Bio

William Rousan was born on July 17, 1956. He grew up in Missouri, in a rural area. He later faced numerous legal troubles throughout his life, with a history of crime that would follow him into adulthood.

As a young man, Rousan engaged in various illegal activities, leading to multiple convictions. He was convicted of crimes including assault, escape, and unlawful possession of a firearm. His criminal record began to shape his life decisions and interactions with the law.

Rousan's life took a drastic turn when he, along with his son and brother, plotted and committed a double murder during a robbery. This decision would lead to his arrest and subsequent trial, but all of these events stemmed from the troubled life he led prior.

Murder Story

On September 21, 1993, William Rousan, his son Brent, and his brother Robert planned to steal cattle from the Lewis farm in Washington County, Missouri. They drove past the farm and discussed killing Charles and Grace Lewis if necessary. Rousan parked the truck about two miles from the farm, took out a .22 caliber rifle, and loaded it. He gave the rifle to his son Brent and warned him that if they were caught, they would suffer serious consequences.

As Charles Lewis was mowing the lawn and Grace was on the phone with their daughter, Brent became impatient and shot Charles six times, killing him. Grace heard the gunfire and came outside. Brent shot her several times as she tried to return to the house, but she survived long enough to crawl back inside. Rousan then followed her into the home. He placed a garment bag over Grace’s head and forced her outside, telling Brent to “finish her off.” Brent shot Grace in the head, killing her.

After the murders, the three men wrapped the victims' bodies in tarps and left them behind a shed. Later that night, they returned, took the bodies to the Lewis' pickup truck, and loaded stolen property, including two cows and some personal items. They buried the bodies in a shallow grave on Rousan's girlfriend's property, where they covered them with concrete and manure.

For nearly a year, the crime remained unsolved. However, in September 1994, two tips from relatives led police to investigate Rousan and his family. Authorities found the bodies buried on the farm, along with evidence linking Rousan to the crime. Rousan was arrested on September 20, 1994, while hiding in a barn.

Brent Rousan was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. Robert Rousan received a lighter sentence after cooperating with prosecutors and pleading guilty to second-degree murder. William Rousan was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injection in Missouri on April 23, 2014.