RECIDIVIST MURDERER: JAMES GLENN ROBEDEAUX (EXECUTED ON JUNE 1, 2000)

On this date, June 1, 2000, a recidivist murderer, James Glenn Robedeaux was executed by lethal injection in Oklahoma for the September 22, 1985 murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Rose Lee McKinney. He had earlier committed another murder in March 1978. I got the information about him from clarkprosecutor.org.

James Glenn Robedeaux

Summary: On August 20, 1985, the disappearance of Nancy Rose Lee McKinney, 37, was reported by her mother. James Glenn Robedeaux, 36, the woman’s boyfriend, was arrested on the morning of November 15, 1985, although her body had not been found. The charge alleged he beat the woman to death in Oklahoma City on or about September 17, 1985. The charge was based on stains found on the carpet, on Robedeaux’s jeans, and the seat cover of his pickup, which were identified as the same blood type A as McKinney. A left leg was found on December 28, 1985, by two boys while they were playing in a creek near Wellston. On February 3, 1986, a skull was found in a rural yard where it had apparently been dragged by a dog. The state medical examiner’s office identified the skull as McKinney’s by comparing X-rays. An arm was found on February 15, 1986. No other body parts were found. During a preliminary hearing in February 1986, Lisa Gail Austin testified that Robedeaux had told her about Nancy. She said he told her that he killed her and buried her and that he cut her up. A sheriff’s deputy testified that Robedeaux said he suffered a split lip and McKinney bled heavily after he did a pretty good number on her face. 

In November 1978, Robedeaux plead guilty to strangling to death his first wife, Linda Sue Robedeaux in March 1978. He was sentenced on a second degree murder conviction and given a sentence of 25 years in prison with 15 years suspended. In February 1983, he also received an additional year in prison for escaping when he failed to return to Oklahoma City Community Treatment Center on July 27, 1982. He was released in September 1984. On November 19, 1985, he was charged with attempting to kill his second wife, Doris M. Robedeaux, by choking her. Doris Robedeaux told police that she and her husband were separated, but she went to meet him after he said that he wanted to try to get back together. Doris Robedeaux suffered a broken nose and fractured eye socket during that beating. The jury was not told of this history at trial. 

James Robedeaux - Executed June 1, 2000 (Information Compiled and Edited by Lynn Sissons)

James Glenn Robedeaux, 51, was executed by lethal injection on June 1, 2000. Robedeaux was pronounced dead at 12:34am. He was the seventh man executed by Oklahoma this year and the 26th since capital punishment was reinstated in 1977.

Background - On August 20, 1985, the disappearance of Nancy Rose Lee McKinney, 37, was reported by her mother. James Glenn Robedeaux, 36, the woman’s boyfriend, was arrested on the morning of November 15, 1985, at his home in Oklahoma City. Police Captain MT Berry stated that McKinney’s disappearance was being handled as a homicide.

In November 1978, Robedeaux plead guilty to strangling to death his first wife, Linda Sue Robedeaux in March 1978. He was sentenced on a second degree murder conviction and given a sentence of 25 years in prison with 15 years suspended. In February 1983, he also received an additional year in prison for escaping when he failed to return to Oklahoma City Community Treatment Center on July 27, 1982. He was released in September 1984. On November 19, 1985, he was charged with attempting to kill his second wife, Doris M. Robedeaux, by choking her. Doris Robedeaux told police that she and her husband were separated, but she went to meet him after he said that he wanted to try to get back together. Doris Robedeaux suffered a broken nose and fractured eye socket during that beating.

Robedeaux was charged with first degree murder in December 1985 for killing Nancy McKinney, although her body had not been found. The charge alleged he beat the woman to death in Oklahoma City on or about September 17, 1985. The charge was based on evidence found in the apartment where Robedeaux had lived with McKinney. The apartment owner said he alerted police after he and his employees found some stains on the carpets and walls. Robedeaux had been seen leaving the apartment with carpet cleaning equipment. He moved from the apartment on October 11, 1985. Stains found on the carpet, on Robedeaux’s jeans, and the seat cover of his pickup were human blood, Type A. McKinney had that type of blood.

A left leg was found on December 28, 1985, by two boys while they were playing in a creek near Wellston. On February 3, 1986, a skull was found in a rural yard where it had apparently been dragged by a dog. The state medical examiner’s office identified the skull as McKinney’s by comparing X-rays. An arm was found on February 15, 1986. No other body parts were found.

During a preliminary hearing in February 1986, Lisa Gail Austin testified that Robedeaux had told her about Nancy. She said he told her that he killed her and buried her and that he cut her up. Austin said that Robedeaux told her this at a club on November 14, 1985. Austin said when they returned home, Robedeaux was drunk and mad. She said he then choked her and pushed her down some stairs. They had lived together in Oklahoma City since October 18, 1985. After neighbors called police, Robedeaux was arrested.

During the murder trial in June 1986, a jury heard testimony from a couple living in an apartment below McKinney’s apartment. They began hearing loud noises, that sounded like someone getting on furniture and jumping off of it, at approximately 10 p.m. on September 22, 1985. A bartender testified that she helped a nervous Robedeaux move a stereo from the apartment after he started staying with her in late September. The apartment smelled, but Robedeaux explained to her that the odor was from spoiled hamburger meat. A police detective testified that when they arrested Robedeaux on November 14, 1985, he denied harming McKinney. But started crying when the police told him that they were convinced that he killed her and that her family wanted a proper burial. The next day Robedeaux told police that McKinney left the apartment after a final fight. A Noble County sheriff’s deputy testified that Robedeaux said he suffered a split lip and McKinney bled heavily after he did a pretty good number on her face.

A doctor from the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner’s Office identified the skull, arm, and leg as McKinney’s. He estimated that it would take approximately 4 to 5 hours to dismember a body. A forensic anthropologist from Norman also identified the leg and skull as McKinney’s remains. He also testified that "squared off" cut marks on the leg bone are consistent with the use of a saw with a thin blade. Defense witnesses testified that Robedeaux was in bars during the time he is accused of killing and sawing up his girlfriend. Two members of a band testified that Robedeaux played drums with them every Sunday at a local club from Labor Day until his arrest in November. These Sunday sessions, including September 22, 1985, would last until 11 p.m. or midnight. Another defense witness testified Robedeaux joined him at a different bar at about 11 p.m. on September 22 and stayed until 1:45 a.m. on September 23. Robedeaux did not testify. The jury was not told at that time that Robedeaux had served a prison sentence after pleading guilty to strangling to death his first wife.

After 90 minutes of deliberations, the jury convicted Robedeaux of killing and dismembering Nancy McKinney. During the punishment phase, after hearing evidence of other attacks on women, including his first wife’s murder, they recommended the death penalty. Two former girlfriends described how Robedeaux attacked and choked them. McKinney’s 13-year-old daughter said he choked her until she passed out. A defense psychiatrist testified that he believed Robedeaux did not know what he was doing during the violent attacks because of his alcohol problem which was worsened by diabetes. He said that when a person with diabetes drinks it causes tremendous problems, and that a person in those circumstances could be in a semi-coma much of the time. Other defense witnesses described Robedeaux as a nice person when sober.

According to District Attorney Robert Macy, evidence showed that Robedeaux killed McKinney and used a saw and knife or machete to dissect her. Macy theorized that he removed the body parts in trash bags and dumped them into Coon Creek in far north Oklahoma City. Macy also said that the large amount of blood in the apartment indicated that McKinney may have still been alive at the start of the dissection. When sentenced to death, Robedeaux told the judge that he was innocent. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board held a clemency hearing for James Robedeaux on Tuesday, May 23. The Board voted 4-0 to deny a recommendation of clemency. Vigils were held at numerous locations around the state on the evening of May 31.