The Bizarre Journey of a Former Neighbor: From Outlaw Biker to Mass Murderer

Have You Ever Met Someone Who Afterwards Became a Murderer?

Yes, I met someone who later became a mass murderer, and he was my neighbor once. His family lived next door to mine in the 1950s. He was in and out of detention centers or homes, often away from home, which mystified me as a young boy. He was older than my siblings and me, about seven to eight years, and he was the first child from his mother’s second relationship. His mother and my mother remained close friends for years after the families moved apart.

Outlaw Biker Days and a Loan Gone Bad

By the 1970s, I learned from the news that this man had become an outlaw biker and had been involved in criminal activities. I remember lending him some money, using his watch as collateral. He later paid me back, but after a few days, I didn't hear from him. His fellow biker informed me that he was back in prison for raping and murdering two women.

A Meeting at a Political Gathering

I was invited to a gathering in Kansas as part of some political work with the Family Inquiry into Juvenile Incarceration (FIJA). I served as the California Political Director. At that meeting, I met Paul Jennings Hill, who didn’t make much of an impression and was quite quiet. A short time later, he murdered two people. On September 3, 2003, he was executed.

Legal Missteps and Controversial Defense

Despite being a complete jerk and being deeply misguided, Paul Jennings Hill was not allowed to present his defense theory of ldquo;Justification by reason of defense of others.rdquo; He chose to represent himself and was given the death penalty. Furthermore, he wasn’t granted the same freedom as, say, the "Twinkie defense,rdquo; which was used in a highly publicized murder case.

It seems disrespectful to the memory of the people he murdered to not allow him to speak his piece. Moreover, the suggestion to not let him speak is so absurd that it would be considered the dumbest legal rationale in our history as a species. It would have been reasonable to at least determine whether he was ldquo;insanerdquo; as in the case of John Hinckley, who was already released from his sentence. The denial of his right to present his defense and the lack of a fair trial are deeply troubling and highlight significant flaws in the legal system.