Robert O'Neal (murderer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert O'Neal
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Robert Earl O'Neal Jr.
September 25, 1961 Joplin, Missouri, U.S.
|
| Died | December 6, 1995 (aged 34) Potosi Correctional Center, Mineral Point, Missouri, U.S.
|
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder (Sharick) Capital murder (Dade) |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment (January 24, 1980) Death (May 15, 1985) |
| Details | |
| Victims | Ralph Roscoe Sharick, 78 Arthur Dade, 33 |
| Date | July 6, 1979 February 3, 1984 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Missouri |
|
Date apprehended
|
August 25, 1979 |
| Imprisoned at | Missouri State Penitentiary |
Robert Earl O'Neal Jr. (born September 25, 1961 – died December 6, 1995) was an American man who was found guilty of murder. He was executed by the state of Missouri for the killing of Arthur Dade in February 1984. Dade was a 33-year-old Black American man.
O'Neal was already serving a life sentence for another crime. This was the robbery and murder of 78-year-old Ralph Roscoe Sharick. O'Neal killed Dade by stabbing him while they were both in prison at the Missouri State Penitentiary. For this second murder, O'Neal was sentenced to death. He was executed in 1995 at the Potosi Correctional Center using lethal injection. O'Neal is known for being the only white person executed for killing a Black person in the modern history of Missouri.
O'Neal's Crimes
The Murder of Ralph Sharick
On July 6, 1979, O'Neal and another person, John E. Boggs, broke into a home in Strafford, Missouri. While they were stealing things, the homeowner's father-in-law, 78-year-old Ralph Roscoe Sharick, came into the house. He lived nearby and heard noises.
After Sharick confronted O'Neal and Boggs, they tied him up. They put him in a chair inside a closet. O'Neal then shot Sharick, which caused his death. Sharick's body was found later that night when the homeowner returned.
Boggs was caught and arrested two days later. O'Neal remained free for a while. Police searched for him across several states. On August 25, 1979, he was found sleeping in a stolen truck in Enid, Oklahoma. Police had received a tip from a truck stop worker.
O'Neal was held in jail without bail. He was charged with serious crimes, including murder. On January 24, 1980, O'Neal was found guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison on February 22, 1980. O'Neal was then sent to the Missouri State Penitentiary to serve his sentence. Boggs also received a life sentence for his part in the crime.
The Murder of Arthur Dade
While in prison, O'Neal joined a prison gang called the Aryan Brotherhood. This group believed in white superiority. On February 3, 1984, Arthur Dade, a 33-year-old Black American man, was attacked. Dade was serving a prison sentence for robbery.
O'Neal, along with two other inmates, Lloyd Schlup and Rodnie Stewart, attacked Dade. This happened in a prison hallway. Schlup held Dade's arms. Stewart threw hot liquid in Dade's face to distract him. O'Neal then stabbed Dade with a homemade weapon. Dade was stabbed several times in his chest and arm. He died about twenty minutes later.
All three attackers, O'Neal, Schlup, and Stewart, were charged with murder. Prosecutors said the killing was a planned attack by the prison gang. O'Neal claimed he acted in self-defense. However, all three were found guilty. O'Neal and Schlup were sentenced to death. Stewart received a life sentence. Schlup's death sentence was later changed in 1999. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge to avoid the death penalty.
Execution
On December 6, 1995, O'Neal was executed at the Potosi Correctional Center. He died by lethal injection. He was pronounced dead at 12:17 a.m. His last words were, "Praise the Lord and the name of Jesus. I forgive everybody involved in this. Jesus is my Lord." He held a bible during the execution. He chose not to have a last meal. Instead, he fasted the day before his execution.
O'Neal's execution was unusual. It was a rare time when a white person was executed for killing a Black person. He remains the only white person executed for killing a Black person in modern Missouri history. Since the death penalty was brought back in the United States in 1976, only a small number of white people have been executed for murdering a Black victim.
See also
- Capital punishment in Missouri
- Capital punishment in the United States
- List of people executed in Missouri
- List of white defendants executed for killing a black victim
- Race and capital punishment in the United States
- Schlup v. Delo
