Bio

Farley Charles Matchett was born on November 19, 1962, in Harris County, Texas. He spent part of his childhood with his grandparents in Madisonville before later moving to Grand Prairie to live with his mother.

As a teenager, he became involved in street life and later joined the U.S. Army. He was discharged in 1981 after disciplinary problems, including being absent without leave, fighting, and marijuana possession. After leaving the military, Matchett worked jobs such as truck driving, landscaping, and labor work. By the late 1980s, he had developed a severe crack cocaine addiction and also accumulated drug-related offenses.
Before the murders in 1991, he entered treatment programs but failed to complete them. His worsening addiction and criminal behavior later became major issues during his trial.

Murder Story

In July 1991, Farley Matchett went on a three-day crime spree in Texas linked to robbery and drug addiction.

On July 10, he attacked 91-year-old Ola Mae Williams with a hammer in Huntsville, leaving her with permanent brain injuries. The next day, he killed 74-year-old Melonee Josey with a meat hammer after she refused to give him money, then stole her car and drove to Houston.

On July 12, Matchett went to the home of Uries Anderson, a relative by marriage. After an argument, he stabbed Anderson twice in the back and beat him with a hammer. Anderson’s body was found two days later.

Matchett was arrested on July 15, 1991, while trying to cash one of Anderson’s forged checks. He later received life imprisonment for Josey’s murder, a lengthy sentence for attacking Williams, and a death sentence in 1993 for the murder of Anderson.

After years of failed appeals, Farley Charles Matchett was executed by lethal injection in Texas on September 12, 2006.