William Paul Thompson

Serial Killer

William Paul Thompson: Career Criminal and Serial Killer

Early Life and Criminal History

William Paul "Bud" Thompson was born on May 2, 1938, in Wichita Falls, Texas. His family moved to New York while he was young, and his childhood was reportedly marked by poverty, instability, and violence. Thompson described his father as an abusive alcoholic who frequently beat members of the family. By approximately age twelve, Thompson was drinking, stealing, and repeatedly getting into trouble. His behavior eventually resulted in his placement in a reform school. Thompson spent much of his adult life moving between prisons, temporary jobs, and transient camps. His extensive criminal record included burglary, forgery, safecracking, counterfeiting, robbery, and weapons offenses. He claimed to have accumulated criminal records in several states, including New York, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Kansas. During his comparatively brief periods outside prison, he traveled throughout the country and reportedly worked at assorted jobs, including boxing and employment connected with the Salvation Army. Thompson married during the 1970s, but his wife died of cancer in 1982. He later portrayed her death as a turning point that left him bitter, isolated, and increasingly violent. He claimed that he began killing around this period, although only three murders were conclusively attributed to him. Shortly before his execution, Thompson also claimed that he had committed three additional contract killings in other states. Those confessions were never substantiated, and he refused to identify the alleged victims.

The Murders of Robert and John Pariset

On March 25, 1984, Thompson was camping with another transient, Robert Herman Boyle, in the Auburn area of Placer County, California. The two men were drinking at a business known as Murderer's Bar, located near the Middle Fork of the American River, when they met brothers Robert and John Pariset. The Pariset brothers had traveled to the area to fish and search for gold. The four men drank together and later returned to the campsite occupied by Thompson and Boyle. The gathering continued with tequila and marijuana. According to Boyle's later testimony, Thompson became irritated by the brothers, particularly by Robert's intoxicated behavior and the noise associated with their motorcycles. Boyle did not initially believe that Thompson's complaints represented a serious threat. At the campsite, Boyle and John Pariset walked to a camper to retrieve sleeping bags, leaving Robert Pariset alone with Thompson. When the two men returned, Robert was lying motionless on the ground. They initially believed he had passed out. In reality, Thompson had fatally shot him. Boyle later left again to obtain additional blankets. While he was away, he heard a gunshot. When he returned, he found that Thompson had also shot John Pariset in the head with a .22-caliber revolver. Thompson was searching the brothers' clothing and possessions, indicating that robbery was at least part of his motive. Both brothers died at the campsite. Thompson and Boyle left California and traveled east into Nevada. A teenage witness reportedly provided authorities with information linking the two men to the campsite and their departure from the area. An arrest warrant was issued as investigators began pursuing them. Boyle eventually traveled toward Salt Lake City, Utah, while Thompson continued toward Reno, Nevada. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Robert Pariset Age: (35), Date of Death: 1984-03-25

Suspected Victims:

Unidentified victim date unknown New York

Unidentified victim date unknown Kansas

Unidentified federal prosecutor date unknown Oklahoma

William Paul Thompson - Wikipedia