Bio

Larry Wayne Wooten was born on December 10, 1958, in Lamar County, Texas. Little is known about his early childhood and family background. He grew up in a community where he eventually faced several challenges as he grew older.

Wooten had a troubled history during his youth. He did not complete high school and only attained a level of education equivalent to the eighth grade. Over the years, he faced legal problems and was in trouble with law enforcement on multiple occasions.

In the early 1980s, he began to gather a criminal record that included charges such as burglary and robbery. In 1982, he pleaded guilty to a burglary charge in which he attempted to rape a 73-year-old woman. He received probation for this offense. However, just two years later, he was arrested again after attempting to break into the same woman's home.

By the 1990s, Wooten was known to have several run-ins with the law and had developed a serious addiction to cocaine. This substance abuse contributed to his criminal behavior. He worked in building maintenance, which allowed him to have some interaction with different people in the community, but the influence of drugs led to further criminal actions.

Wooten had a brief marriage to a woman who was related to an elderly couple named Grady and Bessie Alexander. This relationship provided him with opportunities to engage with the Alexanders and helped him establish connections within their household. However, his criminal past followed him, and he continued a pattern of impulsive and unlawful behavior.

In 1991, Wooten was sentenced to ten years in prison for robbery, but he was paroled in 1994. His life was marked by a series of decisions that would ultimately lead to his later crimes. Despite his troubled life, specific early experiences that shaped him into this path remain unclear.

Murder Story

On September 3, 1996, Larry Wayne Wooten murdered Grady Alexander, 80, and his wife Bessie, 86, in their home in Lamar County, Texas. Wooten entered their house under the belief that they kept large sums of money inside. After killing them, he stole between $500 and $600.

Wooten stabbed both victims multiple times and cut their throats. Grady had also been struck on the head with a cast iron skillet, and Bessie was beaten with a pistol. Their bodies showed signs of defensive wounds.

Wooten had a history with the Alexanders, as he had done odd jobs for them. He was also related to the family through a past marriage with their niece. Following the murders, Wooten went on a cocaine binge and was seen with blood on his hands and clothes. Evidence found at the crime scene included blood that matched Wooten's DNA, which linked him to the murders.

Wooten was arrested and charged with capital murder. During his trial, the prosecution presented evidence of his past violent behavior and substance abuse. In 1998, he was found guilty and sentenced to death.

After years of appeals, Wooten was executed by lethal injection on October 21, 2010. His last meal included fried chicken and banana pudding, and he made a brief statement before his execution, mentioning that he had nothing to say.