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Warren Harris (serial killer)

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American serial killer For the American politician, see Warren G. Harris.

Warren Harris
BornWarren Harris, Jr.
1961 (age 62–63)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Other names"The French Quarter Stabber"
Conviction(s)Murder ×3
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment without parole x3; later reduced
Details
Victims4 (3 convictions)
Span of crimesFebruary 14 – April 7, 1977
CountryUnited States
State(s)Louisiana
Date apprehendedApril 13, 1977

Warren Harris Jr. (born 1961), known as The French Quarter Stabber, is an American serial killer who fatally stabbed four people, three of whom were gay men, in New Orleans' French Quarter from February to April 1977. Convicted for three of the murders, he was given three consecutive life terms without parole, which he served in Louisiana State Penitentiary. Due to his young age at the time of his crimes, in 2021 he was made eligible for parole, and in 2024 he was officially paroled from prison.

Early life

Little is known about Harris' upbringing. Born in New Orleans in 1961, he was presumably raised by his mother and his maternal grandfather, who was a well-respected Baptist minister in the city. From an early age, Harris started committing small-time crimes like purse snatching and thefts, and was incarcerated in 1974 for auto theft. Despite his criminal record, he was not considered a violent individual, and after dropping out of the eight grade, he moved in with a transsexual roommate in an apartment within the French Quarter.

Murders

From February 14 to April 7, 1977, a total of five men were stabbed to death in New Orleans' French Quarter, all within a 20-block radius and near strip clubs or jazz parlors. Most of the victims shared many similarities: a majority of them were middle-aged, gay men who frequented the homosexual establishments in the French Quarter; all five had been stabbed to death; four of them were found slain in their own residences, and three had apparently died shortly after having sex. Due to the fact that most of the victims were known to be gay, this caused a panic within the New Orleans' gay community, which feared that they were being targeted by a single killer. The victims were the following:

  • Robert Gary (47) – stabbed to death on Valentine's Day at his apartment on 622 Dumaine Street.
  • James McClure (32) – stabbed to death at a vacant lot behind a gas station crossing Esplanade Avenue and North Rampart Street on March 2.
  • Jack Savell (38) – stabbed to death at his apartment on 820 Esplanade Avenue on March 21. Worked at Werlein's For Music, and was reportedly acquainted with Delano.
  • Alden D. Delano (59) – stabbed to death at his apartment on 1421 Royal on April 1. Worked at Werlein's For Music, and was reportedly acquainted with Savell.
  • Ernest Pommier (77) – stabbed 50 times at his ground-floor apartment on Esplanade Avenue on April 7. The oldest known victim, Pommier's killing significantly differed from others: he was not known to be gay and his body was in a kneeling position, sans any shirt and underwear.

Arrest, trial, and imprisonment

On April 13, Harris was arrested after attempting to rob and stab a French seaman, whereupon he was immediately lodged in the county jail. During interviews with detectives, he revealed that he had a so-called "revulsion" towards homosexuals, and subsequently confessed to four of the murders that had occurred within the last two months. Due to this, he was subsequently charged with the murders of Gary, Savell, Delano, and Pommier. McClure's killing was determined to be unrelated to the crimes.

In the aftermath of his arrest, Harris' mother and grandfather were called to accompany him to interrogations, where they stated their belief that while Harris might have participated in the crimes, they believed that somebody else was the actual killer. Not long after, Harris was charged with four counts of murder, and a motion to throw out his confessions was dismissed after it was determined that he had lied about interrogators threatening to kill him if he did not sign the typewritten confession. In an attempt to delay the trial and argue against a likely death sentence, his attorneys filed a motion challenging it at one hearing.

The motion was eventually brought before the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, which ruled 4–3 in Harris' favor and ordered that separate trials should be held. In response, District Attorney Harry Connick announced that he would challenge the decision before the Louisiana Supreme Court.

The decision was eventually overturned, and Harris' trial began in October 1977. After less than a month, he was found guilty on three of the murder charges and sentenced to three consecutive life terms without the chance of pardon or parole.

Harris was resentenced to life with parole in 2021. On April 17, 2024, the Louisiana Parole Board granted Harris parole. As per his parole conditions, he will remain under supervision for the rest of his life.

See also

References

  1. ^ "'Revulsion For Homosexuals' Said Reasons For N.O. Deaths". Crowley Post-Signal. April 15, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Murder suspect arrested". The Times. April 15, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "5th French Quarter Stabbing Reported". Crowley Post-Signal. April 8, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Suspect Arrested in 'French Quarter Stabber' Case". The Town Talk. April 14, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Confession Ruling". The Town Talk. June 24, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Hearing Set Friday". Daily World. September 15, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Separate Trials Ordered". The Monroe News-Star. September 20, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Court's Ruling Delays Trial In French Quarter Stabber Case". The Town Talk. September 20, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Vieux Carre Murder Trial Is Under Way". Shreveport Journal. October 26, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Stabber Gets Life Terms". The Daily Review. November 18, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Gabriella Killett (April 22, 2024). "New Orleans serial killer who targeted gay men granted parole after 46 years inside Angola". NOLA. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024.

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