Bio

Gene Wilford Hathorn Jr. was born on September 17, 1960, in the United States. Hathorn was the son of Gene Wilford Hathorn Sr. His father later married Linda Sue Hathorn, and the household included Marcus Hathorn, Gene Jr.’s half-brother. The family lived in rural Trinity County, Texas, in the Nogalus Prairie area near Groveton.

During later court proceedings, Hathorn claimed that he had experienced abuse and neglect during childhood. At the punishment phase of his trial, he testified that his father had beaten him repeatedly when he was young, that his father was violent, and that the family environment was dysfunctional. A former chief psychologist for the Texas Department of Corrections also testified about Hathorn’s background and how his home environment may have affected his development.

Before the murders, Hathorn worked at Rusk State Hospital, where he became acquainted with James Lee Beathard. Their friendship later became central to the case. Court records state that Hathorn supplied Beathard with small amounts of marijuana and cocaine to sell for commission. During that period, Hathorn spoke about wanting to kill his father, stepmother, and half-brother.

The motive presented at trial involved both personal resentment and expected inheritance. Gene Hathorn Sr. had reportedly received a large settlement from an injury claim. Prosecutors argued that Hathorn Jr. wanted to kill his family so he could inherit money from his father’s estate. Later reports stated that he did not know his father had already removed him from the will.

Hathorn’s case also became linked to James Lee Beathard, who was separately tried, convicted, and executed for his alleged role in the same murders. The two men’s trials later became controversial because different versions of events were presented during different proceedings, and Hathorn later recanted testimony that had been used against Beathard.

Murder Story

On October 9, 1984, Gene Wilford Hathorn Jr. and James Lee Beathard traveled from Rusk, Texas, toward Trinity County. Court records state that Hathorn had developed a plan to kill his father, Gene Hathorn Sr., his stepmother, Linda Sue Hathorn, and his half-brother, Marcus Hathorn. The murders were connected to Hathorn’s anger toward his family and his belief that he could gain money through inheritance.

Before going to the family’s home, Hathorn and Beathard reportedly took steps to create an alibi. They visited public places, including a university library, before driving to the rural property where Hathorn’s family lived. Court records state that Hathorn supplied weapons, ammunition, gloves, and false evidence meant to mislead investigators.

The victims were inside a mobile home in Trinity County. Gene Hathorn Sr. and Linda Sue Hathorn were sitting on a couch watching television, and Marcus Hathorn was nearby. According to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Hathorn fired a shotgun through the back window of the mobile home, killing his father. Beathard then entered the home through the unlocked back door and shot Linda Sue Hathorn and Marcus Hathorn. Court records also state that eleven shots were fired during the attack and that three weapons were involved: a shotgun, a .223-caliber rifle, and a .380-caliber pistol.

After the shootings, false evidence was planted at the scene to make the murders appear to have been committed by outsiders during a burglary. The men also took property from the home, including guns, a video cassette recorder, and other items. Gene Hathorn Sr.’s van was taken and later abandoned. The weapons and stolen property were reportedly discarded in rivers.

Hathorn was later charged in connection with the murders. He was tried in Trinity County for the capital murder of his father, Gene Hathorn Sr. The indictment included several capital murder theories, including murder during robbery or burglary, murder for remuneration or promise of remuneration, and murder for hire.

On June 27, 1985, a Trinity County jury convicted Hathorn of capital murder. He was sentenced to death after the jury answered the required Texas special punishment issues in a way that required the death penalty under the law at that time. Although he was charged in connection with the deaths of Linda Sue Hathorn and Marcus Hathorn, later reports state that he was not separately tried for those two killings.

Hathorn appealed. In 1992, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed his conviction and death sentence. His case remained in post-conviction litigation for many years. In 2009, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reconsidered his punishment claim under the Penry line of cases. The court ruled that the jury at his 1985 trial had not been given a proper way to fully consider mitigating evidence about his childhood abuse and troubled background. The court remanded the case for a new punishment hearing.

After that ruling, Hathorn accepted a plea agreement instead of facing a new death penalty punishment trial. In October 2009, he received life imprisonment with two additional consecutive life sentences. Texas Department of Criminal Justice records list him as removed from death row on October 13, 2009, with a new TDCJ number of 1597840.

Gene Wilford Hathorn Jr.’s final legal status is imprisoned. He was convicted of capital murder for killing his father and received life sentences after his death sentence was reduced.