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Adult Institutions

Death Row Inmates

BAZE, RALPH (DOB 07-01-55)

Baze was sentenced to death on February 4, 1994, in Rowan County for the murder of two police officers. On January 30, 1992, a Powell County Deputy, Arthur Briscoe, went to Baze's home regarding warrants from Ohio. He returned with Sheriff Steve Bennett. Baze, using an assault rifle, killed the two police officers. Baze was arrested the same day in Estill County

​BOWLING, RONNIE LEE (DOB 12-05-68)

Bowling was sentenced to death on December 9, 1992, in Laurel County for the murder of two gas station attendants in two separate robberies. Bowling, from Clay County, Kentucky, shot and killed Ronald Smith, a London, Kentucky service station attendant during the early morning of January 20, 1989. Again, in the early morning of February 22, 1989, Marvin Hensley, a service station manager in London, Kentucky, was robbed and killed. Bowling was arrested on February 25, 1989.

​CAUDILL, VIRGINIA (DOB 09-10-60)

Caudill was sentenced to death on March 24, 2000 in Fayette County for murder, robbery I, burglary I, arson II, and tampering with physical evidence. On March 15, 1998, Caudill and accomplice Johnathan Wayne Goforth entered the home of a 73 year old female, beat her to death, and then burglarized her home. They then placed her body in the trunk of her own vehicle and drove her to a rural area in Fayette County and set the car on fire.

​DUNLAP, KEVIN WAYNE (DOB 05-15-72)

Dunlap was sentenced to death on March 19, 2010, in Livingston County. On October 15, 2008, Dunlap stabbed and​ killed a 5 year old boy and his 14 and 17 year old sisters in their home. He then raped and attempted to murder their mother by stabbing her with a knife. When he thought that the mother was dead, he set fire to the home and left. He was arrested on October 18, 2008. He was convicted of the following crimes: 3 counts of Murder (Capital); 3 counts of Kidnapping-Victim Death (Capital); Kidnapping-With Serious Physical Injury;  Rape 1st Degree with Serious Physical Injury; Arson 1st Degree; Criminal Attempt-Murder; Burglary 1st Degree; 3 counts of Tampering With Physical Evidence.

​EPPERSON, ROGER D. (DOB 03-19-50)

Epperson is currently on Death Row for the murder and robbery of Bessie and Edwin Morris in their home in Gray Hawk, Kentucky on June 16, 1985. He was sentenced to death initially in 1996. 

​FIELDS, SAMUEL STEVEN (DOB 11-21-71)

Fields was initially sentenced to death on April 29, 1997 for the murder of 84 year old Bess Horton. His case was reversed and remanded on March 16, 2000. He was resentenced to death on January 8, 2004. During the early morning hours of August 19, 1993, in Floyd County, Fields entered the home of Bess Horton through a back window. Fields stabbed the victim in the head and slashed her throat. Mr. Horton died as a result of multiple sharp force injuries of the head and neck with exsanguinations. The large knife used to slash her throat was found protruding from her right temple area. Fields was arrested at the scene. The case was transferred to Rowan County.

​FOLEY, ROBERT (DOB 09-13-56)

Foley was sentenced to death on September 23, 1993 in Laurel County for the murders of two brothers, Rodney and Lynn Vaughn, during an argument at his residence on August 17, 1991 in Madison County. On April 27, 1994 he was given a second death sentence in Madison County for the murders of Kimberly Bowersock, Lillian Contino, Jerry McMillen, and Calvin Reynolds. He sho​t the four victims on October 8, 1989 because he thought one of them had reported him to his parole officer.

​FURNISH, FRED (DOB 12-24-67)

Furnish was sentenced to death on July 8, 1999 in Kenton County for the murder of Ramona Jean Williamson. On June 25, 1998, Furnish entered into Mrs. Williamson's Crestview Hills home and strangled the victim to death. After killing Mrs. Williamson, Furnish used her debit cards to withdraw money from her bank accounts. The jury also found Furnish guilty of robbery, burglary, theft, and receiving stolen money by fraud. Furnish, who had several convictions for theft and burglary, spent nearly a dozen years behind bars in Kentucky and Indiana. Each time he was released, he soon returned to prison for another burglary. By the time he was released in April, 1997, he had hit a prison guard, adding an assault charge to his record.

​GOFORTH, JOHNATHAN WAYNE (DOB 11-21-60)

Goforth was sentenced to death on March 24, 2000 in Fayette County for murder, robbery I, burglary I, arson II, and tampering with physical evidence. On March 15, 1998, Goforth and accomplice Virginia Caudill entered the home of a 73 year old female, beat her to death and then burglarized her home. They then placed her body in the truck of her own vehicle and drove her to a rural area in Fayette County and set the car on fire.

​HAIGHT, RANDY (DOB 07-18-52)

Haight was sentenced to death on March 22, 1994 in Jefferson County for the murder of Patricia Vance and David Omer on August 22, 1985. Haight escaped from Johnson County Jail on August 18, 1985 with his girlfriend and another male inmate while awaiting trial. The bodies of Vance and Omer were discovered inside their car near Herrington Lake in Garrard County. Haight was apprehended in a cornfield in Mercer County on August 23, 1985.

​HODGE, BENNY LEE (DOB 8-9-51)

Hodge was sentenced to death on June 20, 1986 in Letcher County along with Roger Epperson for the murder of Tammy Acker. The murder occurred when Hodge and two accomplices entered the home of a Fleming-Neon, Kentucky physician on the night of August 8, 1985. They choked the man unconscious, and stabbed his daughter, Tammy Acker, to death while robbing him of $1.9 million, handguns, and jewelry. He was arrested in Florida on August 15, 1985. He also received a second death sentence on November 22, 1996 for the murder and robbery of Bessie and Edwin Morris in their home in Gray Hawk, Kentucky on June 16, 1985.

​HUNT, JAMES (DOB 10-16-48)

Hunt was sentenced to death on July 31, 2006 in Floyd County for burglary I, wanton endangerment in the 1st degree, and the murder of Bettina Hunt, his estranged wife. On November 30, 2004 when the officers arrived at the scene they found the body of Bettina Hunt with bullet wounds to the arms, cheek area of the face, and a wound between the bridge of her nose and left eye. The victim's infant granddaughter was also in the home. The victim was pronounced dead at the residence. Troopers were advised that Bettina Hunt's estranged husband was involved in a one-vehicle accident approximately 200 feet from the residence. Upon further investigation and collection of evidence, James Hunt was lodged in the Pike County Detention Center and charged with murder. Trial began on May 15, 2006. The jury returned a verdict of guilt to murder, burglary, burglary 1st degree, and wanton endangerment 1st degree. Hunt was sentenced to death on the murder charge. Hunt consented to allow the court to sentence him on the remaining charges.

​JOHNSON, DONALD (DOB 05-25-67)

Johnson was sentenced to death on October 1, 1997 in Floyd County for the stabbing death of Helen Madden. Ms. Madden's body was found on November 30, 1989 at the Bright and Clean Laundry in Hazard where she was employed. It was determined that she had also been sexually assaulted. Johnson was arrested on December 01, 1989 and charged with murder, robbery, and burglary. The charge of 1st degree sexual assault was added later.

​MATTHEWS, DAVID EUGENE (DOB 09-06-48)

Matthews was sentenced to death on November 11, 1982 in Jefferson County for the murders of Mary Matthews and Magdalene Cruse on June 29, 1981 in Louisville, Kentucky. Mary Matthews was his estranged wife and Magdalene Cruse was his mother-in-law. In the process of committing these crimes, he burglarized his wife's home. He was tried and convicted on October 8, 1982.

​MEECE, WILLIAM HARRY (DOB 10-18-72)

Meece was convicted of 3 counts of murder, burglary in the 1st degree, and robbery in the 1st degree. He was sentenced to death on November 9, 2006 in Warren County. On February 26, 2003, he shot Joseph and Elizabeth Wellnitz and their son, Dennis Wellnitz, in their home, in Columbia, Kentucky. Meece was originally indicted in Adair County, case 03-CR-00020. However, on June 30, 2006, a change of venue was entered and the case was moved to Warren County, case   06-CR-00656.

​MOORE, BRIAN (DOB 12-16-57)

Moore was sentenced to death on November 29, 1984 in Jefferson County for kidnapping, robbery and the murder of 79 year old Virgil Harris on August 10, 1979 in Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. Harris was returning to his car from a grocery store parking lot when he was abducted, driven to a wooded area of Jefferson County and killed.

​SANDERS, DAVID LEE (DOB 08-08-60)

Sanders was sentenced to death on June 5, 1987 in Madison County for the murders of Jim Brandenburg and Wayne Hatch on January 28, 1987 in Madison County, Kentucky, during a grocery store robbery.

​STOPHER, VINCENT (DOB 07-11-72)

Stopher was sentenced to death on March 23, 1998 in Jefferson County. On March 10, 1997 in Jefferson County, Deputy Sheriff Gregory Hans was dispatched to the home of Vincent and Kathleen Becker. A struggle occurred whereby Stopher obtained Hans' 9mm pistol and shot Deputy Sheriff Hans.

​TAYLOR, VICTOR D. (DOB 04-06-60)

Taylor was sentenced to death on May 23, 1986 in Jefferson County for kidnapping, robbery, sodomy, and murder. On September 29, 1984, Taylor and another man kidnapped at gunpoint two high school students, Scott Nelson and Richard Stephenson, in Louisville, Kentucky. The men took the boys to a vacant lot, robbed them and shot them to death. Taylor was arrested on October 4, 1984.

​THOMPSON, WILLIAM EUGENE (DOB 07-26-51)

Thompson was sentenced to death on March 18, 1998 in Graves County. Thompson entered a plea of guilty on January 12, 1995, to the following charges: capital murder, robbery in the 1st degree, and escape in the 1st degree, which occurred on May 9, 1986. Thompson, of Pike County, Kentucky, was sentenced to life for the 1986 murder of Correctional Officer Fred Cash at the Western Kentucky Farm Center in Graves County on March 18, 1998. Thompson was currently serving a life sentence at the Western Kentucky Farm Center for the offense of willful murder for hire in Pike County. While working with an inmate crew at the dairy, Thompson struck Correction Officer Fred Cash repeatedly in the head with a hammer, dragged the body into a barn stall, and fled n the prison farm van. Police arrested Thompson in a bus station on his way to Indiana. Thompson was convicted and sentenced to death in October 1986 in Lyon County, but seven years later the state Supreme Court threw out the conviction and ordered a new trial. Thompson also won a change of venue from Lyon County to Graves County.

​WHEELER, ROGER (DOB 08-21-60)

While on parole for 10 counts of robbery I, Wheeler killed Nigel Malone and Nairobi Warfield on October 2, 1997. Both of the victims were stabbed multiple times. When detectives arrived at the scene they discovered the murder weapon, a pair of scissors, still in the neck of one of the victims and a blood trail leading from the victims to the street. Blood samples collected at the scene matched Wheeler's blood. He was sentenced to death on 5-1-2001.​

​WHITE, KARU GENE (DOB 11-18-58)

White was sentenced to death on March 29, 1980 in Powell County for the murder of three Breathitt County residents. On the evening of February 12, 1979 White and two accomplices entered a Haddix, Kentucky store operate by two elderly men, Charles Gross and Sam Chaney, and an elderly woman, Lula Gross. White and his accomplices bludgeoned to death the men and woman. They took a billfold containing $7,000, coins, and a handgun. White was arrested on July 27, 1979.

​WHITE, LARRY LAMONT (DOB 03-30-58)

White was sentenced to death on October 14, 2014 in Jefferson County for the murder and rape of Pamela Denise Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong's body was found deceased in Jefferson County. She had been shot twice in the head with a .38 caliber weapon. It was also determined that she has been raped. During the initial investigation, White has been developed as a suspect. A sample of White's DNA was obtained, and after comparison, was found to match the DNA samples that had been attained from the victim.

​WILLOUGHBY, MITCHELL (DOB 10-05-58)

Willoughby was sentenced to death on September 15, 1983 in Fayette County for the participation in the murder of three people with Leif Halvorsen, also under the death sentence. On January 13, 1983, the two men shot to death Jacqueline Greene, Joe Norman, and Joey Durham in a Lexington, Kentucky apartment. That night they attempted to dispose of the bodies by throwing them from the Brooklyn Bridge in Jessamine County, Kentucky.

​WINDSOR, SHAWN (DOB 11-29-​63)

Windsor was sentenced to death on November 17, 2006. Windsor was convicted of Murder - 2 counts and Theft by Unlawful Taking over $300. On December 28, 2003, in Jefferson County, Windsor beat and stabbed his wife, Betty Jean Windsor, and 8-year old son, Corey Windsor. At the time of the murders, there was a valid domestic violence order in effect which ordered Shawn Windsor to remain at least 500 feet away from Betty Jean Windsor, and to commit no further acts of domestic violence. After killing his wife and son, he fled to Nashville, Tennessee in his wife's car where he left it in a hospital parking garage. Nine months later, in July of 2004, Windsor was captured in North Carolina.

​WOODALL, ROBERT KEITH (DOB 03-19-74)

Woodall was sentenced to death on September 4, 1998 in Caldwell County for capital murder, capital kidnapping, and first degree rape. On January 25, 1997, Woodall abducted Sarah Hansen from the Minit Mark parking lot in Greenville, Kentucky. He then drove to Luzerne Lake where he proceeded to rape her. Woodall beat her and used a box-cutter knife to inflict cuts in Sarah Hansen's throat. Her body was dragged and discarded into the water. Result of an autopsy revealed that water was found in Sarah Hansen's lungs and reports that she died as a result of drowning.