Bio

Eric Walter Running was born on January 3, 1951, in San Francisco, California. He was adopted at birth by Lillian Fern Running and Harry Walter Running. For many years, he believed they were his biological parents. However, he later discovered that they were not. They had taken him in from a young woman named Ford who did not want to keep her child.

His adoptive mother, Lillian, was a heavy drinker and often got into arguments with Harry. When Eric was just 18 months old, Lillian left the family and did not have any contact with him after he turned four. Harry, his father, struggled to care for him and was often harsh. He would physically punish Eric with various objects.

He began drinking alcohol at the age of 11 and quickly developed a pattern of heavy drinking. By the time of the events that would later define his life, he had been regularly using alcohol, marijuana, and various other drugs.

Eric’s life took another turn when he met Jacqueline Anderson in 1996. He became deeply attached to her, and they soon started living together. However, Jacqueline had a past relationship with Barbara Gilpin. This connection caused tension and jealousy for Eric.

Eric's personal struggles intensified after learning he was adopted when he was 46 years old. This revelation devastated him, triggering feelings of abandonment and increasing his substance abuse.

Murder Story

On February 24, 1998, Eric Walter Running entered the Ambassador Restaurant and Lounge in Multnomah County, Oregon, armed with a short-barreled shotgun. Around 11:20 p.m., he confronted his ex-girlfriend, Jacqueline Anderson, and Barbara Gilpin, who was Anderson's former lover. In a fit of rage, he shot Gilpin in the abdomen as she was entering the restaurant. Running then proceeded to the back, where he shot Anderson in the hip. After she fell, he shot her again in the face.

After the murders, Running left the scene but stopped near Gilpin's body to kick it and shoot her again. He then fled through the parking lot and discarded the shotgun in a nearby backyard. Witnesses later reported hearing him express a sense of urgency as he ran away.

The following day, Running attempted to take his own life, which led to his arrest. The police began investigating the murders immediately. They discovered ties between Running and the victims, prompting them to search his apartment. They found evidence including shotgun shells and a book about gun values.

Running was charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was convicted in 2000 and sentenced to death for the murder of Anderson and to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the murder of Gilpin. Running's mental state, fueled by alcohol abuse and feelings of abandonment stemming from his adoption, was a focal point during his trial, as his defense team argued he had experienced a psychotic breakdown at the time of the murders.