Bio

Gerald Wayne Tigner Jr. was born on December 27, 1972. He grew up in Waco, Texas. Little is known about his early childhood. However, as a teenager, Tigner began to get into trouble with the law. His first documented offense was a burglary charge he received at the age of 16 in 1989. After being convicted, he was placed on probation, which marked the beginning of his criminal record.

In the following years, Tigner committed more crimes. By the time he was 18, he had convictions for criminal mischief, making terroristic threats, and evading the police. Each of these offenses resulted in suspended sentences and further probation. His legal troubles continued to escalate over time.

In December 1992, Tigner was involved in a serious incident where he confessed to shooting Bobby Ray Harris. Harris was a former boyfriend of Tigner's mother. Tigner claimed that he acted in self-defense when Harris entered his home. This incident placed him in a legal situation where he was free on bond when further violent crimes occurred in 1993.

Murder Story

On August 31, 1993, Gerald Wayne Tigner Jr. was involved in a double murder in McLennan County, Texas. At the time, he was out on bail for a separate murder charge. Tigner, along with friends Guan Scott and Timothy Scott, saw Michael Watkins and James Williams in another car. They signaled to them and turned around to approach.

During their conversation, Tigner and the other men began to argue. Tigner then pulled out a gun and started shooting into the car where Watkins and Williams were seated. As the car attempted to drive away, Tigner walked alongside and continued to fire at them. He ran out of bullets and returned to his truck to get another gun.

On his way back, he saw Watkins, who had fallen out of the car trying to escape. Tigner shot him in the head while he was on the ground. Both Watkins and Williams died from their injuries. Watkins sustained ten gunshot wounds, while Williams had seven.

The day after the shootings, Tigner was arrested. He confessed to the murders in a five-page written statement and later gave a taped confession while in custody. Two eyewitnesses identified him as the shooter. The prosecution described the murders as part of a drug-related robbery attempt. Tigner claimed that he acted in self-defense.

Prior to the double murder, Tigner had already killed Bobby Ray Harris, a former boyfriend of his mother. He shot Harris three times on his front lawn in December 1992. Tigner claimed that this shooting was also in self-defense.

Tigner's first trial for the murders of Watkins and Williams resulted in a death sentence, but it was overturned by an appeals court due to a legal mistake made by the prosecution regarding his taped confession. He was retried in 1997, convicted again, and sentenced to death a second time.

Tigner remained on death row for several years before he was executed by lethal injection on March 7, 2002. His final meal included fried chicken, French fries, cheeseburgers, potato chips, apple cobbler, white cake, and drinks. In his last words, Tigner maintained that he was innocent, claiming he was wrongfully convicted based on a false confession.