Bobby Randell Wilcoxson
Encyclopedia
Bobby Randell Wilcoxson was born July 10, 1929, in Duke, Oklahoma. He was well respected as an efficient crew foreman in the lettuce fields of the Salinas Valley in California, because he spoke Spanish and intimidated laborers. He worked in the produce business in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Wilcoxson also worked as a house painter, service station attendant and a used-car salesman before turning into a professional criminal.
- Albert Frederick Nussbaum of Buffalo, New York, were prolific bandits between 1960 and 1962, knocking over at least seven banks in an eighteen month run. They stole at least $250,000 which by some estimates is roughly the equivalent of $2.8 million in 2008. Peter Columbus Curry of Quitman, Georgia, joined Wilcoxson and Nussbaum on December 15, 1961 - the trio holding up a branch of the Lafayette National Bank in Brooklyn
, New York. Wilcoxson entered the bank and pumped four rounds from a Thompson submachine gun
into the chest of bank guard Henry Kraus.
and Delray Beach, Florida
. Nussbaum was captured by the FBI after a highspeed car chase through Buffalo on November 4, 1962. Mid morning on November 10, 1962, Wilcoxson and Rose came out of their rented home in Baltimore, Maryland, triggering a swarm of 30 FBI agents.
Wilcoxson was paroled to Chattanooga, Tennessee
in early 1982. His freedom was short lived. On October 23, 1982, Robert Mosher, a chemical engineer of the Dupont Corporation was murdered. A piece of plastic tarp and 10 inches (25mm) of a mop handle were shoved down his throat. Wilcoxson was indicted for the homicide on December 19, 1985. He was convicted on November 1, 1986, in the Hamilton County Tennessee Criminal Court of first degree murder for killing Robert Mosher. Mosher’s wife, Evelyn, allegedly hired Wilcoxson to murder her husband so she could collect life insurance benefits of $209,000. Evelyn Mosher never paid Wilcoxson. She was convicted for contracting the murder of her husband and received a life sentence. Wilcoxson was sentenced to death by electrocution on February 13, 1987. In 1999, his death sentence was reversed on appeal for defective legal representation.
Life
An FBI agent pursuing Wilcoxson once called him "the most wanted man since Dillinger." "One Eye" Bobby Wilcoxson and his crime partner Albert Frederick NussbaumAlbert Frederick Nussbaum
Albert Frederick Nussbaum was a notorious 1960s-era bank robber and FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive. Nussbaum was born in Buffalo, New York. In the late 1950s, Nussbaum was arrested for possessing a Thompson Submachine gun and transporting unregistered weapons across state lines.Nussbaum was...
- Albert Frederick Nussbaum of Buffalo, New York, were prolific bandits between 1960 and 1962, knocking over at least seven banks in an eighteen month run. They stole at least $250,000 which by some estimates is roughly the equivalent of $2.8 million in 2008. Peter Columbus Curry of Quitman, Georgia, joined Wilcoxson and Nussbaum on December 15, 1961 - the trio holding up a branch of the Lafayette National Bank in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York. Wilcoxson entered the bank and pumped four rounds from a Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
into the chest of bank guard Henry Kraus.
Arrested
In February, 1962, Curry was arrested by the FBI. The FBI named the Wilcoxson to the famous "Most Wanted List" on February 23, 1962, and Nussbaum on April 3, 1962. In pursuit of the bandits, the FBI circulated over 1 million "wanted" posters and interviewed over 9,000 in New York state alone. The G-Men declared the robbers as dangerous, warning the pair were armed with hand-grenades and 25 submachine guns. "They will not hesitate to open fire," the posters warned. When rumors placed the robbers in Canada and The United Kingdom, the Canadian Royal Mounted Police and the Bobbies of Scotland Yard joined the manhunt. Over 600 FBI agents searched worldwide for Nussbaum, Wilcoxson and Wilcoxson’s 19 year old "paramour," Jacqueline Ruth Rose of Paoli, IndianaPaoli, Indiana
Paoli is a town in Paoli Township, Orange County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,844 at the 2000 census. The town is the county seat of Orange County.-History:...
and Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S...
. Nussbaum was captured by the FBI after a highspeed car chase through Buffalo on November 4, 1962. Mid morning on November 10, 1962, Wilcoxson and Rose came out of their rented home in Baltimore, Maryland, triggering a swarm of 30 FBI agents.
Dead sentence
To avoid a death sentence, Wilcoxson pled guilty to eight bank robberies and the murder of Kraus. He was sentenced to life in prison in April, 1964 with eligibility for parole in 1979. Wilcoxson went to the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia on March 3, 1964. On July 11, 1980, he was transferred to the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas.Wilcoxson was paroled to Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in early 1982. His freedom was short lived. On October 23, 1982, Robert Mosher, a chemical engineer of the Dupont Corporation was murdered. A piece of plastic tarp and 10 inches (25mm) of a mop handle were shoved down his throat. Wilcoxson was indicted for the homicide on December 19, 1985. He was convicted on November 1, 1986, in the Hamilton County Tennessee Criminal Court of first degree murder for killing Robert Mosher. Mosher’s wife, Evelyn, allegedly hired Wilcoxson to murder her husband so she could collect life insurance benefits of $209,000. Evelyn Mosher never paid Wilcoxson. She was convicted for contracting the murder of her husband and received a life sentence. Wilcoxson was sentenced to death by electrocution on February 13, 1987. In 1999, his death sentence was reversed on appeal for defective legal representation.