(Pinal County, AZ) Clarence Wayne Dixon the Navajo man convicted of the 1978 rape and murder of Arizona State University student Deanna Bowdoin was declared mentally compentent for execution on May 11, 2022, despite mental health issues. Dixon, 66, who was blind and in declining health, died by lethal injection at the state prison in Florence for the 1978 killing of 21-year-old Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin. "As victims, the Arizona Constitution guarantees a prompt and final conclusion of this matter. Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. "Forty-threeand 20: the number of hearings and the number of years I have attended since the indictment," she said. OBITUARY Mr. Gilbert Dixon March 14, 1960 - March 1, 2022 IN THE CARE OF Carl Barnes Funeral Home Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us everyday. 11:11 PM EDT, Wed May 11, 2022. Taylor Tasler, a media witness forKTARsaid Dixon never made eye contact with anyone during the execution. Dixon was convicted of murder and sexual assault in connection with the death of 21-year-old Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin in 1978. More than 20 years passed before detectives suspected Dixon inBowdoin's murder. He was convicted in 2008 for the 1978 murder of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old senior at Arizona State University,who was found dead inside her apartment with a belt around her neck. ", 11:06a.m.: Witness says Dixon gasped when drugs administered. A beautiful soul was taken way before. Dixon made several comments insulting the medical team, mocking their Hippocratic oath and saying they "worshipped death," according to Troy Hayden, a media witness from Fox News. Arizonaexecuted Clarence Dixon at the state prison in Florence on Wednesday for the 1978 murder of 21-year-old ASU student Deana Bowdoin. Clarence Dixon was executed shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday at the state prison in Florence. Jessica MacTurk, anACLU volunteer, explained to the group her opposition to the death penalty in all forms, for all people., I am morally, religiously, constitutionally, financially opposed to the death penalty, she told the group while holding a sign stating, Dont kill for me.. PHOENIX The planned execution of an Arizona man remained on track Monday after two last-minute court efforts ended without decisions that would sidetrack the . On April 20, after declining to pick a method, the state announced that Dixon would be executed by lethal injection, the default method for an inmate who does not make a decision. They also traveled to the horseshoe tournaments where Dick competed in many local, state and national horseshoe-pitching competitions. [1], Dixon was born on August 26, 1955, in Fort Defiance, Arizona. Here is Clarence Dixon's obituary. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952 and spent two years in Korea as a cryptographer. Prosecutors said there was nothing about Dixon's beliefs that prevented him from understanding the reason for the execution and pointed to court filings that Dixon himself made over the years. Jan Brewers leadership andpreceded Duceys election by four months. She exuded kindness, her sister Leslie Bowdoin James said. Frank Strada (deputy director, Arizona Department of Corrections), Troy Hayden (media witness) and Leslie Bowdoin James (sister of Deana Bowdoin) speak after the execution of inmate Clarence Dixon on May 11, 2022, at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. The last 44 years he hasnt had any adequate treatment or access and hes been incarcerated during that time, she said about 15 minutes before his scheduled execution. Doug Ducey issued a statement after Dixons execution, calling it justice served. The letter dated June 6, 2021, came two months afterArizona Attorney General Mark Brnovichannounced the state's intent to seek warrants of execution against Dixon and fellow death-row prisoner Frank Atwood. hisrequest wasultimately denied by the Arizona Supreme Court. The two stayed at the bar until midnight and then Bowdoin told her friend she was going home. An Arizona man convicted of killing a college student in 1978 was put to death Wednesday after a nearly eight-year hiatus in the state's use of the death penalty brought on by an execution that critics say was botched and the difficulty state officials faced in finding lethal injection drugs. He was the first Native American the federal government executed in modern history. When Clarence Dick and Joanne retired, they enjoyed traveling. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. May 11, 2022, 4:42 PM. Arizona Gov. He was pronounced dead 11 minutes later at 10:30 a.m. Dixon maintained his innocence in his final statement.[17][18]. There were concerns about Dixon's mental health before the murder trial. tribal officials pleaded with the federal government to spare him. Leslie never gave up seeking justice for Deana," said Colleen Clase, chief counsel of Arizona Voice for Crime Victims and lawyer for Leslie Bowdoin James. Troy Hayden, a media witness, said the execution took place slightly late it was scheduled for 10 a.m. We are sad to announce that on September 2, 2021 we had to say goodbye to Clarence Dixon of Delair, New Jersey. You have permission to edit this article. Most of the group of protesters appeared to either be a part of, or working in coalition with, Death Penalty Alternatives for Arizona, a grassroots organization that aims to raise awareness about issues with the death penalty and seeks to abolish it. Dixon was sentenced to death in 2008 for the 1978 murder of Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin, which occurred while civil commitment proceedings for his mental illness were pending. Interment will be in Oakland Cemetery. Clarence Wayne Dixon (August 26, 1955 - May 11, 2022) was an American convicted murderer. As stateresumes death penalty, former executioner tells his story, 1 p.m.: Group aims to raise death penalty awareness, 12:30 p.m.: Ducey, Brnovich release statements on execution, 11:36 a.m.: 'Hes a member of the Navajo Nation and deserved to live', 11:36 a.m.: Deana Bowdoin's family reacts, 10:51 a.m.: Dixon executed by lethal injection, 9:45a.m.: Navajo Nation opposes death penalty, execution of tribal member, Brnovichannounced the state's intent to seek warrants of execution. Her murderer was unknown for years untilDNA evidence linked Clarence Wayne Dixon to the crime. Dixon hasexhausted his appeals, but his attorneys in recent weeks have filed a series of legal challenges accusing the state of planning to use expired drugsforhis execution. Dixies basement is full of trophies and plaques, with his most notable award being when he won the first-place trophy in his class at a world tournament in 2008 in Springfield, Ill. Atwood was scheduled for execution on September 28, 2021, while Dixon was scheduled for execution on October 19, 2021. Frank Atwood update:Court issues warrant of execution for death row prisoner. He was born on February 19, 1936 at Pocatello, Idaho to Clarence and Zella Dixon. Deana Lynne Bowdoin, 21, was a senior at Arizona State University when she waskilled inher apartment in the early morning hours ofJan. 7, 1978. David was born on May 9, 1983 in Mission Viejo California. Clarence was an avid sportsman and belonged to a number of sporting clubs. Updated They purchased a motor home and traveled throughout the 48 contiguous states. Dixons attorneys made several efforts to delay the execution, citing mental illness and other disabilities, including blindness. After 78 earthly years, Mr. Chapman answered the Master's call and departed this life at 2:53 A.M. on Thursday September 23, 2021, at Ochsner Baton Rouge surrounded by his family. Growing up in Phoenix, Bowdoin went to Squaw Peak Elementary and graduated with honors from Camelback High School. Obituary. In 2001, a cold case detective checked the DNA profile against a national database. Frank Strada (deputy director, Arizona Department of Corrections), Troy Hayden (media witness) and Leslie Bowdoin James (sister of Deana Bowdoin) speak after the execution of inmate Clarence Dixon on May 11, 2022, at the Arizona . People held signs with statements like "an eye for an eye leaves the world blind." The case remained cold until 2008 when DNA technology linked Dixon to the murder. On July 12, 2021, the Arizona Supreme Court denied the request to speed up the executions, and they were both halted. Frank Atwood,sentenced in Pima County in 1987 for the murder of an 8-year-old girl, Vicki Lynne Hoskinson, is scheduled to be executed June 8. Low 31F. Dixon was the first inmate to be executed in the state of Arizona since the botched execution of Joseph Wood in 2014, who was reportedly gasping and struggling to breathe for much of the two hours that it took to put him to death. Clarence Dixon was a former ASU student who livedacross the street from Bowdoin. He made choices, she said, and therefore Im not even going to waste any more breath or words on him.. Dixon was executed for the 1978 rape and murder of Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin. According to the Arizona Attorney General's Office, there are more than 20 people on death row who have exhausted their appeals. In 2015, he was declared legally blind. ButDixon waived his rights to be evaluated for competency and have IQtesting. Curtis and Irene Jenkins. Deana Bowdoingrew up in the Valley and graduatedwith honors from Camelback High School. Note: Do you have a family photo of Clarence Dixon? Clarence Dixon, 66, was convicted of killing a college student in 1978 and is the first person to be executed in the state after a nearly eight-year hiatus in its use of the death penalty. He spent many evenings at the bowling alley, in the woods hunting with his nephews and grandsons or fishing with whatever friend or family member wanted to get in a boat or wade in a creek with a fishing pole. [8], Following the botched execution of Joseph Wood via lethal injection in 2014, the state of Arizona stopped all executions. Consider uploading your photo of Clarence Dixon so that your pictures are included in Clarence Dixon's genealogy, . Bill Drobick, of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Florence, at one point led the group in the Lords Prayer. I do and will always proclaim innocence. Dixon was convictedthree decades after her death. He learned that the profile matched Clarence Dixon, a man who was serving a life sentence in an Arizona state prison for a 1986 sexual-assault conviction. On Sunday February 20, 2022 Clarence "Picky" Dixon Jr. departed this earthly life at Yale New Haven Hospital. The Arizona Board of Executive Clemency voted Thursday to deny death row prisoner Clarence Dixon's request for commutation or a reprieve. The Arizona Board of Executive Clemency denied requests from Dixon's attorneys for a commutation or reprieve. But in the early morning ofJan. 7, 1978, she was found dead inside her apartment. Rock Hill, South Carolina - Clarence Dixon, Sr. age of 72, passed away on August 25, 2021 at MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center. Dixon is scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. Wednesday at thestate prison in Florence. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. "The state has had nearly a year to demonstrate that it will not be carrying out executions with expired drugs but has failed to do so," Moreno said in a statement, according to AZCentral. Bowdoin's sister told the board Dixon had made the choice to "punch, rape, stab and strangle to death my only sister.". "They did have to wipe up a fair amount of blood," said Paul Davenport, a media witness from the AP. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 2008 . Clarence Dixon, 66, died by lethal injection at the state prison in Florence for his murder conviction in the killing of 21-year-old Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin, making him the . "Mal" was born May 22, 1940 in the small town of Spiro, Oklahoma, delivered by his grandfather, a country doctor. The state's lethal injection drug mixat the time wasa cocktail of the Valium-like midazolam and a narcotic called hydromorphone, resultingin Wood's execution taking two hours. Clarence Dixon was executed by lethal injection May 11, 2022. He was married and started classes in 1976 but withdrew within a year due to mental illness. Sep 2014 - Present8 years 6 months. At 2 a.m., Bowdoin's boyfriend found herdead inside her bedroom. Dixon was grimacing and appeared to be in pain while the execution team attempted to insert the IVs, Hayden said, but he appeared to lose consciousness a few minutes after the drugs were administered. Leslie Bowdoin James,Deana Bowdoin's sister, was at Clarence Dixon's execution. He was convicted of murder in her killing. But it wasn't until 2001 that a police detective tested DNA against a national database and found it matched Dixon's profile. Clarence Dixon was executed by lethal injection May 11, 2022. state department of corrections confirmed, botched lethal injection execution of Joseph Wood. We have jurisdiction over his automatic appeal under Article VI, Section 5 (3) of the Arizona Constitution and A.R.S. A Warner Bros. For years leading up to the 2020federal execution of Lezmond Mitchell in Terre Haute, Indiana,tribal officials pleaded with the federal government to spare him. But the state Supreme Court threw out the execution schedules after prosecutors acknowledged the shelf life of the state's lethal injection drug was 45 days, half as long as they had previously thought. Bowdoin had been strangled to death with a belt and had also been stabbed multiple times. Protesters gathered outside the state prison in Florence where Clarence Dixon is scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. for the 1978 murder of Deana Bowdoin. Clarence Dixon Jr. Obituary It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. The void left by Deana's murder 44 years ago will never be filled, but the sentence carried out this morning is a solemn reminder that we are a nation of laws and it is the responsibility of the state to enforce them.. Taylor Tasler, a media witness from KTAR, said Dixon never made eye contact with anyone. He served his country for 22 years in the United States Army. He was killed by a lethal injection of pentobarbital. Her parentsasked her to spend the night at home, but Bowdoin decided her apartment was the better option because she had to go toher part-time job at a law firm the next day. Dixon grimaced, Hayden said, and appeared to be in pain while the IVs were inserted. For subscribers:As stateresumes death penalty, former executioner tells his story. "This is finality for this process. Because of legal challenges over the states use of capital punishment, Ducey was largely not forced to address the controversial issue, at least not frequently. Dixon was killed by lethal injection Wednesday morning at the state prison in Florence for his murder conviction in the killing of 21-year-old Arizona State . The Erie County Republican Committee this weekend endorsed a Clarence businesswoman who is a political newcomer to challenge County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz in November. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He was convicted in 2008 for the 1978 murder of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old senior at Arizona State University. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Robinson-Lytle-Shoemaker Funeral Home, 36 N. Seventh St., where a funeral service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday with Pastor Tom Spiker officiating.