Bio

Anthony Keith Johnson was born on June 1, 1956, in the United States. By 1984, Johnson was living in Alabama and became involved with two other men in a plan to rob Cantrell, who had operated a jewelry business for many years and was conducting business from his home. Johnson later became the only person arrested, charged, convicted, and executed in the case, although authorities acknowledged that other men were involved and that Johnson was not the person who fired the fatal shot.

Johnson’s case became widely discussed because the jury recommended life in prison without parole by a 9-3 vote, but the trial judge overrode that recommendation and sentenced him to death. His case also drew attention because investigators later said he could have helped identify and prosecute the remaining suspects if his execution had been delayed.

Murder Story

On March 11, 1984, jewelry dealer Kenneth Cantrell and his wife were at their home in Hartselle, Alabama. The couple had worked in the jewelry business for many years and were operating the business from their residence. That evening, Mrs. Cantrell received a call from a man who identified himself as Bill Spears from Florence, Alabama. The caller said he wanted to buy jewelry and arranged to meet Kenneth Cantrell at the home. Cantrell apparently became suspicious, because he asked his wife to hide his wallet and bring him his .38-caliber pistol.

When there was a knock at the carport door, Mrs. Cantrell answered. A man at the door identified himself as Bill Spears. He kept one hand behind his back, and when she asked if he was hiding something, he showed his hand while signaling another man to come forward from the carport. The first man grabbed Mrs. Cantrell. A second man, wearing a blue bandana over his face and holding a shiny gun, entered and announced that it was a holdup. Mrs. Cantrell managed to break free and fell near her husband. A gunfight then broke out inside the home.

Kenneth Cantrell fired his own gun during the confrontation, while at least one of the intruders fired back. Cantrell was struck multiple times and suffered fatal gunshot wounds to the chest. He died from injuries to his lungs and major blood vessels near the heart. Johnson was later identified as one of the men involved in the robbery attempt. He was not considered the triggerman in the fatal shooting, but prosecutors argued that he was legally responsible because he participated in the robbery that led to Cantrell’s death.

On March 12, 1984, Johnson went to the home of a friend and said he had been shot. The next day, the friend drove him to a motel in Oxford, Alabama. Johnson reportedly said that he and others had gone into a place to “get some gold” and that he had been shot. After learning about the murder, the friend contacted law enforcement.

Johnson was arrested on March 14, 1984, at the motel. Officers found that he had a bullet wound in his back. Investigators later obtained a search warrant to have the bullet surgically removed. Testing showed that the bullet was consistent with the type fired from Kenneth Cantrell’s revolver, and glass fragments on the bullet matched glass from the door at the crime scene. This evidence helped place Johnson at the scene of the robbery.

Johnson was convicted of capital murder. The jury recommended life imprisonment without parole by a vote of 9 to 3, but the trial judge overrode the jury’s recommendation and sentenced him to death. Johnson pursued appeals for many years, challenging his conviction and sentence. His attorneys argued that he had not fired the fatal shot and that his death sentence was improper, especially because the jury had recommended life. His appeals and clemency requests were denied.

Anthony Keith Johnson was executed by lethal injection at Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama on December 12, 2002. He was 46 years old. He became the first person executed by lethal injection in Alabama after the state adopted lethal injection as its primary execution method. He was pronounced dead at 6:27 p.m.