Attorney General's News Release

Feb. 4, 1999

Missouri Supreme Court sets March 10 execution date for inmate who killed corrections officer at Moberly in 1983

Jefferson City, MO — The Missouri Supreme Court today set an executiondate of March 10 for Roy Roberts, who was given the death penalty for his role in the July 3, 1983, murder of Thomas Jackson. Jackson, 62, was acorrections officer at the state prison in Moberly.

The United States Supreme Court declined to hear Roberts' petition last month. Roberts, who weighed about 300 pounds at the time of the murder,grabbed Jackson by the hair during a melee involving some 20 to 30 inmates.

At Roberts' trial, evidence showed he held the unarmed Jackson while inmates Robert Driscoll and Rodney Carr stabbed the corrections officer. At the time of the murder Roberts had six prior felony convictions.

"The courts determined that a death sentence was the appropriatepunishment for this brutal killing of an unarmed corrections officer,"Attorney General Jay Nixon said. "It has been more than 15 years since Thomas Jackson died in the line of duty upholding the law. It is time for this sentence to be carried out."

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

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