Robert Wesley Knighton

Serial Killer

Robert Wesley Knighton: A Trail of Murder Across Missouri and Oklahoma

Early Life and Criminal History

Robert Wesley Knighton was born on February 5, 1941, in Springfield, Missouri. His childhood was marked by instability, neglect and physical abuse. He received little formal education, leaving school after approximately the fourth grade, and spent part of his youth in a reform institution. By adulthood, Knighton had developed a lengthy record of robbery, assault and other violent crimes. In 1968, Knighton was convicted of armed robbery in Oklahoma and sentenced to ten years in prison. His imprisonment did not end his violent behavior. After his release, he returned to Missouri, where a confrontation in September 1973 resulted in his first known killing.

The Killing of Coffier Day

On September 15, 1973, Knighton became involved in an argument with 32-year-old Coffier Day in Springfield, Missouri. During the confrontation, Knighton produced a pistol and opened fire on Coffier and his father, Claude Day. Claude was wounded in the neck but survived. Coffier was fatally shot. Immediately after the shooting, Knighton forced his way into the lives of another family. He kidnapped a young couple and their six-year-old daughter, holding them for approximately eleven hours while threatening to kill the child if the adults resisted. The ordeal ended after Knighton stopped at a restaurant to obtain food. The kidnapped woman attacked him with a steak knife, injuring his face and helping bring the abduction to an end. Knighton was charged with first-degree murder for Coffier Day's death but pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was also convicted of kidnapping and robbery. His combined sentences sent him to the Missouri State Penitentiary, where he remained incarcerated for approximately seventeen years. ...

Confirmed Victims: (5)

Coffier Day Age: (32), Date of Death: 1973-09-15

Robert Wesley Knighton: Serial Killer Biography - IMDb