Bio

Robert Wayne Sawyer was born in 1951. Little is known about his early life. He grew up in a time that was marked by social change in the United States. Information about his family background and childhood is limited, which makes it hard to understand the factors that shaped him as a person.

Sawyer lived some of his later years in Louisiana. He spent time with people who appeared to influence his lifestyle and decisions. The choices he made during this time were significant and would eventually lead to serious consequences. The impact of his environment and relationships on his behavior is worth noting, as they perhaps set the stage for events that would unfold in his life.

Murder Story

On September 28, 1979, Robert Wayne Sawyer and Charles Lane attacked Frances Arwood, who was babysitting at a home in Gretna, Louisiana. During an argument, Sawyer began hitting Arwood. Lane joined in, and together they physically assaulted her. They took her into the bathroom, where they submerged her in hot water, poured detergent on her, and continued to beat her.

After the assault in the bathroom, they dragged Arwood to the living room and left her on the floor. While Arwood lay unconscious, Sawyer and Lane took turns inflicting more violence. They covered her body and later set her on fire using lighter fluid. Arwood suffered severe injuries, including burns and a head injury, which left her in a coma for about two months.

After the attack, Shano, the woman who had been babysitting with Arwood, called the police. Authorities arrived and found Arwood's severely burned body. She was taken to a hospital, but unfortunately, she died from her injuries on November 21, 1979. Sawyer and Lane were arrested on the same day of the murder.

In 1982, both men were indicted for first-degree murder, with Sawyer being convicted and sentenced to death. He became the first person executed by lethal injection in Louisiana on March 5, 1993.