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John Roscoe
GARLAND
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Jealousy
Number of victims: 3
Date of murders:
March 9,
1997
Date of birth: July
22,
1942
Victims profile: Willa Jean Ferrier,
26; Crystal Conaster, 22,
and Chris Boswell
Method of murder:
Shooting
Location: McCreary County, Kentucky, USA
Status: Sentenced to death on February 15, 1999
GARLAND, JOHN ROSCOE,
DOB 7-22-42, was sentenced to death February 15, 1999 in McCreary
County for triple murder.
On March 9, 1997, Kentucky State
Police discovered the bodies of Willa Jean Ferrier, Crystal Conaster
and Chris Boswell in the rear bedroom of a mobile home shot to death
in Whitley City, Kentucky. John Garland’s son, Roscoe Garland gave a
statement to the officers explaining that his father was very jealous
of Willa Jean Ferrier, and that she had been messing around with other
men. He stated that his dad, John Garland, said he was going to kill
her.
John Roscoe Garland was convicted of murdering two women and a man by shooting
them while they were in the bedrooms of their mobile home in McCreary
County in 1997.
Victims:
Willa Jean Ferrier
Crystal Conaster
Chris Boswell
Facts:
On the night of
Saturday, March 9, 1997, 26-year-old Jean Ferrier, 22-year-old Crystal
Conaster, and 16-year-old April Sexton left McCreary County and went
to a country music dance hall in Somerset as they did almost every
Friday and Saturday night. Jean had been in a relationship with the
then 54-year-old Appellant, and was currently dating Gary Roberts.
Appellant's voice on an audiotape discovered after the murders stated
his belief that Jean was pregnant, and that Roberts was the father.
Appellant's son, Roscoe, testified at trial that about a month before
the murders, his father had said he was going to kill Jean.
At the dance in Somerset that night, Jean, Crystal and April circled
the parking lot because Jean was afraid Appellant would be there.
While there, they met Chris Boswell, who danced with Crystal and rode
home with the women after the dance. On the way home, the friends
dropped off April at about 12:30 or 1:00 a.m., then drove to Gary
Roberts' driveway and honked, then drove to Jean's trailer. On Sunday
afternoon, the bodies of Jean, Crystal, and Chris were found in a
bedroom of Jean's trailer. They had been shot to death. Jean had also
been choked prior to her death.
Roscoe, the star
witness against his father, testified that on the night of the murders,
he and his father were going to the London Auto Auction. Due to a
traffic jam, they changed plans and instead followed Jean's vehicle to
her trailer. Appellant went inside, and Roscoe heard arguing. Roscoe
went inside, where both Jean and his father and the interior of the
dwelling appeared to be disheveled from a fight. Chris came out of the
bedroom, and Appellant shot him. Appellant then shot Crystal, then
shot Chris again, and then shot Crystal again. He then shot Jean.
Appellant instructed Roscoe to put the gun in a bag and hide it. The
next day, Appellant told Roscoe to procure a similar gun, as everyone
knew Appellant carried a gun. Appellant gave Roscoe's girlfriend money,
with which she purchased another .357 magnum from Clayton Stephens.
Appellant denied committing the murders, and claimed that Roscoe was
lying. He claimed that the murder weapon did not belong to him, but to
Roscoe. Appellant informed officers that he had spent the fateful
night with Roscoe, yet later maintained that he had gone to London to
visit his ex-wife, Eula Isgrigg. Eula first's story was that she had
not seen Appellant for some time before the murders, but that he had
come to her home the Monday afterwards. Later, she changed her story
and said that he had come to her home at about 2:00 a.m. Sunday
morning. She claimed that she had first lied because she was scared.
