James Allen Paul | |
|---|---|
 Paul in court | |
| Born | April 19, 1947 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 2000 (aged 52) |
| Other names | James Dalton Steve Sanders |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | 3 |
Span of crimes | May 15 – 22, 1984 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont |
James Allen Paul (April 19, 1947 – March 3, 2000) was an American spree killer who murdered three people during a seven-day rampage across three states during May 1984.[1]
Paul was born on April 19, 1947, in Norfolk, Virginia.[2] Little is known about his early life, but in his adult years Paul obtained work as stable hand for farms. In 1983, Paul moved to Room 1 at the Belvedere Motel on Route 22 in Readington Township, New Jersey.[2] At the same motel lived 47-year-old Virginia Vickory.[2]
On May 15, 1984, Vickory was found murdered in a field in Readington Township, having been shot in the face at a close range.[1] Police quickly circled in on Paul, then 37 years old, who also went under multiple aliases including James Dalton and Steve Sanders.[2] Paul fled to Connecticut not long after and, on May 17, 18-year-old Robin White went missing. Investigators believe White may have been hitchhiking and Paul offered her a ride and later killed her.[3] White's body was found along a road in Portland, Connecticut on May 20, shot to death with the same gun used to kill Vickory. Then, on May 22, 45-year-old George Call, a nurse of 10 years at the Sullivan Home nursing home, was found shot to death at a rest area along Interstate 91 in Springfield, Vermont.[4] He had been shot in the face twice, just like Vickory, with his wallet stolen.[3]
A warrant was put out for Paul's arrest after Call's murder, and numerous tips began to flow in. Paul was considered armed and dangerous, and a nationwide alert was issued. Some of the tips sent by people began to shed light on Paul's whereabouts. Investigators began to develop a theory that Paul would return to New Jersey to pay a phone call from a family member. They tracked Paul's potential movements to a diner in Arlington, New Jersey, where he was trying to call a relative, and they arrested him.[5][6] They found that Paul had been in possession of Vickory's car, and had a .22 caliber handgun latched onto him. Paul was held without bail at the Hunterdon County Jail until he was formally charged with Vickory's murder.[3][5]
Paul was additionally charged with the killings of White and Call; however, he never went to trial for their murders.[7] He was due to stand trial for Vickory's murder, and to avoid a possible death sentence, Paul pleaded guilty to Vickory's murder, as well as burglary and other charges, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.[8] For the remainder of his sentence, Paul remained in custody at New Jersey State Prison, which he stayed in until he died on March 3, 2000.
- ^ a b "State Suspect Sentenced in New Jersey". The Hartford Courant. July 28, 1984. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Tom Nutile & Tony Phyrillas (May 23, 1984). "Warrant out for farm worker in Readington woman's death". Courier News.
- ^ a b c "Man ordered held without bail in Hunterdon Co. murder case". Associated Press. May 26, 1984. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Dorothy Nadeau (May 25, 1984). "Suspected killer nabbed in Jersey". Brattleboro Reformer.
- ^ a b "Vt. Slaying Suspect Nabbed in New Jersey". Associated Press. May 25, 1984. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ "Suspect in 3 Slayings Arrested". The Hartford Courant. May 26, 1984. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ "Suspect in 2 Deaths Charged in Another". The Hartford Courant. June 18, 1984. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Tom Nutile (July 28, 1984). "Stablehand gets life in slaying of woman". Courier News.