Bio 

Eddie James Johnson was born on July 31, 1952. He was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and later lived in Texas, where he worked in the oil-field industry. By the time of the 1987 murders, Johnson was employed as an oil-field yard worker.

Johnson had a prior criminal history before the Texas capital murder case. Records cited in later reporting state that he had a voluntary manslaughter conviction in Illinois from the mid-1970s. That prior record later became part of the background considered in his capital case.

Before the murders, Johnson worked with David Magee at an oil-field services company. Witnesses said there had been workplace conflict between the two men. Magee was reportedly selected for a yard foreman position over Johnson, and Johnson was said to have been angry about it. According to witness accounts presented in later court and media coverage, Johnson refused to take orders from Magee and said he would get even. Johnson was eventually fired.

Authorities later argued that this workplace dispute provided a motive for the killings. Johnson maintained his innocence until his execution.

Murder Story

On September 29, 1987, David Magee, Virginia Cadena, and Cadena’s 10-year-old daughter, Elizabeth Galvan, were abducted from their apartment in Aransas Pass, Texas. Magee and Cadena shared the residence, and Elizabeth was Cadena’s young daughter.

The three victims were taken to a remote rural area in Aransas County, north of Corpus Christi. They were shot repeatedly. Authorities said two firearms were used: a .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol and a .38-caliber pistol.

A patrol deputy later found Virginia Cadena’s body in a roadside ditch and called for assistance. Deputies then discovered the bodies of David Magee and Elizabeth Galvan nearby. Investigators described the crime scene as severe. Magee’s hands and ankles were tied with telephone wire. Prosecutors also said Elizabeth Galvan appeared to have been run over and dragged while pinned beneath a vehicle, and that Cadena also showed signs of being dragged.

Johnson became a suspect after co-workers told investigators about hostility between him and Magee. Witnesses said Johnson was angry after Magee was chosen for a foreman position and after Johnson lost his job. The prosecution argued that the killings were motivated by revenge.

Johnson was later charged and convicted of capital murder. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed his conviction and sentence in 1990. The United States Supreme Court declined to review the case in 1991. Johnson then pursued post-conviction relief in both state and federal court.

In federal habeas proceedings, Johnson argued that his trial attorneys had failed to properly challenge forensic evidence. The federal appeals court acknowledged concerns about defense counsel’s handling of forensic issues but concluded that the total evidence against Johnson was strong enough that the alleged deficiencies did not undermine confidence in the verdict.

Johnson was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville State Prison in Texas on June 17, 1997. He was pronounced dead at 6:34 p.m. He was 44 years old.