Perrie Simpson
Encyclopedia
Perrie Dyon Simpson, was executed by lethal injection
at the Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina
on January 20, 2006. Simpson was found guilty of the 1984 murder of Jean Ernest Darter, a 92-year-old white male. Simpson, who was 21-years old when he committed the capital crime, was sentenced to death on March 12, 1985, again in 1988, and again on December 20, 1993.
minister, was found dead in his Reidsville
, North Carolina home on the evening of August 28, 1984 by his daughter. Darter had been tied to a bedpost at the foot of his bed by a belt that was wrapped around his neck. Both of his arms had been slashed open, his head was bloated, and his face was covered with blood. There were numerous cuts and bruises on his head and his left cheek bore an imprint that matched the bottom of a broken Tab
bottle lying on the bed. Blood and fragments of glass were in his eyes and a bloody razor blade lay near his right hand. Certain items were missing from the home.
Expert medical testimony showed that any of three major areas of trauma could have been life threatening but that Darter's death was due to ligature strangulation caused by the belt around his neck. His death had occurred over a period of five or six minutes or longer depending upon the amount of force used during the strangulation. Darter would have lost consciousness within three to five minutes after his breathing stopped.
Police traced a phone call from Darter’s home to a friend of Simpson who identified Simpson as the caller. On that basis Simpson was arrested on September 21 on a warrant for an unrelated assault in Greensboro. After advising Simpson of his Miranda rights, the arresting officers briefly questioned him about the unrelated assault. They then began to discuss Darter’s murder with him. Simpson initially denied any knowledge of the murder. Officers stopped questioning him once he agreed to take a polygraph
test. After the polygraph procedures were explained to him and he was told the machine would reveal any lying on his part, Simpson said that the machine would show he was lying and that there was something he needed to tell the officers.
They then went to Darter’s home, and after making sure that no one could see them, knocked on the door. Darter let them in. When Darter attempted to call police to help Simpson and Eury, Simpson pulled Darter away from the telephone. He told Eury to cut the phone cord, which she did. Eury ran to the living room and pulled the drapes while Simpson held Darter down on the bed in the bedroom.
Eury began to ransack the residence for valuables to steal. When she brought food to the bedroom to show to Simpson he told her to look for money. He continued to hold Darter on the bed and told Darter, "I want some money or else." Simpson stated that Darter said that he had no money and to go ahead and kill him adding that, "The preacher was smiling as he told me to kill him because he was going to heaven and this made me mad."
Simpson called to Eury "to bring me something in the bedroom to kill this preacher with." When the items Eury brought Simpson to kill Darter with proved unsatisfactory, he had her hold the belt and pull it tighter around Darter's neck while he went to the kitchen "and looked around for some device to beat the old preacher and finish him off."
Having found a full sixteen-ounce soft drink bottle of Tab, Simpson returned to the bedroom. He and Eury then pulled together to tighten the belt around Darter's neck. Simpson then hit Darter in the face with the bottle three times at which point it broke. Simpson tied the end of the belt to the footboard of the bed and went to the bathroom of the home and got a razor blade.
During this time Eury continued to search the house and gather up more items. Simpson cut both of Darter's arms while Eury gathered up items to be stolen and put them in a grocery bag and a plastic laundry basket. They then cut off the lights in the home and left with the items they had stolen.
to commit murder.
Superior Court
. In 1985 he was sentenced to death and then resentenced after it was ruled the trial judge's refusal to allow more than one of Simpson's attorneys to present final arguments to the jury
was in error. In 1988 Simpson was again sentenced to death, but a subsequent appellate court
ruled that the jury had been erroneously instructed that the finding of mitigating circumstances had to be unanimous and vacated the sentence. Ultimately, Simpson's third death sentence was confirmed. Governor
Michael F. Easley denied Simpson clemency. Accomplice
Eury was convicted of first-degree murder and given a life sentence.
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
at the Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
on January 20, 2006. Simpson was found guilty of the 1984 murder of Jean Ernest Darter, a 92-year-old white male. Simpson, who was 21-years old when he committed the capital crime, was sentenced to death on March 12, 1985, again in 1988, and again on December 20, 1993.
The Crime
The Reverend Jean Darter, a retired BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister, was found dead in his Reidsville
Reidsville
Reidsville is the name of two towns in the United States:*Reidsville, Georgia*Reidsville, North Carolina...
, North Carolina home on the evening of August 28, 1984 by his daughter. Darter had been tied to a bedpost at the foot of his bed by a belt that was wrapped around his neck. Both of his arms had been slashed open, his head was bloated, and his face was covered with blood. There were numerous cuts and bruises on his head and his left cheek bore an imprint that matched the bottom of a broken Tab
Tab
Tab or tabs may refer to:* Tab, a British Army term for a loaded march* Tab , by Monster Magnet* Tab , a small protective covering for the fingers* Tab , the mechanism for opening a beverage can...
bottle lying on the bed. Blood and fragments of glass were in his eyes and a bloody razor blade lay near his right hand. Certain items were missing from the home.
Expert medical testimony showed that any of three major areas of trauma could have been life threatening but that Darter's death was due to ligature strangulation caused by the belt around his neck. His death had occurred over a period of five or six minutes or longer depending upon the amount of force used during the strangulation. Darter would have lost consciousness within three to five minutes after his breathing stopped.
Investigation
Fingerprints were found in Darter’s home on a hall telephone, in the bedroom, and in the kitchen. Some of the fingerprints found matched those of Simpson. Others matched the fingerprints of Simpson's girl friend, Stephanie Eury, a 16-year-old black female.Police traced a phone call from Darter’s home to a friend of Simpson who identified Simpson as the caller. On that basis Simpson was arrested on September 21 on a warrant for an unrelated assault in Greensboro. After advising Simpson of his Miranda rights, the arresting officers briefly questioned him about the unrelated assault. They then began to discuss Darter’s murder with him. Simpson initially denied any knowledge of the murder. Officers stopped questioning him once he agreed to take a polygraph
Polygraph
A polygraph measures and records several physiological indices such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions...
test. After the polygraph procedures were explained to him and he was told the machine would reveal any lying on his part, Simpson said that the machine would show he was lying and that there was something he needed to tell the officers.
The Confession
Shortly thereafter Simpson was again advised of his Miranda rights. He then gave a statement in the nature of a confession indicating that he and Eury had gone to Darter's home on August 26 at her suggestion on the pretext that they were travelers who needed help. Once there the Reverend gave them food and money and allowed them to use the telephone in his home. After leaving the Darter home Simpson and Eury decided to go back and rob Darter.The Robbery
Simpson said that on the evening of Monday, the 27th, he and Eury left Eury’s home and began to plan the robbery and murder of Darter. Simpson stated that: "Stephanie said if we go in there and rob the man we can't let him live and I said that is the truth."They then went to Darter’s home, and after making sure that no one could see them, knocked on the door. Darter let them in. When Darter attempted to call police to help Simpson and Eury, Simpson pulled Darter away from the telephone. He told Eury to cut the phone cord, which she did. Eury ran to the living room and pulled the drapes while Simpson held Darter down on the bed in the bedroom.
Eury began to ransack the residence for valuables to steal. When she brought food to the bedroom to show to Simpson he told her to look for money. He continued to hold Darter on the bed and told Darter, "I want some money or else." Simpson stated that Darter said that he had no money and to go ahead and kill him adding that, "The preacher was smiling as he told me to kill him because he was going to heaven and this made me mad."
The Murder
Simpson called to Eury to check the bedroom for money. He grabbed a belt from the footboard of the bed and looped it around Darter's neck. He held the belt tightly around Darter’s neck with his right hand while he went through items on the bed with his left hand and "told the preacher that he better tell me where some more money was but the preacher could not talk as he was choking." The belt around Darter’s neck broke, and Simpson grabbed a thicker leather belt from the footboard and looped it around Darter's neck, pulling it tight.Simpson called to Eury "to bring me something in the bedroom to kill this preacher with." When the items Eury brought Simpson to kill Darter with proved unsatisfactory, he had her hold the belt and pull it tighter around Darter's neck while he went to the kitchen "and looked around for some device to beat the old preacher and finish him off."
Having found a full sixteen-ounce soft drink bottle of Tab, Simpson returned to the bedroom. He and Eury then pulled together to tighten the belt around Darter's neck. Simpson then hit Darter in the face with the bottle three times at which point it broke. Simpson tied the end of the belt to the footboard of the bed and went to the bathroom of the home and got a razor blade.
During this time Eury continued to search the house and gather up more items. Simpson cut both of Darter's arms while Eury gathered up items to be stolen and put them in a grocery bag and a plastic laundry basket. They then cut off the lights in the home and left with the items they had stolen.
Charges
After Simpson confessed warrants were issued charging him with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracyConspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to commit murder.
Trial
Simpson was tried in Rockingham CountyRockingham County, North Carolina
Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 93,643. Its county seat is Wentworth.- History :The county was formed in 1785 from Guilford County...
Superior Court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
. In 1985 he was sentenced to death and then resentenced after it was ruled the trial judge's refusal to allow more than one of Simpson's attorneys to present final arguments to the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
was in error. In 1988 Simpson was again sentenced to death, but a subsequent appellate court
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
ruled that the jury had been erroneously instructed that the finding of mitigating circumstances had to be unanimous and vacated the sentence. Ultimately, Simpson's third death sentence was confirmed. Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Michael F. Easley denied Simpson clemency. Accomplice
Accomplice
At law, an accomplice is a person who actively participates in the commission of a crime, even though they take no part in the actual criminal offense. For example, in a bank robbery, the person who points the gun at the teller and asks for the money is guilty of armed robbery...
Eury was convicted of first-degree murder and given a life sentence.
See also
- Capital punishment in North Carolina
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
External links
- Perrie Simpson - North Carolina Department of CorrectionNorth Carolina Department of CorrectionThe North Carolina Department of Correction is the agency responsible for corrections in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-History:In 1868, North Carolina adopted a new State Constitution that provided for building a state penitentiary. Inmates began building the state's first prison, Central...
- Execution date set for Perrie Dyon Simpson - North Carolina Department of CorrectionNorth Carolina Department of CorrectionThe North Carolina Department of Correction is the agency responsible for corrections in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-History:In 1868, North Carolina adopted a new State Constitution that provided for building a state penitentiary. Inmates began building the state's first prison, Central...