James Edward Smith was born on October 19, 1952, in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Not much is recorded about his childhood, but as an adult he led a transient and unconventional life. Smith worked in New Orleans as a tarot card dealer, a job that reflected his deep involvement in mysticism and ritual practices, including voodoo. He later relocated to Texas, where he found employment as a taxi driver in Houston. Those who knew him often described him as eccentric, heavily influenced by spiritual and mystical beliefs.

On March 7, 1983, James Edward Smith attempted to rob the Union National Life Insurance Company in Houston, Texas. Armed with a gun and disguised with a stocking mask, he approached the teller’s window and demanded money. When the teller refused and sought cover, Smith turned his weapon toward Larry Don Rohus, a 44-year-old district manager standing nearby.

Rohus complied, handing over a bag of money from the cash drawer. As he attempted to step away, Smith ordered him back. The two exchanged words, and Rohus began to remove a bracelet from his wrist in a gesture of compliance. Despite his pleas for mercy, Smith fired twice, with the second bullet striking Rohus in the chest. Rohus was rushed to the hospital but died hours later from his wounds.

Smith fled on foot, pursued by two office workers. During the chase, he fired shots at his pursuers, narrowly missing them. His escape ended when he tripped in the street near an apartment complex. Civilians helped subdue him until a passing detective placed him in handcuffs. The stolen money and the gun were quickly recovered, sealing the case against him.

Smith was charged with capital murder and held without bond. During jury selection in 1984, he attempted to escape from the courthouse but was caught a few blocks away by police. On April 5, 1984, a Harris County jury found him guilty of capital murder. He was sentenced to death.

In November 1987, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals upheld his death sentence. Smith then waived his remaining appeals, saying he wanted to speed up the process. He claimed prison life was “cruel and unusual punishment” compared to death, insisting that execution would allow him to reincarnate, in line with his spiritual beliefs.

Smith’s execution was first scheduled for May 11, 1988. In the days leading up to it, he made headlines for his last meal request: a plate of dirt, specifically “rhaeakunda” dirt, used in voodoo rituals. He explained that he intended to perform a ritual that would aid his reincarnation. The Texas prison system denied the request since dirt was not on the approved list of foods. Instead, he was offered a substitution from the regular prison menu. Eventually, he accepted plain yogurt.

On the day before his scheduled execution, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a last-minute reprieve after his mother’s attorneys argued that he was mentally incompetent. The reprieve delayed the execution, but after two years of further appeals, the court rejected the claims and cleared the way for his execution.

On June 26, 1990, James Edward Smith was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit in Huntsville, Texas. He was pronounced dead at 12:31 a.m. In his final words, he proclaimed his innocence and recited a Krishna blessing.