Paul Ezra Rhoades: A Detailed Account of His Crimes
Introduction
Paul Ezra Rhoades was an American spree killer and suspected serial killer who was convicted of three murders committed in Idaho during a three-week crime spree in 1987. He was executed for two of his confirmed murders in 2011, becoming the first person to be executed in Idaho in over seventeen years.
Early Life
Paul Ezra Rhoades was born on January 18, 1957, in Idaho Falls, Idaho. His early life was turbulent, as he was struck with polio at the age of 4 and had to be constantly hospitalized. He began drinking at the age of 10 and eventually dropped out of high school, developing an addiction to methamphetamines.
Murders
Rhoades' crime spree began in February 1987 and lasted until March 1987. He was convicted of three murders during this period:
- Stacy Dawn Baldwin: On February 28, 1987, 21-year-old Stacy Dawn Baldwin, a clerk at the Red Mini Barn convenience store in Blackfoot, Idaho, was abducted and shot to death. Her body was found on a gravel road about three miles north of Blackfoot.
- Nolan Jay Haddon: On March 16, 1987, 20-year-old Nolan Jay Haddon, a clerk at a convenience store in Idaho Falls, Idaho, was shot while working. He was found in the store's walk-in cooler the next morning and succumbed to his injuries a few hours later.
- Susan Lee Campbell Michelbacher: On March 18, 1987, 34-year-old Susan Lee Campbell Michelbacher, a special education teacher at Eagle Rock Junior High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho, was abducted from a supermarket parking lot. Her body was found in a remote lava field west of Idaho Falls, and she had been shot multiple times.
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Account
