Bio

Willie Earl Pondexter Jr. was born on March 5, 1974, in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. At the age of seventeen, he was adjudicated a juvenile delinquent for several offenses, including assault and battery, trespassing, and disturbing the peace.

In November 1992, he was caught unlawfully carrying a weapon in Clarksville, Texas. Just a few months later, in May 1993, he committed assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in Oklahoma and was placed on probation. 

Pondexter dropped out of school after reaching the 11th grade and worked as a laborer. By the age of 19, he was an unmarried father of two, navigating the challenges of parenthood while also dealing with a growing criminal record. 

Murder Story

On October 28, 1993, Willie Earl Pondexter Jr. and four accomplices decided to rob 84-year-old Martha Lennox. They were aware that she lived alone and planned their crime carefully. The group parked a few blocks away from her house to avoid detection. Initially, they hesitated when they spotted a police car, but after the patrol left, they returned to Lennox's home.

Pondexter kicked open the front door, and the group entered the house. They went upstairs where Martha was sitting on her bed. In a quick move, one of the accomplices took about $7 from her coin purse. Shortly after, one of the men shot Martha twice in the head with a 9 mm pistol. Then Pondexter took the gun and shot her as well.

After the shooting, they fled the scene in Martha's car. Using the money they had stolen, they bought gas and drove to Dallas. The next day, they were caught when they attempted to rob someone on the street. Pondexter and one other man were charged with capital murder.

During the trial, it was revealed that Pondexter had shot Martha after she had already been shot by another accomplice. Pondexter was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death. After years of legal proceedings and appeals, he was executed by lethal injection in Texas on March 3, 2009. His last words expressed remorse and a plea for forgiveness while maintaining his innocence regarding being the one who delivered the fatal shot.