Bio

Roger Dale Vaughn was born on October 11, 1954. He was raised in Texas, a state he remained familiar with throughout his life. Information about his childhood and family life is not widely documented, partially due to the circumstances of his later life.

Vaughn joined the U.S. Army, where he faced issues that led to a court-martial in 1973 for being absent without leave (AWOL). He was found guilty and served 30 days of hard labor. After this, he was discharged for "unsuitability" due to character and behavior disorders.

After his military service, Vaughn had several legal troubles. In 1977, he was convicted of burglary of a habitation and sentenced to ten years probation. His probation was revoked in 1978 after he committed aggravated assault against two people.

In the following years, Vaughn continued to face legal issues. In 1986, he was convicted in Wyoming for receiving stolen property and was sentenced to probation. Later that same year, he received a prison sentence for forgery. The exact date of his release from prison is not well documented.

By August 1991, Vaughn was in Lubbock, Texas, where he was arrested for forgery and robbery. At the time of his arrest, he was being held in the Lubbock County Jail. Vaughn had a history of criminal behavior that culminated in his eventual escape from jail on October 14, 1991.

Murder Story

On October 14, 1991, Roger Dale Vaughn escaped from the Lubbock County Jail while awaiting trial for forgery and robbery. After his escape, Vaughn sought out a friend, Larry Shaw, and convinced him that he was recently released from prison. Later that evening, Vaughn attacked Shaw, rendered him unconscious, and stole his car and money. Vaughn drove away to Electra, Texas.

The following day, Vaughn tried to reach another friend but instead contacted the friend's mother, 66-year-old Dora Watkins. He made plans to visit her the next day. On October 16, 1991, Vaughn broke into Watkins' home. During the attack, he sexually assaulted her, then strangled her with a piece of cloth. After the murder, he stole valuable items from her home, including checks, jewelry, and identification.

Vaughn traveled to Wichita Falls, where he pawned some of Watkins' jewelry, including her wedding ring. He also attempted to cash several of her checks, pretending to be her son at one establishment and her husband at another. The next day, on October 17, Vaughn was arrested after he failed to cash another check from Watkins. At the time of his arrest, he possessed Watkins' driver's license and checkbook, as well as pawn receipts made out to Shaw for the items he had stolen.

Following the evidence presented, Vaughn was charged with capital murder. He was convicted and sentenced to death on May 27, 1992. His execution by lethal injection took place on May 6, 2003. Before he was executed, Vaughn requested a chaplain to read a passage from the Bible. He had no official last statement but smiled and expressed love to his relatives before the procedure began. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead shortly after the lethal drugs were administered.