Earl Forrest was executed by the State of Missouri for three murders. According to court documents Earl Forrest went over to the first two victims home demanding they buy a mobile home from him. When an argument broke out Earl Forrest would shoot and kill Harriet “Tottie” Smith and Michael Wells. When police attempted to arrest him Earl Forrest would shoot and kill Dent County Deputy JoAnn Barnes. Earl Forrest would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death. Earl Forrest would be executed by lethal injection on May 11 2016
Earl Forrest More News
A man who killed two people in a drug dispute and a sheriff’s deputy in a subsequent shootout was put to death Wednesday in what could be Missouri’s last execution for some time.
Earl Forrest, 66, died by injection for the December 2002 deaths of Harriett Smith, Michael Wells and Dent County Sheriff’s Deputy Joann Barnes. He was pronounced dead at 7:18 p.m. CDT, according to the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Forrest’s fate was sealed hours before his punishment when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to halt the execution and Democratic Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon turned down a clemency request
Court documents showed Forrest had been drinking when he went to Smith’s home in the southern Missouri town of Salem and demanded that she fulfill her promise to buy a lawn mower and mobile home for him in exchange for introducing her to a source for methamphetamine. Wells was visiting Smith at the time. An argument ensued, and Forrest shot Wells in the face. He shot Smith six times and took a lockbox full of meth valued at $25,000.
When police converged on Forrest’s home, he shot Barnes and Dent County Sheriff Bob Wofford, according to court documents. Earl Forrest was shot in the face in the exchange of gunfire. He then put some meth in his mouth, crawled to the door and yelled, “I surrender. We need help. People down.”
Forrest’s girlfriend, Angela Gamblin, also was shot in the burst of gunfire. She and Wofford survived, along with Forrest.
Missouri has been one of the most prolific states for executions in recent years, second only to Texas. With the execution of Forrest, the state has put 19 men to death since November 2013, including six inmates last year. Forrest was the first in 2016.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/missouri-man-executed-for-killing-deputy-2-others/
