Bio

William E. Vandiver was born on August 26, 1948. He grew up in Lake County, Indiana. His childhood details are not widely known, but like many people, he experienced various challenges in his early life.

As an adult, Vandiver faced legal problems and had a criminal history. His personal life became more complicated when he married Mariann. Mariann's father was Paul Komyatti, Sr. Over time, tensions built between Vandiver and his father-in-law. Paul Komyatti, Sr. was known for being loud and violent when he drank, which caused conflicts within the family. He disapproved of Vandiver and wanted his daughter to divorce him due to Vandiver's criminal past.

These tensions led to further disputes. Paul Komyatti, Sr. threatened to inform the police about Vandiver's past, which heightened the already existing family conflict. This complicated family dynamic played a significant role in Vandiver's life during these years.

Vandiver and his family members eventually entered into a conspiracy that would change their lives forever. They attempted several harmful acts against Paul Komyatti, Sr. in a misguided effort to end the conflict. However, these attempts failed, leading to further plans that escalated the situation and changed their lives drastically.

In the years that followed, Vandiver's decisions would lead him to face serious legal consequences. His life story reflects a troubled personal history and significant family conflict.

Murder Story

William E. Vandiver committed a murder on March 20, 1983, in Lake County, Indiana. His victim was Paul Komyatti, Sr., who was 62 years old and Vandiver's father-in-law. Vandiver, along with members of his family, had conspired to kill Paul Sr. after various failed attempts to poison him.

On the night of the murder, Vandiver and his wife, Mariann, waited for a signal from her brother, Paul Jr., to confirm that Paul Sr. was asleep. They changed their plan when they could not find ether, deciding instead to smother him. When they entered the bedroom, Paul Sr. fought back. Vandiver then stabbed him in the back with a fish filet knife over 100 times. There were 34 deep knife wounds found on Paul Sr.'s body. Vandiver also hit him in the head with a gun, but despite these efforts, Paul Sr. was still breathing.

Ultimately, Vandiver admitted that decapitation was the cause of death. Afterward, he and the family members dismembered the body and made jokes about it. During the trial, Vandiver changed his previous confessions and blamed Paul Jr. for the murder.

On January 20, 1984, he was sentenced to death. He waived his appeals and was executed by electrocution on October 16, 1985. The execution did not go as planned, requiring multiple applications of electricity before he died. Vandiver was the 72nd person executed in Indiana since 1900 and the second since the death penalty was reinstated in 1977.