In the autumn of 1991, a quiet rural community in Warren County, Virginia, was shaken by a brutal double murder. On October 12th, 72-year-old Floyd Jenkins and his 69-year-old friend, Lee Hopewell Brinklow, were found slain in their residence. The crime, marked by its ferocity, soon unraveled to be a family affair, leading to the arrest of Floyd Jenkins' own nephew, Arthur Ray Jenkins III, who was 22 at the time.
He was accompanied by a 16-year-old accomplice.
The events of that fateful day began with Arthur Ray Jenkins III and his younger associate visiting the home of his uncle. An argument broke out, which tragically escalated. Arthur retrieved a. 22-caliber rifle and shot both his uncle and Brinklow. The violence didn't end there; he proceeded to repeatedly stab his uncle. Following the murders, the pair robbed the victims, taking their wallets, cash, and other valuables from the home. The motive appeared to be a combination of robbery and a deep-seated anger Arthur held towards his uncle, whom he later claimed he had planned to kill for years due to alleged past abuse.
The day after the murders, Arthur Ray Jenkins III was apprehended in Washington County. He faced a litany of charges, including capital murder for the killing of more than one person in the same act and for murder in the commission of a robbery. During his trial in June of 1991, the evidence against him was overwhelming, and he was found guilty. The jury, weighing the heinous nature of the crimes, sentenced him to death for the capital offenses.
Arthur Ray Jenkins III's case went through numerous appeals, but his conviction and death sentence were consistently upheld. His defense attorneys argued that he suffered from mental illness stemming from years of physical and sexual abuse. Despite these pleas, his requests for clemency were denied. On April 20, 1999, Arthur Ray Jenkins III was executed by lethal injection. His final words were a request for forgiveness for his sins.
