Bio

David Ray Harris was born on October 19, 1960. Long before the events of 1985, Harris accumulated an extensive history of criminal behavior and institutional disciplinary actions across multiple jurisdictions. He enlisted in the United States Army, but his military career ended when he was court-martialed and dishonorably discharged. 

This military prosecution stemmed from his involvement in a series of thefts and burglaries committed while he was stationed in Germany, resulting in a period of military confinement.Following his separation from the military, Harris relocated to California, where his pattern of criminal activity escalated. He was subsequently convicted of robbery, burglary, and two counts of attempted burglary. 

These offenses resulted in a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence within the California Department of Corrections. While serving this sentence, Harris was further convicted of possession of a deadly weapon by a prisoner, which added two years to his period of incarceration.Harris gained national notoriety primarily for his involvement in the investigation of the 1976 murder of Dallas Police Officer Robert W. Wood. Harris, who was a juvenile at the time, initially claimed to have bragged about being the shooter to enhance his personal reputation. 

He later testified for the prosecution against Randall Dale Adams, who was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death for the crime. Harris's testimony was a central focus of the 1988 documentary The Thin Blue Line, which exposed flaws in the investigation. Harris eventually recanted his testimony, admitting he was the individual responsible for the officer's death, which directly led to the overturning of Adams's conviction and his subsequent release from prison.

Murder Story

In the early morning hours of September 1, 1985, Harris broke into a residential apartment in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas. The home belonged to 30-year-old Mark Mays, who was asleep in his bedroom alongside his girlfriend, Roxanne Lockard. Armed with a .38-caliber revolver, Harris woke up the occupants and ordered Mays to lock himself inside a hallway bathroom. Harris then forced Lockard out of the back door of the apartment toward his pickup truck at gunpoint.

Mays managed to free himself from the bathroom, armed himself with a handgun, and went outside to confront Harris in the parking lot. A shootout occurred between the two men. During the exchange of gunfire, Harris was struck in the neck and the shoulder. Mays was struck five times by projectiles fired from Harris's weapon. Forensic evidence later indicated that the fatal injury was inflicted at close range, with the muzzle of Harris's firearm positioned within 12 to 24 inches of Mays's body. Harris fled the scene in his truck, leaving Mays to succumb to his injuries. Lockard escaped the encounter physically unharmed.

Four days later, on September 5, 1985, law enforcement officers stopped Harris for driving under the influence of alcohol, resulting in his arrest. Investigators quickly linked him to the homicide of Mays. On September 26, 1985, a Jefferson County grand jury indicted Harris on charges of capital murder. His trial took place in April 1986, where a jury found him guilty and assessed the death penalty.

Over the next 18 years, Harris filed numerous state and federal habeas corpus applications, challenging both his sentence and state execution protocols. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and various federal appellate courts repeatedly denied his requests for relief. Following the exhaustion of his legal appeals, Harris was scheduled for execution. On June 30, 2004, Harris was executed by lethal injection at the state prison in Huntsville, Texas.