Richard Pryde Boggs

Case overview

Richard Pryde Boggs (born 1933; died March 6, 2003) was a California neurologist. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1990 (for his part in an insurance scheme), and later received a life sentence on February 22, 1992. He died in prison on March 6, 2003.

Timeline

• April 16, 1988 — Boggs lured Ellis Henry Greene, 32, into his office, disabled him with a stun gun, and suffocated him with the help of conspirator Melvin Eugene Hanson. Boggs then called paramedics and falsely identified Greene as Hanson.
• 1990 — Boggs was sentenced to life in prison for his part in an insurance scheme.
• February 22, 1992 — Boggs was sentenced to life in prison.
• 1992 — Edwin Chen published “Cheating Death” providing an in-depth review of the “million-dollar murder” scheme.
• March 6, 2003 — Boggs died in prison at Corcoran State Prison after being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.

The offence

Boggs participated in a scheme intended to collect a $1.5 million life insurance policy. He lured Ellis Henry Greene, 32, into his office, disabled him with a stun gun, and suffocated him with the help of conspirator Melvin Eugene Hanson on April 16, 1988.

Prosecutors alleged that Boggs killed Greene so he could claim $1.5 million in insurance policies on Hanson.

Boggs also forged medical records. He included the real Hanson's birth certificate and credit cards on Greene's body to support the false identification.

Investigation

Detectives who were called to the scene initially were suspicious of Boggs’ story. They reasoned that doctors do not usually handle patients that early in the morning, and that the temperature of the body could not correspond to Boggs’ given time of death. The coroner’s report ruled that the death was due to a heart attack caused by natural causes.

Arrest and identification of the body

Hanson’s business partner John Hawkins, who was connected to a clothing store chain called “Just Sweats” in Columbus, Ohio, was called into identify the body, and he did. Hawkins was working with Boggs and Hanson.

After the case was officially closed, the body was quickly cremated at the behest of Hawkins. Hawkins then collected the million-dollar life insurance policy he had taken out on Hanson, cleaned out his bank accounts, and disappeared. Hanson went into hiding and adopted a new identity as “Wolfgang Von Snowden.”

Farmers Insurance obtained “Melvin Hanson’s” driver’s license to compare to the picture of the body that was found. They were checking for possible insurance fraud. What they found led them to hire a private investigator to further investigate the case.

Columbus Dispatch reporters Robin Yocum and Catherine Candisky began looking into the case, and worked with the private investigator and the police to unravel the story.

Trial

Boggs and Hanson were convicted of murder and were sentenced to life in prison.

In sentencing coverage, it was described that a jury recommended life in prison rather than the death penalty. Boggs was described as a 57-year-old neurologist. The sentence for murder and fraud was ordered by Superior Court Judge Florence Marie Cooper, who also denied a defense motion for a new trial. The judge said Boggs induced two others to participate in the murder, carrying it out with “sophistication and professionalism.”

She said Boggs induced two others to participate in the murder, carrying it out with "sophistication and professionalism."

Prosecutors alleged that Boggs lured Ellis Henry Greene, 32, into his office, where Greene was disabled with a stun gun and suffocated. Prosecutors said Boggs then called paramedics and identified the body as that of Melvin Eugene Hanson, his friend and patient. Hanson was described as awaiting trial.

Sentencing

Boggs was sentenced to life in prison. His sentencing was described as occurring on February 22, 1992, with the possibility of parole denied.

Appeals

No appeal content was included beyond the defense motion for a new trial being denied by Superior Court Judge Florence Marie Cooper.

Outcome

Hanson was arrested in Texas while trying to get on a flight to Acapulco, Mexico. Hawkins was harder to find because he managed to leave the United States.

Hawkins made an appearance on America’s Most Wanted. He was captured off Sardinia by Italian police. Hawkins was convicted of conspiracy to murder and received a maximum of 25 years in prison. He received a lighter sentence because he had not been involved in the actual murder, though investigators suspected he was the brains of the scheme.

Aftermath and media coverage

Robin Yocum and Catherine Candisky published a book titled Insured for Murder detailing the case.

Episodes of the truTV shows Forensic Files and Murder By The Book featured the story; Murder By The Book guest starred Jonathan Kellerman.

Edwin Chen, an LA Times investigative reporter, wrote “Cheating Death” in 1992, providing an in-depth review of the “almost perfect” million-dollar murder.

Unsolved Mysteries and America’s Most Wanted profiled the case while Hawkins was still a fugitive.

An international viewer provided a critical lead for law enforcement to apprehend John Hawkins in Italy through the Oprah Winfrey show that profiled John Walsh’s America’s Most Wanted episodes.

Vanity Fair (1992) also wrote an expose on the case titled “The Trail of a Hustler”.

Other details

• Boggs died from a heart attack while serving his life sentence at Corcoran State Prison.
• Boggs was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer at the time of his death.
• References included: Yocum, Robin & Candisky, Catherine (2001). Insured for Murder. ISBN 0879758422; Chen, Edwin (1992). “Cheating Death”. ISBN 0451403150; Vanity Fair, “The Trail of a Hustler”, 1992 ISSN 0733-8899.
• A report titled “Doctor Gets Life Term in Murder-Fraud Scheme” described the sentencing and stated: “Richard P. Boggs, a 57-year-old neurologist, could have faced the death penalty for the April, 1988, murder of a Burbank accountant, but a jury recommended life in prison instead.”
• The report also included that “She said Boggs induced two others to participate in the murder, carrying it out with "sophistication and professionalism."” and that Boggs was convicted of luring Ellis Henry Greene, 32, into his office, where Greene was disabled with a stun gun and suffocated.