On January 7, 1977, in the Booker Heights community of Bessemer, Alabama, 60-year-old Willie Mae Hammock was tragically killed in her own home. A man named Walter Hill, who was around 45 years old at the time, had been a frequent visitor to Ms. Hammock's residence, where she operated an illegal social club.
That afternoon, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Hill arrived at the house. At some point, he asked for Willie Mae's permission to marry her 13-year-old ward.
When Willie Mae refused his request, she turned and walked towards a bedroom closet. Hill followed her and fatally shot her in the back of the head.
After killing Willie Mae Hammock, Hill continued his rampage, shooting and killing two other people in the house: John Tatum and Lois Tatum. Following the murders, Hill fled the scene, abducting Willie Mae's ward and another individual. His escape attempt was short-lived, however. After his car broke down in North Carolina, he was apprehended by police, who found the murder weapon in his possession.
Walter Hill was subsequently arrested and charged with the murders of Willie Mae Hammock, John Tatum, and Lois Tatum. He was convicted of capital murder in October 1977. The case went through a lengthy and complex series of appeals and retrials. Ultimately, Hill's conviction was upheld, and he was sentenced to death for his crimes.
