A new year was just beginning in Houston, Texas, but for 18-year-old Cynthia Darlene Johnson, the final moments of New Year's Eve 1980 marked the end of her life. A cruel twist of fate left her stranded with car trouble on a Houston freeway, a vulnerable target for a trio of men whose paths were already stained with violence. Cynthia, a young woman whose life was just starting, became the last known victim in a brutal killing spree that had haunted the city.
That night, Cynthia was
abducted by James Emery Paster, Stephen Albert McCoy, and Gary LeBlanc. The men took her to a desolate warehouse where she was sexually assaulted. In the early hours of January 1, 1981, their horrific acts escalated to murder. After a failed attempt by LeBlanc to strangle her, Paster took over and ended the young woman's life. In a final act of unimaginable cruelty, he drove a nail up her nose to ensure she was dead.
The investigation into Cynthia's murder would unravel a string of violent crimes committed by the three men. Their spree began in October 1980 with the contract killing of Robert Edward Howard. Paster had been hired by Howard's ex-wife and her new husband for $1,000 and a motorcycle. After that murder, Paster reportedly insisted the men commit more killings together to form a "blood oath," ensuring no one could testify against the others. This pact led them to abduct, rape, and murder 27-year-old Diana Trevino Oliver in November 1980, just weeks before they found Cynthia stranded on the side of the road.
The trail of terror ended with the capture of the three men. Their accomplice, Gary LeBlanc, turned state's witness, providing testimony against Paster and McCoy in exchange for a 35-year prison sentence. His testimony was crucial in securing capital murder convictions for his former partners. The legal process brought some measure of justice for the victims and their families, including Cynthia's uncle, who testified during the sentencing phase of Paster's trial.
Stephen Albert McCoy was tried for the capital murder and rape of Cynthia Johnson. On July 26, 1984, a jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death the following day. On May 24, 1989, McCoy was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit in Texas. His execution was reportedly botched, with witnesses describing him gasping and arching his back as the lethal drugs took effect.
James Emery Paster was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Robert Howard. Before his own execution, Paster confessed to two additional murders for which he was never tried. After a failed escape attempt from death row in April 1989, Paster was executed by lethal injection on September 20, 1989. The case was officially closed, but the pain and loss for the families of Cynthia Johnson, Diana Oliver, and Robert Howard would endure forever.
