Morris Mason

Morris Odell Mason (March 28, 1954 – June 25, 1985) was a convicted rapist and murderer who called himself "the killer for the Eastern Shore".[1]

Morris Odell Mason
Born(1954-03-28)March 28, 1954
DiedJune 25, 1985(1985-06-25) (aged 31)
Cause of deathExecution by electrocution
Other namesThe Killer for the Eastern Shore
Criminal statusExecuted
Conviction(s)Capital murder
Rape
Arson
Grand larceny
Criminal penaltyDeath by electrocution
Details
VictimsUrsula Stevenson, 86
Margaret K. Hand, 71
Span of crimes
May 2–May 14, 1978
Date apprehended
May 15, 1978

Early life

Mason was born in Philadelphia, and was raised by his mother in Northampton County, Virginia. He struggled in academics and never completed high school.[2]

Mason was also joined the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.[3]

Crimes

He was convicted of rape, murder, and arson in the murder of 71-year-old Margaret K. Hand in Northampton County, Virginia on May 13, 1978.[4] Mason nailed his victim's wrist into the seat of a chair and bound her with rope into that chair before burning her home down. Mason also confessed to raping and murdering 86-year-old Ursula Stevenson on May 2, 1978, as well as raping and sodomizing a 12-year-old girl and shooting her 13-year-old sister, who became a paraplegic as a result, on May 14, 1978.[5][6]

Attorneys for Mason contended that their client was mentally retarded and did not comprehend his crimes, thus warranting the commutation of his death sentence by Governor Chuck Robb. Robb rejected their appeals after having read internal memos stating that several psychiatric analyses of Mason done by the state during his life of crime showed that Mason had a low IQ but understood his actions. In particular, after killing Hand, Mason took steps to avoid implicating himself by returning to the burning house to recover a bag with his identity papers in it.[7]

Mason's last meal consisted of four Big Macs, two large orders of french fries, two ice cream sundae, a piece of hot apple pie, and two large grape sodas, which he shared with two guards.[8][9] He had no last words.

See also

General references

References

  1. "Mason v. Com". Justia Law. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
  2. Peppers, Todd C.; Anderson, Margaret Adell (2017). A Courageous Fool: Marie Deans and Her Struggle Against the Death Penalty. Vanderbilt University Press. ISBN 978-0-8265-2160-6.
  3. "Morris Odell Mason (1954-1985) - Find a Grave..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  4. "Mason v. Com". Justia Law. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  5. "Morris Mason - Paroled - Daily Press, Jun 11, 1978". Daily Press. 1978-06-11. p. 29. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  6. "Suffolk News-Herald 18 November 1984 — Virginia Chronicle: Digital Newspaper Archive". virginiachronicle.com. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  7. Sherwood, Tom (1985-06-26). "'Killer for Eastern Shore' Executed After Gov. Robb Denies Final Pleas". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  8. Hopkins, Evan (July 21, 1985). "My Life Above Virginia's Electric Chair". The Washington Post.
  9. "Mason". Daily Press. 1985-06-26. p. 3. Retrieved 2022-03-09.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.