Bio

John Henry Selvage was born on August 7, 1950. His early life details are not widely documented, and there is limited information available about his childhood. As he grew up, Selvage lived in the state of Texas.

Murder Story

On July 30, 1979, John Henry Selvage was involved in a robbery and murder at Ventura's Jewelry Store in Harris County, Texas. The store was owned by Stephen Ventura, who had a close friendship with Albert Garza, a deputy sheriff. Garza visited the store around 6:00 p.m. to use the telephone. He was on duty and carrying an arrest warrant.

At the same time, a woman entered the store looking for a birthday gift. She seemed suspicious to one of the store employees, Charlye Jo Ivy, because she did not remember her daughter’s birthdate. Shortly after that, two black males, including Selvage, entered the store with bags. Ventura noticed that these men had been in the store before and felt uncomfortable. Garza, noticing Ventura’s distress, came out of the back room, revealing his gun and badge.

As Garza approached Selvage, he asked if he could help. Selvage engaged in conversation, pretending to be interested in a diamond. During this time, a shot was fired, and Garza was struck in the neck. He quickly pushed Ventura toward the back office to escape the gunfire. Ventura then retrieved a gun from his safe and returned to confront the robbers, who were busy taking jewelry.

During the escape, Selvage and his accomplice exchanged gunfire with Ventura. Garza, still armed, never had the chance to draw his weapon. After the shooting, Garza succumbed to his injuries. Witnesses, including Ventura and the employees, later identified Selvage as one of the men involved in the incident. Following the robbery, Selvage was arrested about a week later.

On December 4, 1979, he was indicted for capital murder. A jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death on March 17, 1980. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals later affirmed his conviction and sentence.