Johnson and Smith, suspected of having robbed several newsboys in the
area, were arrested first and both made confessions, naming the other
boys as participants in the assault-murder and the juveniles were also
taken into custody where they, too, confessed, They then repudiated
‘their confessions in an interview with a newspaper reporter, claiming
that they had been made only because they were "scared" of the police,
Some corroborative evidence was found including abrasions on the penises
of Johnson and two of the younger boys. Johnson was placed on trial
first and sought to prove an alibi to the effect that he had been boxing
at a neighborhood hangout but he was convicted and sentenced to die,
The conviction was unsuccessfully appealed to the Texas Court of Crimi-
nal Appeals and on April 19, 1962, after heartily eating a last meal
composed of medium rare filet mignon, fried shrimp, hot buttered rolls,
Cherry malted milk and fresh strawberry pie, he went to his death in the
electric chair at the Texas State Prison, He went to his death calmly,
still maintaining his innocence, and after he entered the death chamber
he knelt before the electric chair and prayed: "I pray that this will
be the last time something like this will happen." His last words,
spoken after he had been seated, were: "Aren't you going to put a hood
over my head?" Smith, also sentenced to die, spent 11 years on death
row Merde siete death sentence was nullified by the Supreme Court Becis-
lon on capital punishment in 1972, The other five boys, all juveniles
at the time of the crime, were sent to a State reformatory,
HOUSTON. POST h-19-623 7-22, 7-23 & 7=2h, 1959 (Photo of all, page )
Johnson and Smith, suspected
area, were arrested first and both made confessions, naming the other
boys as participants in the assault-murder and the juveniles were also
taken into custody where they, too, confessed, They then repudiated
their confessions in an interview with a newspaper reporter, claiming
that they had been made only because they were "scared" of the police,
Some corroborative evidence was found including abrasions on the peniseg
of Johnson and two of the younger boyse Johnson was placed on trial
first and sought to prove an alibi to the effect that he had been boxing
at a neighborhood hangout but he was convicted and sentenced to die,
The conviction was unsuccessfully appealed to the Texas Court of Crimi-
nal Appeals and on April 19, 1962, after heartily eating a last meal
composed of medium rare filet mignon, fried shrimp, hot buttered rolls,
Cherry malted milk and fresh strawberry pie, he went to his death in thg
electric chair at the Texas State Prison, He went to his death calmly,
still maintaining his innocence, and after he entered the death chamber
he knelt before the electric chair and prayed: "I pray that this will
be the last time something like this will happen," His last words,
spoken after he had been seated, were: "Aren't you going to put a hood
over my head?" Smith, also sentenced to die, spent 11 years on death
row before, nF death sentence was nullified by the Supreme Court Becis-
ion on capital punishment in 197 e lhe other five boys, all juveniles
at the time of the crime, were sent to a State reformatory.
HOUSTON. POST he19=-623 7-22, 7-23 & 7-2, 1959 (Photo of all, page ))
JJohnson and Smith, suspected of having robbed several newsboys
area, were arrested first and both made confessions, naming the other
boys as participants in the assault-murder and the juveniles were also
taken into custody where they, too, confessed, They then repudiated
their confessions in an interview with a newspaper reporter, claiming
that they had been made only because they were "scared" of the police,
Some corroborative evidence was found including abrasions on the penised
of Johnson and two of the younger boys, Johnson was placed on trial
first and sought to prove an alibi to the effect that he had been boxing
lat a neighborhood hangout but he was convicted and sentenced to die.
The conviction was unsuccessfully appealed to the Texas Court of Crimi-
nal Appeals and on April 19, 1962, after heartily eating a lest meal
composed of medium rare filet mignon, fried shrimp, hot buttered rolls,
Cherry malted milk and fresh strawberry pie, he went to his death in th
electric chair at the Texas State Prison, He went to his desth calmly,
still maintaining his innocence, and after he entered the death chamber
he knelt before the electric chair and prayed: "I pray that this will
be the last time something like this will happen," His last words,
lsooken after he had been seated, were: "Aren't you going to put a hood
over my head?" Smith, also sentenced to diep epent 11 years on death
row before hig death sentence yas eet op a Cou Becre
ion on capital punistment in 17/2. The other tive Bbpes eit juverties
ihe of the crime, were sent toa State refornatory,
ROUSTON POST -19-62; 7-22, 7= 23 & 72h, 1959 (Photo of all, page l)
: Es een,
JOHNSON, Adrian $f / ele Flo Z- 336 SOUTHWESTERN (2nd) 175 (Tex Book #
EWITNESS by Reid, pages 71, 178 84 Aft)
Johnson, a l/-year-old black youth, lived at 1510 Cushing St., Houston,
Texase Around 6:30 on the afternoon of July 20, 1959, he, another 17~-
year-old, Joe Edward Smith, and five juveniles (Ira Lee Sadler, 133
David Arthur Clemons, 15; Charles Archer, 15; Roy Eugene Miller, 16;
and Robert Leroy Miller, 13), all of whom were black, intercepted
William M, Bodenheimer, III, a 12-year-old white boy, who was returning
to his home from an afternoon of swimming at Dunlavy Park, on West Gray
Avenue, They pushed him from his bicycle and when the boy ran into a
lot across the street, they followed and dragged him into an abandoned
shack wher e they demanded money, The boy toad them that he had none
and, after stripping him naked, they took turns repeatedly rammitting
rectal sodomy, Young Bodenheimer struggled to the best of his ability
but he was overpowered and forced to submit to the older and larger _
boys, After they had completed their assaults, they stuffed his body
into an abandoned refrigerator in the shack and left it there, The
next day, the boy's KX bicycle was discovered in front of the shack
where kime his assailants had taken it, and a search of the premises
revealed his body in the icebox, An autopsy revealed that some of
his internal organs were dislocated by. the attack and it was found that
he had died of asphyxia though it was impossible to determine whether
or not he had achually been dead when placed in the refrigerator,
JOHNSON, Adrian 4/7 9-9 OF 336 SOUTHWESTERN (2nd) 175 (Tia, Speer
EWITNESS by Reid, pages 71, 178 84 Afi)
Johnson, a 17-year-old black youth, lived at 1510 Cushing St, » Houston,
Texas. Around 62:30 on thé afternoon of July 20, 1959, he, another 17-
year-old, Joe Edward Smith, and five juveniles (Ira Lee Sadler, 133
David Arthur Clemons, 15; Charles Archer, 15; Roy Eugene Miller, 16;
and Robert Leroy Miller, 13), all of whom were black, intercepted
William M, Bodenheimer, III, a 12-year-old white boy, who was returning
to his home from an afternoon of swimming at Dunlavy Park, on West Gray
Avenue, They pushed him from his bicycle and when the boy ran into a
lot across the street, they followed and dragged him into an abandoned
shack wher e they demanded money, The boy toad them that he had none
and, after stripping him naked, they took turns repeatedly rammitting
rectal sodomy, Young Bodenheimer struggled to the best of his ability
but he was overpowered and forced to submit to the older and larger
boys. After they had completed their assaults, they stuffed his body
into an abandoned refrigerator in the shack and left it there, The
next day, the boy's HH bicycle was discovered in front of the shack
where kime his assailants had taken it, and a search of the premises
revealed his body in the icebox. An autopsy revealed that some of
his internal organs were dislocated by the attack and it was found that
he had died of asphyxia though it was impossible to determine whether
or not he had actually been dead when placed in the refrigerator,
JOHNSON, Adrian 479 Z 336 SOUTHWESTERN (2nd) 15 (; Tex Beek +
z FIG ke. by Reid, pages 71, 178 M4 — pea)
Johnson, a 17-year-old black youth, lived at 1510 Cushing St., Houston,
Texas. Around 6:30 on the afternoon of July 20, 1959, he, another 17-
year-old, Joe Edward Smith, and five juveniles (Ira Lee Sadler, 13
David arthur Clemons, 15; Charles Archer, 153 Roy Eugene Miller, 16;
and Robert Leroy Miller, 13), all of whom were black, intercepted
william M, Bodenheimer, TIT, a 12-year-old white boy, who was returning
to his home from an afternoon of swimming at Dunlavy Park, on West Gray
Avenue, They pushed him from his bicycle and when the boy ran into a
lot across the street, they followed and dragged him into an abandoned
shack wher e they demanded money. The boy told then that he had none
land, after stripping him naked, they took turns repeatedly rammitting
rectal sodomy, Young Bodenheimer struggled to the best of his ability
but he was overpowered and forced to submit to the older and larger
boys. After they had completed their assaults, they stuffed his body
into an abandoned refrigerator in the shack and left it there, The
Inext day, the boy's Kulu bicycle was discovered in front of the shack
where kde his assailants had taken it, and a search of the premises
revealed his body in the icebox. in autopsy revealed that some of
his internal organs were dislocated by, the attack and it was found that
he had died of asphyxia though it was impossible to determine whether
or not he had achually been dead when placed in the refrigerator,
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