In the winter of 1977, the city of Mobile, Alabama, was rocked by a crime that would leave a lasting scar on the community. On January 5th, Edward Nassar, a local pawn shop owner, age 33, was attending to his business when two men entered with violent intent. The armed robbers, later identified as John Louis Evans and Wayne Ritter, confronted Nassar in a brazen daylight holdup.
In a senseless act of brutality, and in front of his two young daughters, Evans shot Nassar in the back, fatally wounding him.
The perpetrators fled the scene, sparking an extensive manhunt. Their freedom was short-lived, however, as FBI agents apprehended them in Little Rock, Arkansas on March 7th of the same year. The evidence against them was overwhelming, including the weapon used to murder Nassar and another firearm stolen from his pawn shop. Evans provided a detailed confession to the authorities, leaving no doubt as to his and Ritter's guilt.
During his trial in Mobile, Evans not only admitted to the murder but also showed a chilling lack of remorse. In a stunning and defiant move, he threatened the jury, stating that if they did not sentence him to death, he would escape and kill them. The jury deliberated for a mere fifteen minutes before returning with a guilty verdict for first-degree murder committed during a robbery and recommending the death penalty.
John Louis Evans was executed on April 22, 1983, at Holman Correctional Facility. His execution by electric chair was notoriously gruesome and prolonged, drawing significant attention and criticism. His accomplice, Wayne Ritter, was also convicted and met a similar fate, being executed for his role in the murder of Edward Nassar. The case left a somber legacy, a tragic story of a life cut short by violence and the subsequent journey through the justice system that ended in the execution of his killers.
