Rhonda Higdon Crump, a 16-year-old Caucasian female, was tragically murdered on July 13, 1980, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She had been married to Thomas Wayne Crump, a man over two decades her senior, whom she met while working at a KFC restaurant where he was the manager. Despite the significant age difference, the two married and had a child. However, their relationship deteriorated over time, leading Rhonda to file for divorce on the day of her death.
On that fateful day, Thomas Crump persuaded Rhonda to meet him under the pretense of having a final meal together. Instead of taking her to a restaurant, he drove her to a secluded area near the Rio Grande. There, he ordered her out of the vehicle and shot her five times with a 9mm automatic firearm, resulting in her death. He then concealed her body in a nearby ditch before fleeing the scene.
Following Rhonda's murder, Thomas Crump became the primary suspect. However, he managed to evade immediate capture and continued his criminal activities. On September 9, 1980, while hitchhiking, he was offered a ride by a 58-year-old man driving a pickup truck. During the journey, Crump attacked the driver, slashing his throat and stealing $600 before fleeing with the vehicle. The victim survived the assault. Crump then traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, where his violent spree persisted.
In Las Vegas, on October 4, 1980, Crump solicited the services of Jodie Jameson, a 26-year-old known prostitute. After engaging her services, he strangled her in his motel room. An autopsy later revealed that she had been strangled, contradicting Crump's initial claim of drowning her in the bathtub. The following day, he shot his two roommates; both survived the attack. By October 8, Crump had returned to Albuquerque, where he encountered 78-year-old Irving Plaisted from Minnesota. After Plaisted offered him a ride, Crump robbed and fatally shot him.
Crump's criminal activities continued until his arrest on November 16, 1980, following a fight at a motel. Upon his arrest, he confessed to the series of crimes committed during his five-month spree. In 1981, he was convicted of Rhonda's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Subsequently, he received another life sentence for the murder of Plaisted. While incarcerated at the Penitentiary of New Mexico, Crump attempted an escape and was involved in the fatal attack on a prison guard named Gerald Magee.
On June 17, 1982, Crump managed to escape from prison. During his brief period of freedom, he shot and killed 44-year-old taxi driver Ian Smith in Albuquerque. Crump was soon recaptured and faced additional charges for his crimes. In 1984, he was sentenced to death in Nevada for the murder of Jodie Jameson. Despite his death sentence, Crump remained on death row for over three decades. He died of natural causes on June 15, 2018, at the age of 78, while still incarcerated.
