Bio 

Floyd L. McKinney was born in 1909 in Gateway, Oregon, United States. By 1943, McKinney was traveling through the western United States. His movements placed him in Nevada during the period leading up to the murders. At the time of the crime, McKinney was approximately 34 years old.

Murder Story

On April 24, 1943, Floyd L. McKinney encountered U.S. Army officer Raymond Fisher and his wife while they were traveling through Nevada. The couple was en route from Camp Gowen in Boise, Idaho, to March Field in Riverside, California. Evidence presented at trial indicated that McKinney met the couple in Ely, Nevada, and persuaded them to alter their planned travel route.

At some point after leaving Ely, McKinney killed both Raymond Fisher and his wife. Their bodies were later discovered in a remote area near Sand Springs in Churchill County, Nevada. Following the killings, McKinney took possession of the couple’s vehicle and drove to Reno, Nevada, where he sold it to a used-car dealership.

Investigators later connected McKinney to the crime through evidence related to the stolen vehicle and his movements after the murders. He was arrested and charged with the murder of Raymond Fisher. Although both victims were killed, legal proceedings focused on a single count of murder.

During the trial, no clear motive for the killings was established. Despite the absence of a confirmed motive, the evidence was sufficient for a conviction. McKinney was found guilty and sentenced to death. On November 27, 1943, he was executed by lethal gas at Nevada State Prison.