Bio

Thomas Lee Royal Jr. was born and raised in Hampton, Virginia. He was surrounded by crime and gang activity. Royal had a brother named Sammie Lee Royal, who had numerous run-ins with the law.

In the early 1990s, Thomas Lee Royal found himself becoming more involved in street life and gang culture. His brother's legal troubles seemed to strengthen a sense of loyalty and revenge within him, particularly after Sammie was arrested on drug charges.

By the mid-1990s, Thomas had developed a reputation as someone who could be dangerous, particularly towards law enforcement. 

Murder Story

On February 21, 1994, Thomas Lee Royal Jr. was involved in the murder of Hampton Police Officer Kenneth Wallace. Along with accomplices, Royal had a plan to kill Officer Curtis Cooper, who he believed was responsible for his brother's arrest. Instead, they encountered Officer Wallace, who was in his patrol car.

Royal shot Officer Wallace twice in the head while he was seated in the vehicle. After the shooting, he and his accomplices fled the scene. Officer Wallace succumbed to his injuries four days later in the hospital. Investigators found evidence that included spent cartridges at the scene, but they did not recover the murder weapon.

Royal confessed to the shooting during police questioning, admitting he was the one who fired the fatal shots. He was later charged and pled guilty to capital murder and using an illegal firearm. In October 1994, he was sentenced to death for his crime.

Royal was also implicated in the earlier murder of James Smith Jr. in 1991. His actions were classified as gang-related and motivated by revenge.

After exhausting all appeals, Royal was executed by lethal injection on November 9, 1999, in Virginia. His last words before the execution were, Let's roll. He was pronounced dead at 9:06 PM.