabbed Ms. Johnson with the butcher knife and finally plunged the blade into Ms. Johnson’s face just under her left eye. Ms. Johnson was still alive talking and saying short prayers when Battle and Rowan left the apartment.
Sometime between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. a neighbor of Ms. Johnson’s was awakened by knocking sounds coming from the victim’s apartment. The neighbor went to Ms. Johnson’s apartment and upon hearing moans coming from the residence broke down the front door and found Ms. Johnson laying on the floor. Police and medical personnel were summoned and Ms. Johnson was transported to the hospital where she died at 5:45 a.m. Death was attributed to severe trauma and bruising of her head resulting in cranial hemorrhaging, multiple bruises and contusions to her face and body, multiple incisions and lacerations to her chest and back, eight rib fractures, multiple lacerations of the lung, an injury to the brain from the facial stab wound, and shock.
Police interviewed a number of individuals concerning the murder which led them to Battle. After further investigation, Battle admitted that he was involved in the beating and stabbing of Ms. Johnson.
State of Missouri v. Thomas Battle
