Kenneth Boyd - Death Row Inmate: Kenneth Boyd stormed the home of his father-in-law Thomas Curry, and shot and killed Curry and Boyd's estranged wife, Julie Boyd. He is scheduled to be executed on December 2, 2005, at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina.
A Vietnam Vet: When Kenneth Boyd turned 18, he joined the Army and was stationed in Germany. After a year there, he volunteered to go to Vietnam. While doing duty in Vietnam he suffered blackouts and in 1969 he was honorably discharged. When he returned home he continued to suffer from blackouts and flashbacks and those who knew him well agreed he was not the same person as he was before he went to Vietnam.
After a failed marriage, Boyd met Julie Boyd and the two married and had three children. The marriage wasn't a happy one, however, and the Boyds split up on numerous occasions. Kenneth Boyd had a drinking problem and sometimes when drunk and arguing with Julie, he would hit her. In 1987 the couple broke up for one final time. Julie, with the couples three sons, moved in with her father, Thomas Curry, in Stonevill, N.C.
Boyd's Rage Takes Over: On March 4, 1988, Boyd, armed with a .357 magnum pistol he had purchased five days earlier, went to pick up his children at the Curry home. He told the boys they were going for pizza, but instead Boyd circled the Curry's neighborhood several times. The pistol was sitting on the seat of the car between Boyd and his children. Christopher Boyd, age 13, moved the pistol under the car seat, away from his father's reach.
The Murder: Boyd pulled into the Curry home and yelled at Christopher to give him the gun. Christopher, frightened, ran to warn his grandparents that Boyd was armed. When Boyd approached the house and began shooting. First he shot Thomas Curry through the door then found Julie Boyd at the doorway of her bedroom. He shot her several times, then went outside to reload the pistol. He returned and continued shooting her several more times. It was determined that Julie Boyd was shot a total of eight times.
"Come and Get Me": Boyd went back outside and shot again, this time at his brother-in-law, Craig Curry, who was armed and moving his children and nephew to a wooded area for safety. The bullet missed Craig, who continued towards the woods to where his family was hiding. Boyd then returned to the home and called 911, informing the operator that he had just killed his wife and father-in-law and told them to come get him. When the police arrived he surrendered peacefully.
Four Law Firms, One Execution: During the interrogation Boyd rejected legal representation stating he felt he deserved the gas chamber. He was found guilty of murder and received the death penalty. Since sentencing he has been represented by four different law firms in attempt to avoid being executed.
Boyd's Demon - Alcohol: Boyd has been quoted as saying that he wished he would have never began drinking and attributes most of the misery of his own life and what he has caused others as a result of alcohol.
Two Trial - Same Outcome: He was found guilty twice, in two separate trials. His first trial was overturned after the judge dismissed a juror but failed to record the conversation, ultimately violating Boyd's constitutional rights. The second trial also found him guilty and sentenced him to death.
Remorse: Boyd has stated that he is sorry for the pain he caused and hopes that Julie Boyd's mother, Hilda Curry, will forgive him someday for all that he took from her. He also reflected on the damage his actions caused to his sons, one of which was sent to prison for two years for his involvement in a convenience store robbery.
After more than 17 years on death row, Boyd, 57, is scheduled to be put to death on December 2, 2005, at 2 a.m. at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina.
