Bio

Leamon White was born on July 17, 1950. He grew up in a neighborhood in Jackson County, Missouri. Details about his early life are limited, but it is known that he had various challenges during his upbringing.

As a young man, White became involved in criminal activities. His involvement in drugs and robbery would become significant in his later life. There are records of him associating with people involved in drug dealing. These relationships likely influenced his choices and led him down a troubled path.

White had friends who were also involved in crime. This group included Roger Buckner and Cleveland Ford. Their connections to drug dealing played a role in the decisions they made as adults. White's early life was marked by struggles that contributed to his later actions.

Despite limited information about his childhood, it is clear that the factors surrounding his upbringing shaped who he would become.

Murder Story

On January 5, 1987, Leamon White, along with his friend Roger Buckner, went to the home of Don Wright and his girlfriend, Carol Kinney, in Jackson County, Missouri. The purpose of their visit was to obtain crack cocaine, which Wright had promised to sell to White. While they were discussing this deal, another friend of White's, Cleveland Ford, entered the house without announcing himself.

During this interaction, the situation escalated. White and his friends drew guns. White pointed his gun at Wright's head and demanded to know where the money and drugs were. Wright claimed there was nothing in the house. Following this, White and his associates tied up Wright, Kinney, and a guest named Earnest Black, and they began to beat Wright and Black with their guns while asking for money and drugs.

As events unfolded, White said that the three adults needed to die. Ford held Wright's head while White used a knife to slit his throat. Buckner then attacked Kinney, cutting her throat multiple times. After the violent acts, the three men turned on the gas stove, extinguishing the pilot lights, and left the apartment. Wright later died from strangulation asphyxiation. While Kinney and Black survived the attack, they were able to identify White and his accomplices in court.

In 1989, Leamon White was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to death. He appealed his conviction multiple times, but his sentence was affirmed by the courts.