In the vast expanse of the American Southwest, a journey of hope for an elderly couple took a tragic and violent turn in November 1921. Anna Johnson, a 49-year-old female, and her husband Peter were traveling westward, their sights set on the promise of California. Their path intersected with a man known as William S. Estaever, a hitchhiker they picked up in Denver, Colorado.
This seemingly benign act of kindness would irrevocably alter the course of their lives.
As they navigated the landscape southwest of Tucson, Arizona, the true nature of their passenger was chillingly revealed. Estaever, whose real name was Paul V. Hadley, was a fugitive with a violent past. He brandished a. 32 caliber Mauser pistol and forced Peter to pull their vehicle over. Without provocation, Hadley then forced the couple out of their car and opened fire. Anna was killed instantly in the brutal assault, while Peter was left critically wounded.
Hadley fled the scene in the Johnsons' car, but his escape was short-lived as the vehicle soon broke down. Continuing his journey toward Yuma, Arizona, on foot, he was apprehended by authorities. At the time of his arrest, he was still in possession of the murder weapon. A ballistics expert, A.J. Eddy, was able to match the bullets from the crime scene to Hadley's pistol, a significant early use of forensic ballistics in a U.S. murder trial. Peter Johnson, having survived the horrific attack, provided crucial testimony against his wife's killer, refuting Hadley's fabricated story of being attacked by bandits.
Hadley's first trial resulted in a hung jury, but justice was not to be denied. A second trial led to his conviction and a sentence of death. It was only after his conviction that the full extent of his criminal history came to light. Authorities discovered his true identity and that he had escaped from an Oklahoma prison where he was serving a life sentence for the 1916 murder of Sheriff W.J. "Jake" Giles. After an unsuccessful appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court, Paul V. Hadley was executed by hanging on April 13, 1923.
