Elvin Jack Odom

Case information

Elvin Jack Odom was charged with Murder, a felony, in the Superior Court of the State of Arizona, in and for the County of Maricopa.

Timeline

• October 12, 1937 — Charles Edgar Goade was brutally murdered by heavy blows with an iron grate in and on his head at about 10:00 P.M. while he was asleep on a wagon in a cotton field near Perryville, Arizona.
• October 13, 1937 — Soon after the body was discovered in the morning, Odom was arrested on suspicion of murder as he was about to leave the camp at which he was employed.
• September 15, 1937 — Odom went to work at Bradley's Camp No. 1 on or about this date.
• October 19, 1937 — Odom expressed desire to talk to the Sheriff.
• October 20, 1937 — Odom voluntarily confessed to the crime and told in detail how he believed Goade had considerable money on his person; he beat and hit Goade on the head with the iron grate until he was dead, then searched his pockets, removed a pocketbook containing 54c, and later buried the iron grate and pocket book about one hundred feet beyond the wagon.
• October 21, 1937 — An information was filed in the Superior Court of the State of Arizona, in and for the County of Maricopa, charging Odom with Murder, a felony.
• October 21, 1937 — Odom was arraigned and entered a plea of guilty to the said crime of Murder, a felony.
• October 25, 1937 — Odom was sentenced to death in the lethal gas chamber.
• October 26, 1937 — The submission was respectfully submitted on this date.
• January 14, 1938 — Odom was executed by asphyxiation-gas between the hours of 5:00 o'clock A.M. and 6:00 o'clock P.M. at the wells of the State Prison at Florence, Arizona.

The offence

Charles Edgar Goade was murdered by heavy blows with an iron grate in and on his head. The murder occurred on October 12, 1937, at about 10:00 P.M. At least five blows were struck, crushing in Goade's skull.

Odom later described how he took an iron grate from a stove outside his cabin at about 10:00 P.M., walked to a wagon in which Goade was asleep, climbed onto the wagon, and struck Goade on the head with the iron grate until he was dead. Odom then searched Goade's pockets and removed a pocketbook containing 54c. He also described burying the iron grate and pocket book about one hundred feet beyond the wagon.

Odom’s confession also described returning to his cabin, washing his hands, and calling Red Simmons and Bob Barnette to come over to his cabin on the pretense that he was sick.

Investigation

After the body was discovered on the morning of October 13, Odom was arrested on suspicion of murder as he was about to leave the camp at which he was employed. Witness statements supported the suspicion based on Odom’s actions on the night of the murder, his sudden and unaccounted possession of money, and previous remarks he had made concerning highjacking the murdered Goade.

Chemical analysis disclosed that blood stains on Odom’s pants and a cotton sack were human blood.

Investigation by the officers revealed that Odom went to work at Bradley's Camp No. 1 on or about September 15, 1937. Witnesses testified that Odom arrived at the camp without any money and that up to the day of his arrest he spent every cent he earned at the camp, was often broke, and had to borrow money.

Witnesses testified that prior to the night Goade was murdered, Odom remarked to friends that Goade would be a good person to highjack as he was purported to have considerable money on his person. Conversations were overheard between Odom and Goade in which Odom questioned Goade concerning his finances. Other witnesses testified that Odom, on the day of the murder, stated he hated the old man, referring to Goade.

Arrest

Soon after the body was discovered on the morning of October 13, Odom was arrested on suspicion of murder as he was about to leave the camp at which he was employed.

After Odom had been picked up and placed under arrest, he denied knowing anything of the murder during first questioning by the officers, even though he had already been previously advised by other officers. He denied ever having had conversations with Goade and explained that the money he had passed around the night before was money he brought with him when he came to the camp and had saved it for a long time.

When confronted with blood stains on his pants and a cotton sack, he denied knowledge of the same and explained it could have been caused by a scratch on his hand or the result of killing a snake the day before. The chemical analysis disclosed the blood to be that of a human being.

Odom expressed desire to talk to the Sheriff on October 19, 1937.

Odom told the whole story on October 20, 1937, as to how he murdered Goade believing he had a large sum of money on his person.

After Odom was advised by the officers that there had been a murder committed, he offered to pay Red Simons and Bob Barnette well if they would drive him to Tolleson. It was after they had started for Tolleson that Odom was picked up and placed under arrest.

Background

Odom went to work at Bradley's Camp No. 1 on or about the 15th day of September, 1937. Witnesses testified that he arrived at the camp without any money and spent every cent he earned at the camp. They testified he was often broke and had to borrow money.

Previous remarks and conduct were described as part of the circumstances surrounding the murder. Prior to the night Goade was murdered, Odom remarked to friends that Goade would be a good person to highjack because Goade was purported to have considerable money on his person. Odom questioned Goade concerning his finances, and other witnesses testified that Odom stated he hated Goade on the day of the murder. Odom had also expressed a desire to buy a dress for one Marie Harden as soon as he could earn enough money to do so.

Odom’s record disclosed prior entanglements with the law. On one occasion where he seriously beat up a man, he testified he would have killed him if he had not been prevented from so doing by his wife and brother.

Odom stated that his true name was Elvin J. Odom. He was 27 years of age and stated he was born in Denton, Texas, and born in 1901. He stated that his mother, sister and brother all lived in Denton, Texas. He stated he was an American Citizen. He stated he had lived in Arizona and Maricopa County for four weeks. He stated he was a painter and last worked in Denton, Texas, contracting for himself, and that he worked there for eleven years. He stated he was convicted in Corsicana, Texas, for Burglary, in 1932. He stated he was married and had two children in Amarillo, Texas.

Odom’s wife and brother were described as having prevented him from killing a man whom he had seriously beaten.

The night of the murder and events before it

On the evening of the murder, Odom visited several friends of his in the camp and had several drinks of whiskey. About 9:00 o'clock, he left the cabin of Red Simmons and Bob Barnette and stated he was going to his cabin to go to bed.

Instead, Odom picked up an iron grate about four inches wide and fourteen inches long, which was on a fire place outside his cabin, and walked to a wagon in the middle of the cotton fields where Goade was asleep. Odom climbed onto the wagon and as Goade awoke, he struck him a terrific blow on the head with the iron grate. Odom struck at least five blows that crushed in Goade's skull.

After striking Goade, Odom searched Goade's pockets and removed a purse which he claimed contained only 54c. Odom walked about 100 feet beyond the wagon and buried the iron grate and purse near a clump of johnson grass. He then returned to his cabin and washed the blood off his hands.

About 11:00 P.M. he called to Red Simons and Bob Barnette, whose cabin was about 80 feet from his, and asked them to come over to his cabin as he was ill. Red and Bob found Odom in an extremely nervous and frightened condition. Odom claimed he was suffering from a heart attack and requested that they get him some whiskey. While Red was gone for the whiskey, Tom Harden and Nick Vaughn arrived at Odom's cabin.

Money and alcohol

After the pint of whiskey had been consumed that Red had purchased, Odom told Barnette and Red that he had Six ($6.00) Dollars he had been saving. He hid behind some cardboard nailed on the wall of his cabin and asked Red to get the same out so that they could buy more Whiskey.

When the money, which was in a dirty tobacco sack, was removed, it was discovered that there was Thirty-six ($36.00) Dollars in bills. Harden and others present believed at first the money was counterfeit because they knew Odom had had no money. They examined the money closely and found it to be moist and damp as if having recently been carried on the person. They stated the tobacco sack was identical to one they had seen Goade carry on his person on previous occasions.

After the money had been counted, Odom sent Red back to the store to buy five more pints of whiskey and gave the remaining money to Nick Vaughn. He instructed Nick Vaughn to give Ten ($10.00) Dollars to Marie Harden for the dress Odom had promised her and to keep the balance of the money for him, or, if necessary, for Nick Vaughn to spend it on himself.

Nick Vaughn objected to taking the money, and in response Odom stated he had not had to work hard to get that money and that he wanted Marie to have that dress.

At about 4:00 A.M. all those at the cabin had gone home except Bob Barnette, who remained the rest of the night with Odom at his request because Odom said he was afraid to stay alone.

Confession

On October 20, 1937, Odom voluntarily confessed to the crime. He told in detail how he believed Goade had considerable money on his person; how he had taken an iron grate from a stove outside his cabin about 10:00 P.M. and walked over to a wagon in which Goade was asleep; and how, upon Goade awakening, he beat and hit him on the head with the iron grate until he was dead.

He described searching Goade's pockets, removing a pocketbook containing 54c, and later burying the iron grate and pocket book about one hundred feet beyond the wagon. He also described returning to his cabin, washing his hands, and then being frightened calling to Red Simmons and Bob Barnette to come over to his cabin on the pretense that he was sick.

Trial and plea

On October 21, 1937, Odom was arraigned and entered a plea of guilty to the crime of Murder, a felony.

Sentencing

On October 25, 1937, Odom was sentenced to death in the lethal gas chamber.

The sentence included that the execution be carried out within the wells of the State Prison at Florence, Arizona, on the 14 day of January, 1938, between the hours of 5:00 o'clock A.M. and 6:00 o'clock P.M. of said day.

Outcome

Odom was executed by asphyxiation-gas on January 14, 1938.