Henry Brisbon

Background

Henry Brisbon was a juvenile (17) when he was convicted for double murder. The first two victims credited to Henry Brisbon were James Schmidt, a Chicago businessman, and his fiancée, Dorothy Cerny, both 25. Brisbon was the third of 13 children. Brisbon thought his upbringing by a strict black Muslim father made him different. He stated, "I was taught to be a racist and not like whites. As I grew up, I decided I didn't like nobody." Michael Newton was named as the author of An Encyclopedia of Modern Serial Killers - Hunting Humans.

The offence

On the night of June 3, 1973, on Highway 57 in Cook County, James Schmidt and Dorothy Cerny were stopped by a gang of four men. Schmidt and Cerny were dragged from their vehicle and forced to lie down on the grassy shoulder of the road. Brisbon was identified as the triggerman who killed them both with close-range shotgun blasts as they lay helpless on the ground. Brisbon was convicted on a charge of double murder for those killings.

A Chevrolet Caprice was driven by a woman and was forced off Interstate 57 in southern Cook County by a car carrying four men. One man pointed a 12-gauge pump shotgun at her and ordered her to strip and then to climb through a barbed-wire fence at the side of the road. As she begged for her life, her assailant thrust the shotgun barrel into her vagina and fired. After watching her agonies for several minutes, he finished her off with a blast to the throat. Less than an hour later, the marauding motorists stopped another car and told the man and woman inside it to get out and lie down on the shoulder of the road. The couple pleaded for mercy, saying that they were engaged to be married in six months. The man with the shotgun said, "Kiss your last kiss," then shot both of them in the back, killing them. The total take from three murders and two robberies was $54, two watches, an engagement ring and a wedding band.

Investigation

Brisbon was brought to trial in 1977. Illinois' death penalty was invalidated in 1972 and was not restored until 1977. Will County State's Attorney Edward Petka described Brisbon as "a very, very terrible human being, a walking testimonial for the death penalty." Henry Brisbon's prison confinement included the Menard Condemned Unit, described as the official name for death row in the Illinois prison system.

Arrest

When the gang were arrested, it did not take the others long to sell-out Brisbon as a murderer.

Trial

Brisbon's conviction on double murder earned him a sentence of 1,000 to 3,000 years in prison. The judge sentenced him to a term of 1,000 to 3,000 years in prison. Brisbon was convicted of Morgan's murder on January 22, 1982.

While awaiting trial for the murder of Ronald Morgan, Brisbon took part in a 1979 riot and was transferred to the maximum security lockup at Menard.

Sentencing

At the time of trial in 1977, the judge sentenced Brisbon to a term of 1,000 to 3,000 years in prison. On November 1, 1977, Brisbon was sentenced to life in prison. He was sentenced to die on February 24, 1982. Leaving the courtroom after pronouncement of sentence, Brisbon told his guards, "You'll never get me. I'll kill again. Then you'll have another long trial. And then I'll do it again."

Brisbon's eleven months on death row were described as quiet compared with his Stateville years.

Appeals

No appeals are described in the provided record.

Outcome

Brisbon was sentenced to life in prison on November 1, 1977. Brisbon was sentenced to death on February 24, 1982. At this writing, Brisbon was awaiting execution.

Aftermath

On October 19, 1978, Brisbon used a sharpened soup ladle to stab inmate Ronald Morgan at the Statesville penitentiary, striking without apparent motive. While awaiting trial for that murder, Brisbon took part in a 1979 riot and was transferred to the maximum security lockup at Menard.

After being sentenced to die, Brisbon tried to kill again on February 15, 1983. He slipped out of handcuffs and broke away from a guard on death row. He used a piece of sharpened heavy-gauge wire to stab convicted killers William Jones and John Wayne Gacy. It was stated that neither man was seriously injured.

After being placed on death row, Brisbon was described as having 90 well-supervised minutes each day outside his small cell measuring 7 ft. 7 in. by 5 ft. 10 in. He worked out with weights and was described as keeping his 155 lbs. in shape while on a 5-ft 9-in. frame. Brisbon complained about confinement: "Can't take two steps in this cage. It's inhuman. And that dull-ass color blue on the walls in no way brightens my life."

Brisbon devised an idea about judicial reform: "All this talk about victims' rights and restitution gets me. What about my family? I'm a victim of a crooked criminal system. Isn't my family entitled to something?"

Brisbon stated about the death penalty: "I don't see that happening to me. What would killing me solve? Isn't that just another murder? If I got to die, it's going to be of natural causes."

Michael Ficaro, who prosecuted the I-57 case, said, "On the day he dies in the chair at Stateville, I plan to be there to see that it's done. Nobody I've heard of deserves the death penalty more than Henry Brisbon."

Brisbon's earlier prison history included that he took part in 15 attacks on inmates and guards, instigated at least one prison riot, trashed a courtroom during a trial, and hit a warden with a broom handle. Brisbon said, "I'm no bad dude," and added, "just an antisocial individual."

Victims were described as 3 so far, with more to come apparently.

Brisbon's prison photos were mentioned in the record text, but no further factual details were provided.

Other details

Brisbon's sex was listed as M, race as B, and type as T. A motive field was included in the record as "CE/PC." A method of operation field was listed as "Killed two in robbery, one in prison." A disposition line in the record listed "1,000-3,000 years, 1973; condemned, 1982."

Brisbon was described as "Henry Brisbon Jr., 28" in one section of the provided record.