RIDDLE, Granville
Granville Riddle
7th murderer executed in U.S. in 2003
827th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
6th murderer executed in Texas in 2003
295th murderer executed in Texas since 1976
(Race/Sex/Age at Murder-Execution) |
Birth |
(Race/Sex/Age at Murder) |
Murder | Murder | to Murderer |
Sentence |
Granville Riddle W / M / 19 - 33 |
Ronnie Hood Bennett W / M / 39 |
tire tool |
Summary:
Granville Riddle and a friend, Brad Bybee went out drinking. The two proceeded to drive to the home of Ronnie Hood Bennett. Bybee remained in the car while Riddle entered Bennett's home and used a tire iron to strike Bennett on the head at least 15 times, causing his death. Riddle testified that Bennett made sexual advances toward him and when he refused, Bennett grabbed him, pulled him down, put his lips on Riddle's ear and a hand on his buttocks. According to Riddle, he then hit Bennett with the tire iron repeatedly, causing his death. After he realized that Bennett was dead, Riddle tried to make the home look burglarized. Bybee testified that Riddle called him into the home, pointed to a few items piled on the floor, and informed him that the items were theirs to keep. Bybee also testified that Riddle remarked that he wanted "to see how strong [Bybee's] stomach [was]," and Riddle hit Bennett in the head once more, imbedding the tire iron into Bennett's skull. Riddle was paroled 4 months before the murder after serving 2 months of a 7 year sentence for Burglary. While awaiting trial, Riddle escaped from jail and was arrested 3 days later after burglarizing another house and arming himself. Once in prison, he again attempted to escape, and was even less successful.
Citations:
Riddle v. State, 888 S.W.2d 1 (Tex.Crim.App. 1994). (Direct Appeal)
Final Meal:
Steak, baked potato, cherry cheesecake, salad, blue cheese dressing, rolls, Coke, coffee, strawberries, and oranges.
Final Words:
"I would just . . . (speaking in French). I love all of you. I love you Lundy, Levi, my dad. I have no grudges against anyone, or any of the things that have gone wrong. I would like to say to the world, I have always been a nice person. I have never been mean-hearted or cruel. I wish everybody well."
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Executed Offenders (Riddle)
Texas Attorney General Media Advisory
MEDIA ADVISORY - Monday, January 27, 2003 - Granville Riddle Scheduled to be Executed.
AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott offers the following information on Granville Riddle, who is scheduled to be executed after 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2003.
On Nov. 8, 1989, Granville Riddle was sentenced to death for the capital murder of Ronnie Hood Bennett, which occurred in Amarillo, Texas, on Oct. 9, 1988. A summary of the evidence presented at trial follows:
FACTS OF THE CRIME
On Oct. 9, 1988, Granville Riddle and a friend, Brad Bybee went out drinking. The two proceeded to drive to the home of Ronnie Hood Bennett. Bybee remained in the car while Riddle entered Bennett's home and used a tire iron to strike Bennett on the head at least 15 times, causing his death.
In his initial statement to police, Riddle stated that he entered the premises through a screen window, which he pried open with the tire iron. Riddle explained that Bennett became angry at him for damaging his property and, in an effort to defend himself, Riddle hit Bennett in the knee with the tire iron. When this angered Bennett even more, Riddle proceeded to hit him over the head until he died.
During the course of the trial, however, Riddle maintained that he had consent to enter Bennett's home when the murder occurred because Bennett was a close friend, akin to a stepfather. Riddle testified that he took a tire iron with him, which he intended to use to pry the screen off the kitchen window; however, when he arrived, he found a sliding door unlocked. The kitchen window, however, was found pried open.
Riddle testified that Bennett made sexual advances toward him and when he refused, Bennett grabbed him, pulled him down, put his lips on Riddle's ear and a hand on his buttocks. According to Riddle, he then hit Bennett with the tire iron repeatedly, causing his death. After he realized that Bennett was dead, Riddle tried to make the home look burglarized in an attempt to cover up for his actions.
Although Riddle admitted that Bennett was drunk when he arrived, forensic evidence proved that Bennett's blood-alcohol level was .29 percent. This level of extreme intoxication would have rendered Bennett unconscious.
Bybee testified that Riddle called him into the home, pointed to a few items piled on the floor, and informed him that the items were theirs to keep. Bybee also testified that Riddle remarked that he wanted "to see how strong [Bybee's] stomach [was]," and Riddle hit Bennett in the head once more, imbedding the tire iron into Bennett's skull. Bybee then secretly left. It was at this point, according to Riddle, that he panicked, grabbed Bennett's wallet and his truck, and left.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
November 17, 1988 - A grand jury indicted Riddle in the 251st District Court of Potter County, Texas, for the capital murder of Ronnie Hood Bennett, committed during the course of committing and attempting to commit burglary of a habitation with intent to commit theft.
November 3, 1989 - A jury found Riddle guilty of capital murder.
November 8, 1989 - Following a separate punishment hearing, the court assessed a sentence of death.
June 8, 1994 - Riddle's conviction and sentence were affirmed on direct appeal by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in a published opinion.
June 26, 1995 - The United States Supreme Court denied certiorari review.
October 10, 1996 - Riddle filed an application for writ of habeas corpus in the trial court.
February 26, 1997 - The Court of Criminal Appeals denied habeas relief in an unpublished order.
September 5, 1997 - Riddle filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division.
July 14, 2000 - The federal district court denied habeas relief.
August 25, 2000 - The federal district court granted permission to appeal.
April 15, 2002 - The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of habeas relief.
July 15, 2002 - Riddle petitioned the Supreme Court for certiorari review.
October 15, 2002 - The Supreme Court denied certiorari review.
PRIOR CRIMINAL HISTORY
Evidence showed that Riddle had previously committed numerous offenses, including: the burglary and vandalism of the Oakdale Christian Church in April 1985; the burglary of the Mexican food restaurant where his mother worked in May 1985; the burglary of C&A Lawnmower, also in May 1985; shoplifting beer from a grocery store in October 1985; a flea market burglary; the burglary of a Baptist church; the burglary of the Oakdale Elementary School in August 1986; the criminal trespass of a travel trailer in November 1987; possession of a controlled substance; auto theft; disorderly conduct; and violation of his probation with arrests for public intoxication, criminal trespass, and possession of controlled substances and marijuana.
Additionally, while Riddle was incarcerated awaiting trial for capital murder, he instigated a "full scale mutiny" among his cell mates and escaped from the dining hall of the correctional center. When correctional officers apprehended Riddle three days later, Riddle had a rifle, about 100 rounds of ammunition, civilian clothes, and two tote bags containing toiletries, all burglarized from a trailer home. On June 4, 1989, Riddle attempted another escape by digging a hole in one of the cell walls. Riddle attempted to escape again on July 14, 1989, but was foiled when a correctional officer found Riddle behind duct work in the facility's attic. Riddle also talked to himself all night in his cell and threatened to jump anyone who opened the door. In August 1989, Riddle attempted to electrify his cell door by tampering with his television and radio wires. Riddle was also involved in three to four fights while in jail, each with different inmates.
Granville Riddle was sentenced to death for the murder of Ronnie Hood Bennett, 39. On Oct. 9, 1988, Granville Riddle and a friend, Brad Bybee went out drinking. The two proceeded to drive to the home of Ronnie Hood Bennett. Bybee remained in the car while Riddle entered Bennett's home and used a tire iron to strike Bennett on the head at least 15 times, causing his death.
In his initial statement to police, Riddle stated that he entered the premises through a screen window, which he pried open with the tire iron. Riddle explained that Bennett became angry at him for damaging his property and, in an effort to defend himself, Riddle hit Bennett in the knee with the tire iron. When this angered Bennett even more, Riddle proceeded to hit him over the head until he died. During the course of the trial, Riddle maintained that he had consent to enter Bennett's home when the murder occurred because Bennett was a close friend, akin to a stepfather. Riddle testified that he took a tire iron with him, which he intended to use to pry the screen off the kitchen window, but when he arrived, he found a sliding door unlocked. The kitchen window, however, was found pried open.
In yet another version, Riddle testified that Bennett made sexual advances toward him and when he refused, Bennett grabbed him, pulled him down, put his lips on Riddle's ear and a hand on his buttocks. According to Riddle, he then hit Bennett with the tire iron repeatedly, causing his death. After he realized that Bennett was dead, Riddle tried to make the home look burglarized in an attempt to cover up for his actions. Although Riddle admitted that Bennett was drunk when he arrived, forensic evidence proved that Bennett's blood-alcohol level was .29 percent. This level of extreme intoxication would have rendered Bennett unconscious.
Bybee testified that Riddle called him into the home, pointed to a few items piled on the floor, and informed him that the items were theirs to keep. Bybee also testified that Riddle told him that he wanted "to see how strong your stomach is," and Riddle hit Bennett in the head once more, imbedding the tire iron into Bennett's skull. Bybee then secretly left. It was at this point, according to Riddle, that he panicked, grabbed Bennett's wallet and his truck, and left. The truck was found the next day, burned out in a ravine. Riddle was arrested five days after the murder following a statement to police from the 18-year-old man who drove Riddle to the residence. That man was initially charged with murder, but the charges were dropped.
While awaiting trial, Riddle escaped from the Potter County jail and was recaptured 3 days later. He had a .22-caliber rifle in his possession and the gun was traced to a residence Riddle had burglarized during his flight. Riddle had been on parole for less than 6 months after serving only 2 and a half months of a 7 year sentence for burglary.
UPDATE: "I'm just a normal small town boy," Riddle, who declined to speak with reporters in the week's preceding his execution, said on an Internet Web site devoted to prisoners seeking pen pals. "I am caring and I am considerate." His record disputed that. "He's been a problem for law enforcement since he got old enough to even think about being a problem for law enforcement," said Randall Sims, an assistant district attorney in Potter County who indicated Riddle's first burglary was at age 8. "That's not good old country boys. That's prison material."
Besides numerous burglaries, including a church, school and a restaurant where his mother worked, he had arrests for drug possession and auto theft. In April 1988, he was sent to prison after getting a seven-year term for burglary but was paroled after just 2 1/2 months during a time when Texas was experiencing a prison bed shortage. In November 1988, the then 19-year-old was indicted for capital murder for killing Bennett. "It was one of the bloodiest crime scenes I've ever seen in 20 years," said Sims, who prosecuted the case. "The (victim's) skull looked like a volleyball that was a sponge, just holes everywhere." Before arriving at death row, Riddle, from Stinnett, tried escaping from the county jail numerous times -- succeeding once for three days. He also attempted to electrify his cell door with wires from his radio and television and was involved in several fights with other inmates.
Texas Execution Information Center by David Carson.
Granville Riddle, 33, was executed by lethal injection on 30 January 2003 in Huntsville, Texas for murdering a man during a home burglary.
On 9 October 1988, Riddle, then 19, and Brad Bybee, 18, drove to the Amarillo home of Ronnie Bennett, 39. Riddle pried the screen off the kitchen window with a tire iron and entered the house. Riddle then beat Bennett to death with the tire tool, striking him 15 times. He then took Bennett's wallet and stole his pickup truck. The pickup was found burned the next day in a ravine outside of Borger. Bybee reported the crime to police, and Riddle was arrested five days after the murder.
In his initial statement to police, Riddle stated that he entered the home through a screen window, which he pried open with the tire iron. He said that Bennett confronted him in anger and that he struck Bennett with the tire iron in self defense. When Bennett fought back, Riddle kept beating him on the head until he died.
At age 19, Riddle already had an extensive criminal history involving at least six burglaries, as well as shoplifting, criminal trespass, auto theft, probation violations, and drug possession. He served 2 months of a 7-year sentence for burglary before receiving parole in June 1988. (At the time, early release was common in Texas due to strict prison population caps imposed by U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice.)
While awaiting trial, Riddle escaped from jail. He eluded an extensive manhunt for three days before being captured on a highway 20 miles north of Amarillo. At the time of his capture, he had in his possession a .22-caliber rifle and other items which he had stolen from a mobile home during his flight. Riddle unsuccessfully attempted two more escapes while in jail. He also was involved in at least three fights with other inmates.
At his trial, Riddle claimed that the victim was a close friend and that he and Bybee visited his house to see if he wanted to go out drinking. He said he had Bennett's permission to enter the home, but he took a tire iron with him in case he needed to pry a window open to get inside. Riddle also claimed that he did not have to enter through the window because he found a sliding door unlocked. He said that once inside the home, Bennett, who was drunk, made homosexual advances toward him and began trying to molest him. He said that he hit Bennett in the knee in an attempt to drive him off, and only hit him on the head when he would not back down. He testified that made the home look burglarized in an attempt to conceal what really happened.
The prosecution disputed Riddle's self-defense claim by presenting evidence that Bennett's blood alcohol level was .29, which would have rendered him unconscious. Ralph Erdmann, a pathologist testifying as an expert witness for the prosecution, stated that Bennett was struck first in the head, not the knee, as Riddle claimed.
Brad Bybee testified that Riddle called him into the home, pointed to a few items on the floor, and told him that those items were theirs to keep. He also testified that he watched as Riddle swung the blunt end of the lug wrench into Bennett's head one final time, leaving it embedded in the victim's skull. Bybee testified that it was at this point that he left.
A jury convicted Riddle in November 1989 of capital murder and sentenced him to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in June 1994. All of his subsequent appeals in state and federal court were denied.
In 1992, Dr. Ralph Erdmann was convicted of falsifying autopsy reports in other cases. He received a 13-year prison sentence and was released in 1997. In his last round of appeals, Riddle claimed that the state's case was flawed because Erdmann, one of their key witnesses at his trial, had been discredited. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected this claim by a 6-3 vote the day before his execution.
While on death row, Riddle married Mallory Kessler, a Swiss death-penalty opponent who he met as a penpal. Kessler attended the execution. Riddle began his last statement by speaking to her in French. Switching to English, he spoke lovingly to his family. He then stated, "I have no grudges against anyone, or any of the things that have gone wrong. I would like to say to the world, I have always been a nice person. I have never been mean-hearted or cruel. I wish everybody well." Telling Kessler one more time, "Je t'aime," he gasped and let out a long breath as the drugs began to take effect. He was pronounced dead at 6:17 p.m.