Death Row Information
Offender Information
Name | King, John William | |
TDCJ Number | 999295 | |
Date of Birth | 11/03/1974 | |
Date Received | 02/25/1999 | |
Age (when Received) | 24 | |
Education Level (Highest Grade Completed) | 10 | |
Date of Offense | 06/07/1998 | |
Age (at the time of Offense) | 23 | |
County | Jasper | |
Race | White | |
Gender | Male | |
Hair Color | Brown | |
Height | 5' 9" | |
Weight | 198 | |
Eye Color | Brown | |
Native County | Atlanta | |
Native State | Georgia |
Prior Occupation
carpenter, laborer
Prior Prison Record
TDCJ-ID #624420, 10-year sentence for one count of Burglary; 7/28/97 released on Parole to Orange County
Summary of Incident
On 06/07/98, during the nighttime hours, the subject and co-defendants, Lawrence Brewer and Shawn Allen Berry, murdered James Byrd Jr., a 49-year old black male, by dragging the victim behind their 1982 gray Ford pickup truck, located on Huff Creek Road, in Jasper, Texas. The subject and the co-defendants picked the victim up while he was hitchhiking in Jasper.
Co-Defendants
Berry, Shawn; Brewer, Lawrence Russell
Race and Gender of Victim
Black male