Ricky Ray Rector | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 12, 1950 |
| Died | January 24, 1992 (aged 42) |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Capital murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | Arthur Criswell Robert Martin |
| Date | March 21/24, 1981 |
Ricky Ray Rector (January 12, 1950 – January 24, 1992) was an American convicted murderer who was executed for the 1981 murder of police officer Robert Martin in Conway, Arkansas. After killing a man in a restaurant and fleeing, Rector spent three days on the run before he agreed to turn himself in. However, instead of giving himself up, he shot the police officer who had negotiated his surrender in the back. He then shot himself in the head in a suicide attempt. The attempt effectively resulted in a lobotomy.[1]
A 1991 request for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court was denied, with Justice Thurgood Marshall dissenting.[2] Despite Rector's mental state, then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton made a point of returning to Arkansas to oversee Rector's January 24, 1992, execution during the 1992 U.S. presidential election campaign.
- ^ Ricky Ray Rector, Appellant, v. Steve Clark, Attorney General, State of Arkansas; And, A.l.lockhart, Director of Arkansas Department Of correction, Appellees, 923 F.2d 570 Justia (United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit January 2, 1991).
- ^ RECTOR v. BRYANT 501 U.S. 1239 115 L.Ed.2d 1038 Archived 2018-07-19 at the Wayback Machine, U.S. Supreme Court, 24 June 1991. Retrieved December 9, 2013.