Richard Delmer Boyer

Richard Delmer Boyer
Nationality American
Occupation Handyman
Criminal charge Capital murder
Criminal penalty Death
Killings
Victims 2
Date December 7, 1982
Country United States
State(s) California
Location(s) Fullerton
Killed 2
Weapons Knife

Richard Delmer Boyer is an American man convicted of murdering an elderly couple.

Background

Boyer, from El Monte, California, was working as a handyman at the time of the crime.[1]

Crime and arrest

On December 7, 1982 Boyer stabbed to death an elderly couple in Fullerton, California; he stabbed the husband 24 times and the wife 19 times.[2] He was arrested following a tip-off from the victim's son.[2] Boyer was not given access to a lawyer during his arrest.[3] He was about to be released by the police when he admitted the crime.[3]

Trial

During the trial Boyer was revealed to be a drug addict, and he had consumed both alcohol and drugs on the day of the murder.[3] He stated that he had driven to the victim's house to borrow money.[3] At the property he stated he started "freaking out" and could not remember committing the crime.[3] The first trial ended in a hung jury.[3] In the second trial, in 1984, a defense psychopharmacologist testified that Boyer had suffered a drug-induced flashback to a horror film, Halloween II, which features a scene with an elderly couple.[3][4] The film was shown to the jury, the first time in US legal history that a commercial motion picture had been submitted as evidence at a murder trial.[5] The jury found him guilty, and the judge sentenced Boyer to death.[5][6]

The California Supreme Court ordered a re-trial in 1989, stating that Boyer had been denied his Miranda rights.[5][7][8]

In 1991 he was linked to another murder, committed in 1980, but the District Attorney stated they would not pursue in case it distracted from the forthcoming re-trial.[9]

In 1992 Boyer was re-trialed, and was again found guilty and sentenced to death.[5][10][11][12][13]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Skal, p. 168-169
  2. 1 2 Skal, p. 168
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Skal, p. 169
  4. ↑ Thomas M. Sipos. "The Devil Made Me Do It". Salvo Magazine. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Skal, p. 170
  6. ↑ "Jury urges death for elderly couple's killer". Lakeland Ledger. September 13, 1984. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  7. ↑ Philip Hager (March 14, 1989). "High Court Upsets Murder Conviction, Citing Police for 'Blunder' With Suspect". LA Times. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  8. ↑ David G. Savage (November 28, 1989). "High Court Orders Retrial in Couple's Murders". LA Times. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  9. ↑ Jerry Hicks (February 11, 1991). "Man's Killing Surfaces Again Decade Later". LA Times. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  10. ↑ Mark I. Pinsky (June 23, 1992). "Man on Trial a Third Time for Murders". LA Times. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  11. ↑ Mark I. Pinsky (June 25, 1992). "Man Guilty of Murdering Fullerton Couple". LA Times. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  12. ↑ Mark I. Pinsky (August 4, 1992). "Death Penalty Recommended for Fullerton Couple's Killer". LA Times. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  13. ↑ Rene Lynch (October 24, 1992). "Man Who Killed Fullerton Couple Sentenced to Die". LA Times. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
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