206 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
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Description
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Robert Wayne Danielson: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Early Life and Initial Crime

Robert Wayne Danielson Jr. was born on August 25, 1946, in Iowa. Little is known about his early life, but he had a history of depression and drug use. In 1970, he was involved in a fatal altercation:
  • Thomas Elroy Davis (21) - June 23, 1970, near Marcola, Oregon: Danielson shot Davis after a roadside argument. He claimed self-defense but was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Parole and Subsequent Killing Spree

After serving eleven years, Danielson was paroled in 1981. Shortly after, he embarked on a series of murders across multiple states:
  • Harold Pratt (60) and Betty Pratt (55) - December 9, 1981, at a desert campsite in Arizona: The couple was found bound and shot in the head. Their truck was later discovered abandoned in Yuma.
  • Arthur Gray (62) - June 25, 1982: Details about this crime are limited, but Gray was among Danielson's victims during his spree.
  • Benjamin Shaffer (69) and Edith Shaffer (62) - July 1982: The elderly couple was murdered, further extending Danielson's trail of violence.
  • Ernest Corral (38) - November 1982: Corral became another victim in Danielson's series of killings.

Investigation and Arrest

Danielson's crimes spanned several states, complicating the investigation. However, authorities eventually linked the murders through ballistic evidence and patterns in the crimes. He was apprehended on April 6, 1984. ...Read More
Victims
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Confirmed Victims: (7)
  • Thomas Elroy Davis Age: (21), Date of Death: 1970-06-23
  •     ...View 6 additional victims
    Killer's Details

    Robert Wayne

    Danielson

    August 25, 1946Iowa, United States

    September 7, 1995 (aged 49)San Quentin, California, United States

    Suicide by haning

    Male

    White

    Murder

    Death (California), Life imprisonment (Oregon)

    7

    1970 - 1982

    Arizona, Oregon, California

    April 6, 1984

    Oregon State Penitentiary — Salem, Oregon (Paroled in 1981), San Quentin State Prison — San Quentin, California

    07/03/2025