Bio

Richard Alford Thornburg Jr. was born on July 2, 1965. He grew up in Oklahoma and had a difficult childhood. While not much is publicly known about his early life, it is understood that he faced various challenges as he was growing up in a tough environment.

As a teenager, Thornburg was involved with friends who shared a lifestyle that included drinking and partying. This early introduction to alcohol may have influenced his later actions and behaviors. There are claims that he suffered from mental health issues, including possible brain damage due to a car accident in his youth. These factors potentially contributed to his problems with alcohol and subsequent behavioral issues.

On the night of September 28, 1996, many of Thornburg's issues came to a head when he, along with two accomplices, confronted others involved in his earlier shooting incident. The conflicts and anger that had built up over the years culminated in a series of tragic events that would lead to his eventual arrest and conviction.

Thornburg was later executed by lethal injection on April 18, 2006. His life is a representation of how a troubled upbringing and unresolved issues can influence a person’s path.

Murder Story

On September 28, 1996, Richard Alford Thornburg Jr. and his accomplices, Glenn Anderson and Roger Embrey, went to the home of Marvin Matheson in Grady County, Oklahoma. They were armed and confronted Matheson, accusing him of involvement in a previous shooting of Thornburg. The group forced Matheson to accompany them to the home of James Poteet, whom Thornburg suspected of being connected to the earlier shooting.

Once at Poteet's house, Thornburg and Embrey held Poteet and three other men—Terry Shepard, Keith Smith, and Donnie Scott—at gunpoint. Thornburg gave Matheson a gun and ordered him to shoot Poteet; when Matheson refused, Thornburg shot Poteet himself. Thornburg then demanded Matheson shoot Scott, who had just arrived at the scene. Under duress, Matheson shot Scott in the chest.

After the shootings, Thornburg and his accomplices shot Shepard and Smith. They then set the house on fire, leaving the victims inside. Despite being wounded, Scott managed to escape the blaze and sought help from a passerby. The fire killed Poteet, Shepard, and Smith.

Following the events, Matheson turned himself in to law enforcement, providing a detailed account of the incidents that occurred. Thornburg, Anderson, and Embrey were later arrested. All three were charged in connection with the murders, leading to different sentences—Thornburg and Anderson received death sentences, while Embrey received life sentences. Thornburg was executed by lethal injection on April 18, 2006.