Day six: Mentally challenged beekeeper kills 15-year-old babysitter
November 7th, 2009, 3:00 am · 31 Comments · posted by Larry Welborn
1952: A mentally challenged beekeeper named William Francis “Billy” Rupp went to his employer’s home in Yorba Linda on Aug. 28, 1952, knowing that the boss was gone.
He confessed later that he had rape on his mind, and his target was babysitter Roby Ann Payne, a 15-year-old girl in charge of three small children.
Rupp, who was 18, later told detectives that he sent an 8-year-old boy to get a hammer, and then sent the boy away on a mission to find a 5-gallon can.
While the boy was gone, Rupp hit Ruby in the head with a hammer and shot her twice with a .22-caliber handgun.
While she was dying, Rupp cut off her jeans with a knife and removed her panties. But he was interrupted when the 8-year-old boy returned.
He fled in a 1937 Ford Coupe into the hills above Brea and hid out for five or six days, living on only pretzels, blog_1952rupp21according to court documents, until he succumbed to hunger and came down from his hiding place.
Rupp was arrested at a café in Brea and “readily confessed that he had shot the Payne girl and that his purpose in going into the house was to rape the girl,” according to court documents.
On Nov. 7, 1958, Rupp ate a hearty last meal of steak, french fries, salad, rolls, a doughnut, milk, chocolate milk, coffee and ice cream before he walked to the gas chamber for his execution.
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Apparently they had political correctness as far back as 1952! The term “mentally challenged” is ridiculous. He was retarded.
We’re all mentally challenged (some days more than others) and “differently enabled.”
Jesus didn’t heal the physically challenged, differently enabled, or handi-capable; he healed the cripples. What’s undignified about that? Would you call an overweight woman gravitationally challenged?
Less than 4 1/2 years from crime to execution. That’s the way it should been. Not drug out for 20 years.
Can’t subtract I guess it’s 6 1/2 years still pretty good timing.
Good series, cant wait to read the other 45 or so left. Found an article that sheds more light on the murderer. Seems that the reason it took a whopping 6 years to execute Rupp was because of challenges to the sentence, including the jurors themselves challenging their sentence. Check it out, makes for a good read
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/2007/08/paul-v-coates-6.html
Another interesting thing I found just searching the web, Payne was buried not far from the 12 year old girl in the previous case. Here are old photos of Paynes funeral, some shots taken just in front of Patricia Jean Hull’s grave. The dates on the stone suggest she was only 11, not 12.
http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search/controller/view/examiner-m11129.html
Ahhh, the good old days without green loving, fake caring, liberal pinheads around. No 30 year sit around prison. Gas him quick, get the next one in here.
What is the point of this? Good grief. I don’t want to read this sort of thing. How terribly sad. I am glad I found this 50 day thing…..now I know to avoid it. What rot.
It’s a shame to waste such a good meal.
There are many who deserve good meals and never have one.
Also intersting to note the headline on the pictured Register page.
Nothing has changed in more than 50 years.
Great series. But, sure like to find out what happened in front page article about the “n” soldier being tried on rape charges. That could not have turned out good. 1952+black+military justice+rape=history lesson.
I wonder if in today’s world a mentally challenged person would have received the death penalty and if they would have gone ahead and carried out the execution? Just what kind of mental disease would stop that execution today?
Gunner Payne was the first Christian man that John and I had ever met. Surely there were others but they never blew their cover. It was 1962 when we were introduced to him by some friends of ours who had recently undergone an amazing (to all their friends) life-change and who lived in Yorba Linda. “He’s the most godly man I’ve ever met.” this from our old drummer friend who had never used the GOD word before. John was a musician and I was young mother and we were in trouble on all major fronts so we had ears to hear some good news. Gunner patiently and lovingly led us through the scriptures and answerd all our questions week after week (on monday night because monday was the only night off for musicians) until we were so hungry for God we felt we couldn’t stand it any longer! Allright allready! We believe it all! What do we do? How do we sign up? How do we become Christians? “When the fruit’s ripe it falls from the tree….I think you’re ripe”, he declared. “Let’s talk to Jesus about it” and we did. We sealed the deal that very monday night at our friend’s house…made the trade… . His life for our screwed up lives. Jesus made a beautiful thing out of our lives but that’s another story. Gunner and John and Ruby are all with Jesus now. The point I wanted to make about Gunner was that he was so believable because his faith had been tested in the worse possible way and it had held…in fact deepened. To John and I who were looking for something that could give us what it takes to live through this painful life, not escape it, Gunner was the perfect person tp send to us. He introduced us to Jesus…not a something nor a belief system but a living savior. Did you know that he visited Billy Rupp time and time again at jail and introduced that boy to Jesus? Sincerly, Carol Wimber
when the president of the united states’ only statement to the killing of 13 US soldiers is “don’t jump to any conclusions” i seriously doubt there would be any rush to execute this killer of only one.
If you are mentally ill and are killing people, you need to be put down like a rabid dog.
Sad how the time frame from the commission of the crime to execution has gone from six years to more than twenty five. The appeals lawyers are laughing all the way to the bank.
Wow…Only 6 yrs and this devil was put to death. Why can’t we do the same now. Instead killers sit on death row over 20 yrs.
On Nov. 7, 1958, Rupp ate a hearty last meal of steak, french fries, salad, rolls, a doughnut, milk, chocolate milk, coffee and ice cream before he walked to the gas chamber for his execution.
Why the HELL do we offer these maggots a choice of their last meal.
Pafuckingthetic, if you ask me.
i cant see how you can eat when you know your going to die. i hope he barfed it all up. but for a retarded rapist, he had a nice car.
Hey Marley, where you at on this? I await your judgment
A lot of these crooks are “mentally challenged”. It’s just another way of saying they are stupid. They know what they are doing is wrong, they are sociopaths or they are just greedy little bumpkins. Whatever reason these idiots are this way is irrelevant. Just do away with them and they won’t hurt anyone else.
C’mon Marley, maybe Rupp was Mexican?
The old school form of justice was better.
THEY SHOULD HAVE SHOVED A PIECE OF CRAP IN HIS MOUTH FOR HIS LAST MEAL. WTF IS UP WITH CA ANYWAYS!??? LIKE HE DESERVES A LAST MEAL.
exactly!
Dont we wish they only sat on death row for six years these days. Kill them already….
I really like how we used to exicute in thos days. Non of this 15 years of appeals. I’m sure there were some who would have been wrongly convicted with no DNA proof back then. These days the criminals have too may rights. I deathrow inmate can sit ther for 15-20 easy. I like the way Texas does things these days.
What happened to the ’37 coupe?
Inquiring minds …
For a disgusting crime he sure ate like a King!!! He deserved what he got after… the gas chamber!
and the reason for this article is?,…
These stories are not interesting nor newsworthy. They are depressing and whatever thinking was behind presenting this “history”, it fails.
“Did you know that he visited Billy Rupp time and time again at jail and introduced that boy to Jesus? Sincerly, Carol Wimber”
Carol, most people reading this probably dont know who you are but I do. John Wimbers wife? John of The Vineyard? thank you for posting a most wonderful testimony. God bless.
lol I thought it said mentally challenged bookkeeper.