On
this date, July 29, 2003, Harold Loyd McElmurry III was executed for the murders
of an elderly couple on August 2, 1999. He needed a suicide assist and he gave
himself up to be put to death. I will post the information from
clarkprosecutor.org.
INTERNET SOURCE: http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/US/mcelmurry870.htm
Summary: A World War II veteran and a paraplegic, 80
year old Robert Pendley and his wife were stabbed and beaten to death outside
their home by McElmurry and his wife. Some weeks before they died, the couple
hired a man to clear some land so they could see the sunset better. At one
point the man came to work along with two people who had been living with him,
Harold and Vickie McElmurry. The Pendleys put them to work as well. Several
weeks after the work was done, the McElmurrys returned. After spending two days
walking through the woods to reach the Pendley home, they visited with the
elderly couple, then retreated to the woods. According to McElmurry, he and his
wife "shot up" with methamphetamine while trying to decide whether to
rob and kill the Pendleys or simply rob them. They returned to the home,
finding the elderly couple in the garage. While Vickie McElmurry lured Vivian
Pendley away, Harold McElmurry attacked Robert Pendley, stabbing him multiple
times with a pair of scissors before beating him with garden instruments and a
pipe.Vivian Pendley was also beaten and stabbed to death by McElmurry while his
wife held her. The McElmurrys fled with two pistols, $70 cash and the Pendleys'
12-year-old Oldsmobile, crossing the border into Mexico for several days. They
were captured when crossing back into the United States near Laredo, Texas, and
returned to Oklahoma. McElmurry had prior 1998 convictions for Grand Larceny
and Receiving Stolen Property. He waived all appeals of his death sentence.
Accomplice Vicki McElmurry was also convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Citations:
McElmurry v. State, 60 P.3d 4 (Okla.Crim.App. 2002).
McElmurry v. State, 60 P.3d 4 (Okla.Crim.App. 2002).
Canadian bacon pizza, a pint of chicken livers, cottage cheese and one raw white onion.
Final Words:
"I'd like to say I'm sorry to the Pendleys. I hope they can forgive me."
Internet Sources:
Inmate:
Harold Loyd McElmurry III ODOC#: 261500
FBI#: 714897LB6
Birthdate: 06/01/1970
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 5 ft. 11 in
Weight: 150 pounds
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Location: Oklahoma State Penitentiary, Mcalester
"Oklahoma
Executes Killer of Elderly Couple." (July 29, 2003)
McAlester,
Okla. - A man who murdered an elderly couple who once hired him to do lawn work
and odd jobs was executed by lethal injection at the state prison Tuesday
night. Harold McElmurry became the 14th convicted killer put to death in
Oklahoma in 2003 - second only to Texas in executions for the year. He also
became the 50th condemned killer put to death in the United States in 2003.
The
victims, Rosa Vivien Pendley, 75, and Robert Pendley, 80, lived in Eufaula.
Robert Pendley was a paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair. "I'd like to
say I'm sorry to the Pendleys," McElmurry said in his last statment.
"I hope they can forgive me." The lethal injection of chemicals began
at 6:04 p.m. and McElmurry was pronounced dead at 6:06 p.m. For his last meal,
McElmurry requested a medium pizza with Canadian bacon, a pint of chicken
livers, cottage cheese and a white onion, a spokesman for the Oklahoma
Department of Corrections stated.
Killed
With Scissors And Pipe
The
murders occurred Aug. 2, 1999. The Pendleys were stabbed with scissors and
their heads smashed in with a pipe. Harold McElmurry confessed to the murders.
McElmurry's wife, Vicki, was sentenced to life in prison for her part in the
slayings. Court documents stated that the couple had previously done yard work
for the Pendleys. Harold McElmurry had talked of robbing and murdering the
couple. He believed he was about to be arrested for a probation violation, court
documents stated, and would be sent back to prison.
Long
Walk For Murder
The
murderous couple actually walked two days to get to the home of the Pendleys,
court documents stated. Outside the Pendley's home, the couple spent several
hours discussing the murders. "I wanted to kill them but I didn't feel
right about it," Harold McElmurry was quoted as stating in court
documents. "I didn't care for Vivien much, but I liked Robert. Robert was
real nice to me." McElmurry also stated that he and his wife injected
methamphetamines while outside discussing the robbery and murders before
returning to the Pendley home to slaughter the couple. Used Pipe To Finish
Victims In his written statement to investigators, Harold McElmurry said he
first killed Robert, using a scissors to repeatedly stab him in the chest and a
hoe to strike him in the head. He later used a pipe to smash his head after
discovering that Robert was still alive. As for Rosa Pendley, she was stabbed
while Vicki McElmurry held her. She was also struck with a pipe. The couple
stole $70, costume jewelry, the Pendley's car and a pistol. They fled to Texas
and then to Mexico. The couple were arrested when they crossed the border back
into the United States on Aug. 5, 1999. Harold McElmurry had previous
convictions for grand larceny and concealing stolen property.
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