Kenneth Lee Boyd
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Lee Boyd was a murderer who was executed by the U.S. state
of North Carolina
. He was convicted of the March 4, 1988 murder
in Stoneville
of his wife, Julie Curry Boyd and her father Thomas Dillard Curry. He was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. EST on December 2, 2005 at the North Carolina Central Prison in Raleigh
by lethal injection
.
Boyd was the 1,000th person executed since the United States Supreme Court lifted a ban on capital punishment in Gregg v. Georgia
.
and volunteered for a tour of duty
in Vietnam
in 1967. Two years later he received an honorable discharge
. After his first marriage had ended in divorce, he married Julie. This second marriage, which resulted in three boys, had a series of arguments, separations, and reconciliations.
On March 4, 1988 he went to the house of her father, where she and their children were living, while Boyd and Julie were separated once again. He told police that he found the door unlocked and entered with a .357 Magnum
pistol
. Seeing a silhouette that he thought was Thomas, he fired and hit him. He continued firing as he moved through the house, finding Julie in the kitchen. While reloading he heard her moan and so shot her again. He fired at anything that moved and then rang 9-1-1
and told police to "come and get me". When they arrived, Boyd emerged from nearby woods and surrendered. He gave a full confession after being read his Miranda warning
. Boyd was arrested and sentenced to death row.
. This conviction and sentence was overturned on appeal to the North Carolina Supreme Court
on the grounds that a juror was improperly excused after a private, unrecorded bench conference with the juror. A new trial resulted in Boyd once again being convicted and sentenced to death on July 14, 1994. The sole aggravating circumstance was that the murder was committed during the commission of other acts of violence.
Psychiatrists testified as expert witnesses at his trial that Boyd suffered from various mental health issues at the time of the murders. Dr. Patricio Lara said that Boyd suffered from adjustment disorder
with psychotic emotional features, alcohol abuse
, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
. Dr. John Warren diagnosed chronic depression
, alcohol abuse disorder, dependent personality disorder
, and a reading disability
. He had an IQ
of 77, placing him into "borderline deficiency" region of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
, one level above "mild mental retardation
".
The Supreme Court of the United States
turned down Boyd's petition for a writ of certiorari
on October 3, 2005. Ten days later, the North Carolina Secretary of Corrections, Theodis Beck, set the execution date for December 2, 2005.
Less than four hours before the scheduled time, Governor
Mike Easley
denied Boyd clemency. It was just after the Supreme Court of the United States
had denied another appeal by Boyd's lawyers.
. He was pronounced dead
at 2:15 a.m.. He would be the 1,000th person to be executed since 1977, when the death penalty was reinstated.
In his final statement, he asked that his son and grandchildren be looked after and finished with "God bless everybody in here."
Boyd's last meal consisted of New York strip steak
, a baked potato
with sour cream
, salad with ranch dressing
, and cola
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of North Carolina
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...
. He was convicted of the March 4, 1988 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...
in Stoneville
Stoneville, North Carolina
Stoneville is a town in Rockingham County, North Carolina, United States. Stoneville is well known for its many antique stores.-Geography:Stoneville is located at ....
of his wife, Julie Curry Boyd and her father Thomas Dillard Curry. He was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. EST on December 2, 2005 at the North Carolina Central Prison in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
.
Boyd was the 1,000th person executed since the United States Supreme Court lifted a ban on capital punishment in Gregg v. Georgia
Gregg v. Georgia
Gregg v. Georgia, Proffitt v. Florida, Jurek v. Texas, Woodson v. North Carolina, and Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 153 , reaffirmed the United States Supreme Court's acceptance of the use of the death penalty in the United States, upholding, in particular, the death sentence imposed on Troy Leon...
.
Murders
After leaving school in the ninth grade, Boyd later joined the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and volunteered for a tour of duty
Tour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in 1967. Two years later he received an honorable discharge
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
. After his first marriage had ended in divorce, he married Julie. This second marriage, which resulted in three boys, had a series of arguments, separations, and reconciliations.
On March 4, 1988 he went to the house of her father, where she and their children were living, while Boyd and Julie were separated once again. He told police that he found the door unlocked and entered with a .357 Magnum
.357 Magnum
The .357 S&W Magnum , or simply .357 Magnum, is a revolver cartridge created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, Colonel D. B. Wesson of firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson, and Winchester. It is based upon Smith & Wesson's earlier .38 Special cartridge. The .357 Magnum cartridge was introduced in...
pistol
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
. Seeing a silhouette that he thought was Thomas, he fired and hit him. He continued firing as he moved through the house, finding Julie in the kitchen. While reloading he heard her moan and so shot her again. He fired at anything that moved and then rang 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
and told police to "come and get me". When they arrived, Boyd emerged from nearby woods and surrendered. He gave a full confession after being read his Miranda warning
Miranda warning
The Miranda warning is a warning given by police in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody before they are interrogated to preserve the admissibility of their statements against them in criminal proceedings. In Miranda v...
. Boyd was arrested and sentenced to death row.
Trial and appeals
After being indicted on May 16, 1988, he was tried, convicted and received a death sentence for each murder from a jury in Rockingham CountyRockingham County, North Carolina
Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 93,643. Its county seat is Wentworth.- History :The county was formed in 1785 from Guilford County...
. This conviction and sentence was overturned on appeal to the North Carolina Supreme Court
North Carolina Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices...
on the grounds that a juror was improperly excused after a private, unrecorded bench conference with the juror. A new trial resulted in Boyd once again being convicted and sentenced to death on July 14, 1994. The sole aggravating circumstance was that the murder was committed during the commission of other acts of violence.
Psychiatrists testified as expert witnesses at his trial that Boyd suffered from various mental health issues at the time of the murders. Dr. Patricio Lara said that Boyd suffered from adjustment disorder
Adjustment disorder
Adjustment disorder is a psychological response to an identifiable stressor or group of stressors that cause significant emotional or behavioral symptoms that do not meet criteria for anxiety disorder, PTSD, or acute stress disorder...
with psychotic emotional features, alcohol abuse
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.- Signs and symptoms :The primary symptoms of OCPD...
. Dr. John Warren diagnosed chronic depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, alcohol abuse disorder, dependent personality disorder
Dependent personality disorder
Dependent personality disorder , formerly known as asthenic personality disorder, is a personality disorder that is characterized by a pervasive psychological dependence on other people...
, and a reading disability
Reading disability
A reading disability is a condition in which a sufferer displays difficulty reading resulting primarily from neurological factors. Developmental Dyslexia, Alexia , and Hyperlexia.-Definition:...
. He had an IQ
Intelligence quotient
An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
of 77, placing him into "borderline deficiency" region of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale intelligence quotient tests are the primary clinical instruments used to measure adult and adolescent intelligence. The original WAIS was published in February 1955 by David Wechsler, as a revision of the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale...
, one level above "mild mental retardation
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
".
The Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
turned down Boyd's petition for a writ of certiorari
Certiorari
Certiorari is a type of writ seeking judicial review, recognized in U.S., Roman, English, Philippine, and other law. Certiorari is the present passive infinitive of the Latin certiorare...
on October 3, 2005. Ten days later, the North Carolina Secretary of Corrections, Theodis Beck, set the execution date for December 2, 2005.
Less than four hours before the scheduled time, Governor
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
Mike Easley
Mike Easley
Michael Francis "Mike" Easley is an American politician who served as the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 2001 to 2009. He is member of the North Carolina Democratic Party and became the first North Carolina governor to admit to a felony in a deal that halted a lengthy...
denied Boyd clemency. It was just after the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
had denied another appeal by Boyd's lawyers.
Execution
In the early hours of December 2, 2005, Boyd was executed by lethal injectionLethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
. He was pronounced dead
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
at 2:15 a.m.. He would be the 1,000th person to be executed since 1977, when the death penalty was reinstated.
In his final statement, he asked that his son and grandchildren be looked after and finished with "God bless everybody in here."
Boyd's last meal consisted of New York strip steak
Strip steak
The strip steak is a type of cut of beef steaks. Internationally it is called a club steak. In the United States and Canada it is also known as New York strip, strip loin, shell steak, or Kansas City strip steak, In Australia it is known as a porterhouse steak...
, a baked potato
Baked potato
A baked potato, or jacket potato, is the edible result of baking a potato. When well cooked, a baked potato has a fluffy interior and a crisp skin. It may be served with fillings and condiments such as butter, cheese or ham....
with sour cream
Sour cream
Sour cream is a dairy product rich in fats obtained by fermenting a regular cream by certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, which is introduced either deliberately or naturally, sours and thickens the cream. Its name stems from the production of lactic acid by bacterial...
, salad with ranch dressing
Ranch dressing
Ranch dressing is a condiment made of some combination of buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, mayonnaise, minced green onion, garlic powder, and other seasonings mixed into a sauce. Ranch dressing has been the best-selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992, when it overtook Italian dressing...
, and cola
Cola
Cola is a carbonated beverage that was typically flavored by the kola nut as well as vanilla and other flavorings, however, some colas are now flavored artificially. It became popular worldwide after druggist John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886...
.
See also
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
- List of individuals executed in North Carolina