Thomas Lee Ward (c. 1936 – May 16, 1995) was an American

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

er. He was tried, convicted, and executed by

lethal injection Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium) for the express purpose of causing death. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but t ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

for the murder of his stepfather-in-law Wilbert John Spencer.

Overview

On the night of June 22, 1983, Ward arrived by bus in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

from

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where he had just been released from jail after serving 60 days for molesting his 10-year-old daughter. He went to the residence of Lydia and John Spencer, the mother and stepfather of his estranged wife, Linda. Ward's wife and children were also staying at the house. Ward was allowed into the house to visit his children. He asked and was allowed to bathe and freshen up. Ward learned that his wife had begun receiving welfare and the family was having some trouble with one of the daughters. Ward later claimed that this upset him, but rather than saying or doing anything rash, he left the house. He then went to a local bar where he drank

vodka Vodka ( ; is a clear distilled beverage, distilled alcoholic beverage. Its varieties originated in Poland and Russia. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is ...

and

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

and "hit up" with

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

. Ward returned to the house at approximately 5:30 a.m. the next morning, asking to see his children one last time. After visiting with the children he gave his wife his address and phone number in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and then went into the bedroom of his wife's mother and stepfather. He pulled out a gun, pointed it at Wilbert John Spencer and said "I am sorry, John, I have to kill you." He then shot Spencer once at close range. As Lydia Spencer reached for her husband, Ward shot her in the stomach. When she turned around, he shot her in the back. She then ran for the door, trying to get out of the house. Ward followed her, striking her with three more shots. Linda Ward and her brother, Ernest Scott, heard the shooting and ran from the house to get help from the neighbors. When police arrived, Ward walked up to the police officers, apparently to turn himself in. At first, the police did not seize Ward, not yet knowing he was the alleged murderer. Ward claims the police shooed him away because he was drunk. After further investigation at the scene, the police realized who Ward was and arrested him for the murder of Wilbert John Spencer. Lydia Spencer later recovered.

Trial

Ward was indicted by the

Orleans Parish Orleans Parish (; ) is a parish of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Since 1870, the parish has been coextensive with the city of New Orleans, and the parish and city are largely governed as a single consolidated city. History On April 10, 180 ...

Grand Jury A grand jury is a jury empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand ju ...

with

first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse ...

. On August 15, 1984, the

jury A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence, make Question of fact, findings of fact, and render an impartiality, impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a sentence (law), penalty or Judgmen ...

at Ward's trial found him guilty as charged. After a sentencing hearing, in which Ward testified, the jury unanimously recommended a

sentence of death ''Sentence of Death'' is an EP and the debut release by German thrash metal band Destruction, released on 10 November 1984 by Steamhammer Records. The album is cited as an influential thrash metal album with black metal influences, which has ...

Execution

Ward was executed by

at the

Louisiana State Penitentiary The Louisiana State Penitentiary (known as Angola, and nicknamed the "Alcatraz of the South", "The Angola Plantation" and "The Farm"Sutton, Keith "Catfish".Out There: Angola angling. ''ESPN Outdoors''. May 31, 2006. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. ...

on May 16, 1995, at the age of 59. He declined to make a

final statement A person's last words, their final articulated words stated prior to death or as death approaches, are often recorded because of the decedent's fame, but sometimes because of interest in the statement itself. (People dying of illness are freque ...

, but dictated to his attorney: "I am leaving the world at peace with myself and with the Almighty. I feel remorse for the things that I did. I hope that young people today will learn that violence is not an answer. I hope the legal system learns that lesson, too. The death penalty is not a solution."

References

Sources

Murderers Executed in 2 States
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' (1995-03-17). Retrieved on 2007-11-13. * ''State v. Ward'', 483 So.2d 578 (La. January 23, 1986). ! colspan="3" , Executions carried out in Louisiana , - ! colspan="3" , Executions carried out in the United States {{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Thomas Lee 1936 births 1995 deaths American people convicted of child sexual abuse American people executed for murder 20th-century executions of American people 20th-century executions by Louisiana People convicted of murder by Louisiana People executed by Louisiana by lethal injection

Overview

Trial

Execution

See also

References

Sources