Bio

Eugene Wallace Perry was born in 1944. Perry spent his early years in Alabama. He had a troubled background, which included issues related to family dynamics. 

By the time he reached his teenage years, he had already encountered significant difficulties. These struggles continued into adulthood. Eventually, in the late 1970s, he moved to Arkansas, where his life took a serious turn that led to his involvement in criminal activity. 

Murder Story

On September 10, 1980, Eugene Wallace Perry was involved in a robbery at a jewelry store in Crawford County, Arkansas. During this robbery, he shot and killed Kenneth Staton and his daughter, Suzanne Staton Ware. Their bodies were discovered later that evening, bound and gagged in the back of the store. Each had suffered two gunshot wounds to the head. Approximately $100,000 worth of jewelry and watches was reported stolen from the store.

Perry was arrested on September 26, 1980, and charged with capital felony murder. In 1981, he was convicted and sentenced to death. His conviction was upheld by the Arkansas Supreme Court in subsequent appeals. Perry maintained his innocence throughout the legal process. He claimed that another inmate, Marion Pruett, was the actual killer. However, Pruett's confession to the crime was dismissed by the courts.

The trial included witness testimonies that placed Perry near the crime scene around the time of the murders. These witnesses provided accounts of his activities leading up to the robbery. Evidence found during the investigation included items linking Perry to the robbery scene, such as jewelry and other personal belongings.

Perry's legal battles continued for years as he filed several appeals, claiming procedural errors in his trial. On August 6, 1997, after being on death row for nearly two decades, Perry was executed by lethal injection in Arkansas. His last words included a declaration of his innocence and a reference to seeking refuge in the Buddha.