Parker family murders

Parker family murders
LocationWalnut, Quitman County, Mississippi, U.S.
DateFebruary 2, 1990; 34 years ago (1990-02-02)
Attack type
Mass murder, child murder, child rape
Victims
  • Carl Webster Parker, 58
  • Bobbie Jo Parker, 45
  • Gregory Wade Parker, 12
  • Charlotte Jo Parker, 9
PerpetratorsAnthony Carr
Robert Simon Jr.
ConvictionsCapital murder (4 counts)
SentenceDeath

On February 2, 1990, 58-year-old Carl Parker, his wife, 45-year-old Bobbie Jo Parker, and their two children, 12-year-old Gregory Parker and 9-year-old Charlotte Jo Parker, were tortured and murdered in their isolated rural home in Walnut, Quitman County, Mississippi. After leaving a Church Bible study class that evening, the family returned home and stumbled upon an apparent burglary. Each family member was tied up, assaulted, and tortured. The burglars cut off Carl's finger to remove his wedding ring and also took turns raping Charlotte. All four family members were then shot multiple times. To conceal the crime, the perpetrators set the house on fire. Carl, Bobbie, and Gregory all died from gunshot wounds, while Charlotte was found to have died from smoke inhalation.[1][2]

Police later identified Anthony Carr and Robert Simon Jr. as the men responsible for the massacre. Carr was found guilty of four counts of capital murder and sentenced to death for each count. Simon was also found guilty of four counts of capital murder; however, he was sentenced to death for only three counts, receiving a life sentence for the capital murder of Charlotte Parker. On May 24, 2011, Simon was nearly executed, however, only four hours before he was due to die, a federal appeals court panel halted the execution to consider his claim that he was incompetent to be executed because he suffered a brain injury from a fall and had no memory.[3][4] A federal judge later ruled that he had faked the entire thing and he remains on death row.[3][5]

In 2023, the state filed a motion seeking Simon's execution once again.[6] Simon's attorneys responded by saying he was intellectually disabled and not competent to be executed.[7] The case is still pending.[8] The Parker family murders have been described as one of the most gruesome and heinous murder cases in Mississippi state history.[9]

  1. ^ Salter, Sid (September 15, 2021). "Carl Parker family brutally murdered 3 decades ago: Reckoning eludes final surviving member". The Clarion-Ledger. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  2. ^ Pender, Geoff (August 11, 2016). "Court reverses, remands execution decision from 1990 murders". The Clarion-Ledger. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Gates, Jimmie E. (June 9, 2015). "Judge: Death row inmate faking memory loss". The Clarion-Ledger. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  4. ^ Leibowitz, Barry (May 27, 2011). "Miss. execution of Robert Simon Jr. halted over doctor access to killer". CBS News. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  5. ^ "Is Mississippi death row inmate Robert Simon faking amnesia?". al.com. June 10, 2015. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  6. ^ Beveridge, Lici (November 14, 2023). "New evidence is pending in a MS death row case in which state seeks execution date". The Clarion-Ledger. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  7. ^ Beveridge, Lici (November 16, 2023). "Mississippi man on death row is facing 2nd execution date, but may not be competent". The Clarion-Ledger. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  8. ^ Beveridge, Lici (December 7, 2023). "MS Supreme Court orders AG to file rebuttal before it considers setting execution date". The Clarion-Ledger. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Gates, Jimmie E. (April 26, 2017). "Son dies awaiting justice in 27 year-old murder case". The Clarion-Ledger. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.