Alright, I have a weird one for you today, so let's get right into it. As you may know, my last story was on Jefferson Barracks Military Post in Lemay, Missouri. Well, I was researching true crime stories about the area, I came across this story, and I had to share it.
This is the story of Elroy Preston, who is the most extended inmate to stay on death row in the state of Missouri.
(Source: Murderpedia)
It was the night of September 24, 1980, and Elroy, his brother Ervin, their roommates, Willie Richardson and Betty Klein, and Elroy's girlfriend, Sherry Brown, were partying at their home in north St. Louis. Everyone was drinking and having a good time until they decided that they needed fried chicken. I mean, it makes sense, their drunk and they want snacks.
At some point, Willie and Betty buy some chicken, but they use Elroy's money-big mistake. Any logical person, drunk or not, would probably yell at the thief, but Elroy had something else in mind.
Willie and Betty refused to share the fried chicken with Elroy, and that pissed him off. The party eventually broke up. Elroy went to the basement where his room was to plot his revenge- the revenge over fried chicken.
At 3 am, Elroy had formulated a plan and raced up the stairs to gather everyone in the living room.
Once they all were seated on the couch before him, he announced that he was going to kill Willie and Betty. First, he had to take off his clothes so the blood wouldn't splatter on them. At this point, I am wondering why Willie and Betty didn't make a break for it. Did they think he was joking? Were they too afraid? Too drunk?
Elroy was true to his word and murdered the two after removing his clothes. He sliced Betty's neck with a hunting knife, nearly decapitating her. Willie was stabbed nine times; in the hands, face, and torso as he tried to defend himself.
Once his friends were dead, he took the remaining fried chicken and dripped it in Willie's blood before eating it. Some sources say that he even ate it with relish. Ervin would later tell police that Elroy did this in a state of bliss, he almost seemed manic.
Willie's body was found in an alley by a neighbor, and police found Betty in the backyard.
On April 20, 1982, Elroy was found guilty of capital murder and second-degree murder. He was sentenced to life and given the death penalty.
There was a rehearing in 1997, but Elroy's release was denied, and he remained in prison in Potosi, Missouri.
He was scheduled to be executed January 28, 1998, but was deemed mentally unstable and, therefore, postponed. It is a Missouri state law that a prisoner must understand their punishment to be sentenced to death.
Preston never regained that capacity and died at 59 on December 6, 2013. There was an apostasy done on the body, but he died of natural causes. I was unable to find out what those natural causes were, which I found odd.
This was a super short story, but I found it interesting nonetheless. I hope you enjoyed it.
-Tye
Always Cite Those Sources:
Blanco, Juan Ignacio. “Elroy Preston: Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers.” Elroy Preston | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers, murderpedia.org/male.P/p/preston-elroy.htm.
Bpriddy@missourinet.com. “Death Row Inmate Preston Dead.” Missourinet, 6 Dec. 2013, www.missourinet.com/2013/12/06/death-row-inmate-preston-dead/.
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