Bio

Robert Alan Shields Jr. was born on January 23, 1975, in the United States. He grew up in a suburban environment in Texas. Shields had a challenging childhood, marked by difficulty in his relationships with his family. When he was a teenager, his family moved to Colorado, which caused him to isolate himself more. They returned to Texas after some time, but by then, Shields had begun to struggle academically and socially. He often associated with others who were involved in criminal behavior.

In 1992, at just 17, Shields faced his first serious legal trouble. He was arrested for the theft and burglary of a vehicle. As a result, he was placed on probation. However, he did not comply with the terms of this probation and continued to be involved in criminal activities. Shields also had a history of using drugs and alcohol. He first drank alcohol at 14 and became heavily involved with substances by the age of 17.

Shields moved out of his parents’ home as a young adult, stating that he could not live under his father's rules. His family felt the need to change their locks multiple times to keep him from stealing from them. They experienced a strained relationship during this time, with Shields often disappearing for days and later living in vacant houses. His mother once sought help from the court to have Shields arrested in order to retrieve a stolen car.

Murder Story

On the morning of September 21, 1994, Robert Alan Shields Jr. broke into the home of Paula and Tracy Stiner in Friendswood, Texas. He waited for several hours for Paula to return home, which she did shortly after 4:45 p.m. As she entered her house, Shields attacked her. He stabbed her repeatedly and also struck her with a hammer. After the attack, he took Paula's credit cards, checkbook, and car keys, along with other items from the house, and left in her car.

Tracy Stiner came home around 5:45 p.m. and found his wife's body in their laundry room, covered in blood. Following the murder, Shields used one of Paula's credit cards at a store to buy clothes. The police were alerted and started their investigation. They arrested Shields three days later when they spotted him driving Paula's car. At the time of his arrest, he had cuts on his hands and chin. His underwear was also found to be soaked in blood.

The police linked Shields to the crime scene through fingerprints and shoe prints found in the house. A cigarette butt with his DNA was also discovered, along with various items that connected him to the previous events. He was eventually convicted of capital murder in October 1995 and sentenced to death.

After years of legal battles, including numerous appeals, Robert Alan Shields was executed by lethal injection on August 23, 2005. He was 30 years old at the time of his execution. He made no final statement before his death.