In the spring of 1955, a deeply disturbing event unfolded in Phoenix, Arizona, forever marking a tragic chapter in the city's history. A young boy named Rickie Bartholomew, at the tender age of three, had his life abruptly and violently cut short. On or about the 28th of May, within the walls of a motel court located at 2133 East Monroe Street, Rickie was fatally shot in the back.
The person responsible for this heinous act was his own father, Lester Edward Bartholomew.
On that fateful day, Lester Bartholomew used a 22-caliber semi-automatic rifle to not only end the life of his young son but also to murder his wife, Marie Bartholomew, and his two-year-old daughter, Pamela. Rickie's sister Pamela was shot as she lay on a bed, while his mother Marie was shot in the chest. A third child was present but was spared when Marie intervened in some way to prevent their death.
Following the horrific events, Lester Edward Bartholomew was swiftly brought to justice. An Information was filed in the Superior Court of Maricopa County on June 7, 1955, charging him with three counts of first-degree murder. Just two days later, he pleaded guilty to the first-degree murders of Rickie and Pamela, and to the second-degree murder of his wife, Marie.
After psychiatric evaluations determined him to be legally sane, Lester Edward Bartholomew was sentenced to death for the murders of his children. The court ordered that he be executed by asphyxiation-gas. On August 31, 1955, within the walls of the Arizona State Prison at Florence, the sentence was carried out, bringing a somber conclusion to a case that began with the heartbreaking death of a little boy named Rickie.
