Bio

James Edward Rodden Jr. was born in the year 1960. He grew up in Saline County, Missouri. It has been noted that Rodden faced some issues with the law during his teenage years. By 1982, he had already been convicted of driving while intoxicated multiple times, which indicated early signs of trouble.

As he got older, Rodden lived with a roommate named Joseph Arnold. The two planned a trip to California together. They were known to spend time socializing and using substances like marijuana. Rodden had a girlfriend, named Fran Jones, with whom he had a troubled relationship. Jones reported instances of conflicts between her and Rodden, which sometimes escalated to the point where she felt threatened.

In December 1983, just before the tragic events that would define his life, Rodden was getting ready to move. He was also preparing to sell some of his furniture to Jones. This time of change seemed to be a source of stress for him. The night before the incident, Rodden went out to a bar and later brought an acquaintance, named Terry Trunnel, back to his apartment.

Murder Story

On December 6, 1983, James Edward Rodden Jr. killed two people: Terry Trunnel and Joseph Arnold. The events leading to their deaths began late the previous evening. Rodden had picked up Trunnel at a bar and took her to his apartment, where Arnold was present. Tensions grew when Rodden's girlfriend called him about furniture as he was preparing to move to California. After being refused entry into his girlfriend's apartment, Rodden's anger escalated.

By early morning, Rodden returned to his apartment and found Arnold and Trunnel together in his bed. In the confrontation that followed, Rodden claimed Arnold had attacked him with a knife after he questioned Arnold about Trunnel. According to Rodden, he stabbed Arnold in self-defense after Arnold had already killed Trunnel.

Following the stabbings, Rodden attempted to destroy evidence by setting the apartment on fire. He fled the scene with a bloody knife in Arnold’s car. At around 8:41 a.m., the police were alerted to a fire and discovered the bodies of both victims at the apartment. Arnold had multiple stab wounds, while Trunnel had even more severe injuries, along with signs of being burned.

Later that morning, Rodden was involved in a car accident and was taken to the hospital, where he was arrested. Evidence collected included a blood-stained butcher knife and the victims' blood linking Rodden to the scene. Given the circumstances of the crime, Rodden faced two separate trials. He was convicted of Arnold's murder and received a life sentence without the chance for parole. In a subsequent trial for Trunnel's murder, he was sentenced to death.

Rodden’s executions followed years of appeals. On February 24, 1999, he was executed by lethal injection in Missouri.