SATISFIED AFTER 20 YEARS OF THE KILLER’S EXECUTION [GASSED TO DEATH: ROBERT ALTON HARRIS THE FIRST MAN EXECUTED IN CALIFORNIA (JANUARY 15, 1953 TO APRIL 21, 1992)]

 

Robert Alton Harris

Summary:

The defendant, Robert Alton Harris, and his brother, co-defendant Daniel Marcus Harris, abducted two teenage boys. The defendant brutally murdered the boys, and then stole their car.

The investigation revealed that at 10:30 a.m. on July 5, 1978, the defendant and co-defendant left their residence, and drove to a fast food restaurant. Once at the restaurant, the two men abducted two 16-years-old boys, John Mayeski and Michael Baker. The defendant held the victims at gunpoint with a 9mm Luger pistol and forced them to drive until they reached an isolated area. Daniel Harris followed in the defendant's 1963 Ford.

At about 11:45 a.m., the defendant shot and killed both victims in the presence of Daniel Harris. Following the killings, the Harris brothers drove both automobiles to their residence. Later that day they drove the stolen vehicle to a local bank. Donning colored ski masks, the two robbed the bank, netting $2,000 in cash.

The Harrises fled the bank at 12:30 p.m. and drove back to the residence. Robert Harris parked the stolen vehicle in the garage.

At about 1:05 p.m., San Diego police officers, acting on a tip by a witness who had followed the suspects' vehicle to the residence, apprehended the Harrises. Police recovered 20 unfired rounds of 9mm ammunition from Robert Harris. Clothing and other effects linked to the robbery were found smoldering in the fireplace.

At about 6:20 p.m. that evening, police questioned Daniel Harris who gave a voluntary statement describing in detail the abduction and the killing of the victims by the defendant. Officers went to the scene of the murder and discovered the two murdered victims.

When initially interviewed by authorities, the defendant admitted robbing the bank but denied kidnapping the youths or being responsible for their murders. He later indicated to authorities that his brother, Daniel, had furnished the stolen automobile. The defendant continued to deny any involvement in the murders, indicating that it had been his brother who had suggested the robbery while they were in Porterville, California.

The San Diego District Attorney's Office filed felony charges of auto theft, kidnapping, murder and burglary against the defendant. The U.S. Attorney's Office filed bank robbery charges against him.

On March 6, 1979, Robert Alton Harris was convicted in San Diego County, Superior Court of two counts murder in the first degree with special circumstances, and kidnapping.

Co-defendant Daniel Marcus Harris was convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to six years in state prison. He was discharged in 1983. 

 

Executions in California were carried out in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison. It was modified for the use of lethal injection, but has been returned to its original designated purpose, with the creation of a new chamber specifically for lethal injection.

Execution:

Robert Alton Harris was executed April 21, 1992 in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison - the first execution in California in 25 years.

For his last meal, Harris requested and was given two large pizzas, a bucket of fried chicken, and ice cream. At 6:01 a.m., Harris was escorted into the gas chamber. The execution order was given at 6:07 a.m., and Harris was pronounced dead at 6:21 a.m. The body was removed from the chamber at 7 a.m. and left the grounds at 8:15 a.m.

The Harris execution was scheduled for 12:01 a.m. on the morning of April 21, but a series of four stays issued by individual federal judges delayed the execution until just after 6 a.m. In its order vacating the fourth stay of execution, the U.S. Supreme Court stated, "No further stays of Robert Alton Harris' execution shall be entered by the federal courts except upon order of this court."

According to Warden Daniel Vasquez, Harris' last words were: "You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everyone dances with the grim reaper."

Prior:

SERVED 3 YEARS IN FLORIDA AS A JUVENILE: PETTY LARCENY; AUTO THEFT; ESCAPE

Date: 08/04/1975

P192.1 - VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER. PAROLED JAN. 1978

http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Capital_Punishment/inmates_executed/robertHarris.html

QUOTE: Tuesday September 4, 2012 - Even after 20 years, Mankins has no regrets about watching Robert Alton Harris die by cyanide gas for the 1978 murders of her 16-year-old son, Michael Baker, and his friend John Mayeski.

"We saw justice served," the 69-year-old Southern California woman said in an interview last month. "It took a long time, but it helped us all. I think it helped the whole family." 

AUTHOR: Sharron Mankins whose son, Michael Baker and his friend, John Mayeski was murdered by Robert Alton Harris on 5 July 1978. Robert Alton Harris (January 15, 1953 – April 21, 1992) was an American criminal and murderer who was executed at San Quentin State Prison in 1992 in conjunction with the 1978 murders of two teenage boys in San Diego. His execution was the first in the state of California since 1967. Harris was born in North Carolina and was abused as a child. He had run-ins with law enforcement as early as age 10, and was first placed into juvenile detention at age 13 for stealing a car. His mother abandoned him at age 14 and soon after he was again placed into juvenile detention after stealing another car. Following his release he found work, married, and had a son, but in 1975 he was imprisoned for manslaughter; he was paroled in January 1978. On July 5, 1978, Harris and his younger brother commandeered a car occupied by two 16-year-old boys, ordered them to drive to a remote area, then killed them. The brothers then drove the boys' car to a San Diego bank, robbed it, and used it as their getaway car. Harris was arrested less than an hour after the robbery and charged with murder, auto theft, kidnapping, burglary, and bank robbery. He was convicted and sentenced to death on March 6, 1979. After a series of appeals and stays of execution, Harris was executed in San Quentin's gas chamber on April 21, 1992.

CONDOLENCES & COMMENTS:

            Abolitionists can name victims’ families who did not feel happy years later even after watching their loved ones’ killers getting put to death. But for us, the comrades of Unit 1012 (some of us are former abolitionists), we can use Sharron Mankins’s and many others, as example of how victims’ families can be satisfied that justice had been served when they look back. 

We are so sorry for your loss, Sharron but we are thankful that your son and his friend can R.I.P. We understand that Harris is now gone from the earth, you never need to envision him breathing at all. We thank God that Proposition 34 was defeated and we are grateful for Sharron’s quote as a testimony that the death penalty does serve as justice, even two decades later.