Bio 

John Joseph Joubert IV was born on July 2, 1963, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Joseph and Beverly Joubert. He was the oldest of two children and had a younger sister, Jane. According to later reports and psychiatric evaluations, Joubert was an intelligent child who learned to read at an early age and demonstrated strong academic abilities. He reportedly began checking books out of the library when he was only five years old and was described as quiet, reserved, and more comfortable spending time alone than interacting with other children.

When Joubert was still young, his parents' marriage deteriorated and eventually ended in divorce. Following the separation, he primarily lived with his mother, who later moved the family to Portland, Maine. Public accounts and psychiatric summaries described his upbringing as unstable and characterized by family conflict. Joubert later stated that he had witnessed domestic violence involving his parents during early childhood. He also described his relationship with his mother as difficult and controlling. While these experiences were noted in psychiatric evaluations conducted after his arrest, they were not presented as explanations or excuses for his later actions.

In Portland, Joubert attended local schools and eventually enrolled at Cheverus High School, a private Catholic institution. Despite being regarded as academically capable, he struggled socially. Former classmates and teachers described him as shy, introverted, and physically small for his age. He reportedly became the target of teasing and bullying, which contributed to his social isolation. Outside the classroom, he participated in scouting activities, worked as a newspaper carrier, and spent much of his free time reading, listening to music, and building model airplanes. He had few close friendships and rarely engaged in typical teenage social activities.

During adolescence, Joubert began committing violent assaults that remained unsolved for years. On December 12, 1979, six-year-old Sarah Canty was stabbed in the back while playing outside her Portland home. Approximately six weeks later, on January 24, 1980, 27-year-old Vicky Goff was attacked from behind and stabbed while walking to a class at the University of Southern Maine. On March 24, 1980, nine-year-old Michael Witham suffered a throat wound after being lured toward a bicyclist and slashed with a blade. All three victims survived their injuries. Joubert was never identified as the perpetrator at the time, but years later admitted responsibility for these attacks in interviews and case accounts.

After graduating from Cheverus High School in 1981, Joubert enrolled at Norwich University in Vermont, where he briefly studied engineering. He did not remain there long and completed only a limited number of credits before leaving school. In August 1982, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and trained as a radar technician. He was eventually assigned to Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue, Nebraska.

By 1983, Joubert was serving as an enlisted airman while living in Nebraska. To those around him, he appeared to be a quiet serviceman carrying out his military duties. However, investigators would later discover that during this period he committed the murders that brought national attention to his case. His arrest in January 1984 ultimately connected him not only to the Nebraska killings but also to the unsolved murder of an 11-year-old boy in his former home state of Maine.

Murder Story

John Joseph Joubert IV’s first confirmed murder victim was 11-year-old Richard “Ricky” Stetson. On August 22, 1982, Stetson disappeared while jogging near his home in Portland, Maine. His body was found the next morning near a roadway. Initial reports considered the possibility of a hit-and-run, but the autopsy showed that he had been strangled and stabbed. Bite marks were also found on the body.

The Stetson case initially remained unsolved. A different suspect was arrested but was later cleared after the bite evidence did not match him. The case remained open until investigators later connected Joubert to the crime after his arrest in Nebraska.

On September 18, 1983, Danny Joe Eberle, 13, disappeared while delivering newspapers in Bellevue, Nebraska. His bicycle and undelivered newspapers were found along his route. After three days of searching, his body was discovered in a rural area. He had been bound, gagged, partially undressed, and stabbed repeatedly. Investigators also found bite marks.

On December 2, 1983, 12-year-old Christopher Walden disappeared while walking to school near Papillion, Nebraska. His body was found two days later in a grove of trees. He had been stabbed repeatedly. The similarities between the Eberle and Walden murders raised concern that the same offender was responsible.

Joubert was arrested after an incident on January 11, 1984, when he was seen near a Bellevue preschool. When confronted by an adult attendant, he threatened her and fled. The woman recorded his license plate number, and police traced the vehicle to Joubert, who was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base. A search of his quarters and vehicle found rope similar to that used to bind Danny Eberle, along with more rope and a hunting knife.

After his arrest, Joubert confessed to the Nebraska murders. He gave details that had not been made public and that were later corroborated by the crime scenes. On January 12, 1984, he was charged with two counts of murder. He later pleaded guilty to both first-degree murder counts. A three-judge panel sentenced him to death for the murders of Danny Eberle and Christopher Walden.

Investigators in Maine then compared the Nebraska murders with the unsolved Stetson case. Because Joubert was from Portland and the crimes shared important similarities, he became the focus of the Maine investigation. Hair samples and dental impressions were obtained, and he was indicted for Richard Stetson’s murder on January 10, 1986. In 1990, a Maine jury convicted him of Stetson’s murder, and he received a life sentence.

Joubert pursued appeals and federal habeas relief. In 1996, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reviewed his challenge to Nebraska’s death sentence. The court ultimately allowed the death sentences to stand, finding that the sentencing errors alleged did not require relief.

John Joseph Joubert IV was executed by electrocution at the Nebraska State Penitentiary on July 17, 1996. He was 33 years old. He apologized for the murders before his execution and questioned whether his death would bring peace to anyone affected by the crimes.