Bio

Alvie James Hale Jr. was born on July 20, 1948. Before the murder of William Jeffrey Perry, Hale lived in Oklahoma and was connected to the Shawnee and Tecumseh area. Reports later described him as a former Shawnee bakery owner. The available court records focus mainly on the kidnapping, ransom demand, murder, and later appeals, rather than Hale’s early personal history.

In 1983, Hale became involved in the kidnapping and ransom case of William Jeffrey Perry, a 24-year-old Tecumseh banker. Perry, his sister, and his parents were connected to a local bank. Because of Perry’s family’s position in the community, the case received wide local attention.

Hale was first convicted in federal court for extortion connected to the case. He was then tried in Oklahoma state court for first-degree murder and kidnapping for extortion. The state jury sentenced him to death for the murder and life imprisonment for the kidnapping.

Murder Story

William Jeffrey Perry was a 24-year-old man from Tecumseh, Oklahoma. He and members of his family were connected to a local bank. On the morning of October 10, 1983, Perry failed to arrive for work. His sister went to his home and found his car in the driveway, the front door open, his work clothes laid out, and Perry missing. The only clear sign of a struggle was an upset alarm clock.

Later that morning, Perry’s mother received the first of several telephone calls from an unidentified man. The caller demanded $350,000 for Perry’s release. During the calls, the family asked to speak with Perry. They were told he was at a lake cabin and would be released after the ransom was paid.

The FBI became involved and traced the calls made to the Perry family. On October 12, 1983, Perry’s mother followed instructions and delivered the ransom money to a designated drop site. Hale arrived and picked up the money before she could return to her vehicle.

FBI agents pursued Hale in a high-speed chase through Oklahoma City. The chase ended when Hale’s truck hit a drainage ditch, went airborne, and then collided head-on with an FBI vehicle. Hale was arrested at the scene. The full $350,000 ransom payment was recovered from his truck.

After his arrest, Hale told FBI agents that he had been hired by a man named Poe to pick up money owed by the Perrys. He denied knowing anything about Perry’s disappearance.

Law enforcement later searched property belonging to Hale’s father with consent. Officers found William Jeffrey Perry’s body wrapped in a dark trampoline tarp inside a metal storage shed. The tarp matched a trampoline frame found at Hale’s own home. Perry had been shot multiple times.

Investigators also found a cream-colored station wagon that Hale had used on the morning after Perry disappeared. A bloodstained towel was found inside the vehicle, and it contained a hair identified as Hale’s. Blood found on a shoulder harness in the car was consistent with Perry’s blood.

A .38-caliber revolver was found in a kitchen cabinet. Ballistics evidence showed that two bullets recovered from Perry’s head had been fired from that revolver.

Hale was convicted in federal court in 1983 for extortion under the Hobbs Act. The following year, he was convicted in Pottawatomie County District Court of first-degree murder and kidnapping for extortion. The jury recommended death for the murder conviction and life imprisonment for the kidnapping conviction. On March 22, 1984, the judge imposed the sentences.

Hale filed several appeals and post-conviction challenges. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed his conviction and death sentence. His later federal habeas petition was also denied. His attorneys continued to raise issues involving jury impartiality, venue, alleged withheld FBI documents, and claims that others may have been involved.

In 2001, Hale received a temporary stay of execution while a Freedom of Information Act matter involving FBI documents was pending. The stay was later lifted. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied clemency, and the execution was reset for October 18, 2001.

Alvie James Hale Jr. was executed by lethal injection in Oklahoma on October 18, 2001. He was 53 years old.