30 Facts About Jesse Bishop

Jesse Walter Bishop was an American criminal convicted of the December 1977 murder of David Ballard during a robbery at a Las Vegas Strip casino.

Jesse Bishop was the first person to be executed in Nevada since the reinstatement of capital punishment, and the first person to be executed in the gas chamber since then.

Jesse Bishop had spent twenty years of his life incarcerated for various felony offenses and bragged about having committed an estimated eighteen homicides.

Jesse Bishop was born on March 1,1933, in Glasgow, Kentucky.

One of four children, Jesse Bishop's parents separated when he was 5, resulting in him moving in with his father in East Los Angeles, California.

At age 15, Jesse Bishop joined a street gang and committed his first armed robbery in Southern California.

Jesse Bishop served in the Korean War where he sustained injuries and was decorated for his actions.

Jesse Bishop developed a drug habit and was caught in possession of heroin, resulting in him being dishonorably discharged.

Jesse Bishop spent two years at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, before returning to life as a civilian.

Jesse Bishop then led a life of crime which was mostly full of drug offenses and robberies.

In 1962, Jesse Bishop served time in a California state prison for robbery and spent five years behind bars.

Jesse Bishop was paroled in 1967 but continued his life of crime, abusing heroin, and committing robberies.

Jesse Bishop successfully escaped from prison in 1972 but was caught shortly afterward and returned.

On December 20,1977, Jesse Bishop walked into the El Morocco casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jesse Bishop shot Thompson in the stomach and Ballard in the back as he tried to flee.

Jesse Bishop had been married for only three hours before being shot.

Jesse Bishop later robbed a man at the Union Plaza Hotel in downtown Las Vegas a day after the murder and stole his car.

Jesse Bishop abandoned the stolen car and then stole a pickup truck during his attempt to flee from authorities.

Jesse Bishop took hostages and got into another car at gunpoint, ordering the owner to drive him around.

Jesse Bishop then hijacked a US mail truck and took another hostage.

Jesse Bishop eventually abandoned the UPS truck and made his way on foot.

Jesse Bishop was captured in Boulder City, Nevada, sleeping beneath a mobile home or camper.

Jesse Bishop was first sentenced to death on February 10,1978, after he admitted to murdering Ballard.

An automatic appeal was filed against the wishes of Jesse Bishop, who tried to fire his attorneys in an attempt to speed up his execution.

Jesse Bishop's execution was scheduled for August 27,1979.

Jesse Bishop was strapped into one of the death chairs and the execution via gas inhalation proceeded.

Jesse Bishop was pronounced dead at 12:21 am by prison officials.

Jesse Bishop was the third person to be executed in the United States since 1976, after Gary Gilmore and John Spenkelink.

Jesse Bishop was the first person to be executed in Nevada since 1961.

Jesse Bishop was the last inmate in Nevada to be executed by the gas chamber.