James Upchurch
Encyclopedia
James Bartlett Upchurch III (born August 17, 1968) is an American
man convicted for the murder
of Lieth Von Stein and the assault with intent to kill of Bonnie Von Stein on July 25th, 1988, in Washington
, NC
. According to trial testimony the von Steins were attacked so that Bonnie's son, Christopher Wayne Pritchard
, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 million dollars.
Upchurch was convicted of first degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure, conspiracy to commit murder, and burglary in the first degree. For these crimes, he was sentenced on January 30, 1990, respectively, to death
, 20 years, 6 years and life
. Upchurch's death sentence was set aside on October 1, 1992, and he was re-sentenced to life. He will not be eligible for parole until 2022.
His co-conspirators, Chris Pritchard and Gerald Neal Henderson, were both convicted of murder in the second degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure. Henderson began parole on December 11, 2000. It was completed on February 27, 2005, and he is a free man. Pritchard was paroled on June 2, 2007.
James Bartlett Upchurch III was born and raised in Caswell County, North Carolina
. He is the first son of Joanne Ensley Upchurch (deceased) and James Bartlett Upchurch II. He has one brother, Emory, and two sisters, Carrie and Alexandra.
Two books were written about this case: Joe McGinniss'
Cruel Doubt
(1991) and Jerry Bledsoe
's Blood Games (1992). Both were made into TV movies. The miniseries Cruel Doubt was released in May 1992. The adaptation of Bledsoe's book, Honor Thy Mother, aired in April 1992.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
man convicted for the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of Lieth Von Stein and the assault with intent to kill of Bonnie Von Stein on July 25th, 1988, in Washington
Washington, North Carolina
Washington is a city in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,744 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beaufort County. The closest major city is Greenville, approximately 20 miles to the west....
, NC
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. According to trial testimony the von Steins were attacked so that Bonnie's son, Christopher Wayne Pritchard
Chris Pritchard
Christopher "Chris" W. Pritchard is an American man convicted for masterminding the attempted murder of his mother Bonnie Von Stein and the murder of his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina...
, could inherit their estate valued at almost 2 million dollars.
Upchurch was convicted of first degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure, conspiracy to commit murder, and burglary in the first degree. For these crimes, he was sentenced on January 30, 1990, respectively, to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, 20 years, 6 years and life
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. Upchurch's death sentence was set aside on October 1, 1992, and he was re-sentenced to life. He will not be eligible for parole until 2022.
His co-conspirators, Chris Pritchard and Gerald Neal Henderson, were both convicted of murder in the second degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure. Henderson began parole on December 11, 2000. It was completed on February 27, 2005, and he is a free man. Pritchard was paroled on June 2, 2007.
James Bartlett Upchurch III was born and raised in Caswell County, North Carolina
Caswell County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,501 people, 8,670 households, and 6,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile . There were 9,601 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
. He is the first son of Joanne Ensley Upchurch (deceased) and James Bartlett Upchurch II. He has one brother, Emory, and two sisters, Carrie and Alexandra.
Two books were written about this case: Joe McGinniss'
Joe McGinniss
Joe McGinniss is an American author of nonfiction and novels. He first came to prominence with the best-selling The Selling of the President, 1968 which described the marketing of then-presidential candidate Richard Nixon, and has authored 11 works since that time...
Cruel Doubt
Cruel Doubt
Cruel Doubt is a 1992 television movie starring Blythe Danner and Matt McGrath. The film was first broadcast as a two-part miniseries on NBC in the United States and CTV in Canada on May 17 and May 19, 1992....
(1991) and Jerry Bledsoe
Jerry Bledsoe
Jerry Bledsoe is an American author and journalist known for several true crime titles based on murders in his native state of North Carolina....
's Blood Games (1992). Both were made into TV movies. The miniseries Cruel Doubt was released in May 1992. The adaptation of Bledsoe's book, Honor Thy Mother, aired in April 1992.