(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. Clarence Dixon's last meal consisted of Kentucky Fried Chicken, a half pint of strawberry ice cream and a bottle of water, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections. The murder went unsolved until 2001, when DNA profiling linked him to the crime. Dixon gasped afterthe drugs were administered and then looked like he went to sleep, she said. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. The state's lastgas chamber executionwasWalter LaGrand in 1999, documented by witnesses as lasting 18 minutes andcharacterized as agonizing. ButDixon waived his rights to be evaluated for competency and have IQtesting. 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. I do and will always proclaim innocence. In the final weeks of his life, Dixon's lawyers made last-minute arguments to the courts to postpone his execution, but judges rejected his argument that he isn't mentally fit to be executed and didn't have a rational understanding of why the state wanted to execute him. 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. He is the son of Rev. Two separate drivers traveling through the intersection shoutedKill him and obscenitiesas they passed the group of about 12protesters outside the prisons barbed fence. [3], On January 6, 1978, 21-year-old Deana Lynne Bowdoin, an Arizona State University senior, met her parents for dinner and then went to meet a friend at a nearby bar. He, along with his wife of 66 years, devoted their lives unselfishly to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, actively following and supporting all activities they chose to pursue. Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry via AP, File, Dixon, 66, who was blind and in declining health, died by lethal injection. Winds light and variable.. Hayden said Dixon referenced Bowdoin directly a number of times, and said she knew he did not kill her. The same year, he was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon when he attacked a 15-year-old girl, whom Dixon would later claim reminded him of his ex-wife. If he doesn't make a choice, lethal injection will be the default method, according to the warrant. [9], In 2020, the Arizona Department of Corrections purchased one thousand vials of the drug pentobarbital, costing one and a half million dollars. [10] In 2021, the state also announced it had refurbished its gas chamber, allowing inmates the option of being executed by lethal gas. Just over a dozen protesters gathered Wednesday morning at an intersection near Butte and Pinal Parkway avenues, liningthe state prisons barbed wire fence with anti-execution signage. "Navajo culture and religion holds every life sacred and instructs against the taking of human life for punishment," McPaul said. He was convicted of the January 7, 1978, murder of 21-year-old Deana Lynne Bowdoin in Tempe, Arizona. ", "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. Clarence Dixon Jr. Obituary It is always difficult saying goodbye to someone we love and cherish. Dixon was the first man put to death by Arizona since the problematic execution of Wood in 2014. After a lengthy appeals process, on April. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Clarence "Dee" Dixon, 86, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 24th, 2022 at the Libby Care Center. He was executed at 10 a.m. local time, according to Frank Strada, a deputy director with Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. The state claims it has refined its execution protocols and is planning to use a single drug, pentobarbital, for executions, instead of thecombination of drugs that were used on Wood. Dixon, whose execution is scheduled for May 11, 2022, is now also blind. Updated Updated on: May 11, 2022 / 2:08 PM Shestudied abroad while at Arizona State University and was considering a career in law, international marketing or diplomacy after taking the LSAT and the Foreign Service Officers tests. 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. He echoed that belief in his Wednesday statement, and last week to a gathering of reporters at an unrelated event, adding that in certain situations, the death penalty is justice.. Hes enclosed in a room completely blind and has no idea whats going on or whats happening and theyre going to execute him today. Download the free azcentral.com app for the latest news. Defense lawyers said Dixon was repeatedly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, regularly experienced hallucinations over the past 30 years and was found "not guilty by reason of insanity" in a 1977 assault case in which the verdict was delivered by then-Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sandra Day O'Connor, nearly four years before her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Bowdoin's sister told the board Dixon had made the choice to "punch, rape, stab and strangle to death my only sister.". In 2001, DNA technology connected Clarence Dixon to Bowdoin's murder. 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. It's relief. [6] On January 24, 2008, Dixon was found guilty of first degree murder and was sentenced to death. ", Jennifer Moreno, Dixon's attorney, said Arizona has a "history of problematic executions. Deacon Bill Drobick, of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Florence, led the group in the Lords Prayer. Two days later, Dixon murdered Bowdoin. A DEATH row inmate ranted about "worshipping death" and sent a final message to his victim in his final words before his execution. Atwood was scheduled for execution on September 28, 2021, while Dixon was scheduled for execution on October 19, 2021. Here is Clarence Dixon's obituary. Wed like to change the law eventually, thats our ultimate goal, McLeod said, adding that there was no evidence to show executions deter crime. Witnesses said there were issues inserting the IV. 1978 murder of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old senior at Arizona State University, 8:30 a.m.: Attempts to stop execution filed, filed a series of legal challenges accusing the state of planning to use expired drugs, the state produced a new batch of the drugs, an Arizona state courts determinationthat he is mentally competent, the Department of Corrections announced it had acquired pentobarbital for lethal injections, 6:30a.m.: 'I will never stop thinking of Deana', For 25 years, Deana Bowdoin's killer was a mystery, astatement responding to news of Dixon's execution warrant, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Dixon was then serving a life sentence for a sexual assault conviction, but had lived across the street from Bowdoin at the time of her killing. Arizona hasn't carried out the death penalty since the botched 2014 execution of Joseph Wood, who was reportedly gasping and struggling to breathe for much of the two hours that it took to put him to death. All Rights Reserved. Doug Ducey issued a statement following Dixons execution, calling it justice served. 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. "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. Bowdoins sister, Leslie James, was present for the execution. But in the early morning ofJan. 7, 1978, she was found dead inside her apartment. Clarence passed away in 1956, at age 59. More: For 25 years, Deana Bowdoin's killer was a mystery. The Arizona Board of Executive Clemency denied requests from Dixon's attorneys for a commutation or reprieve. 9 min read The Arizona Board of Executive Clemency voted Thursday to deny death row prisoner Clarence Dixon's request for commutation or a reprieve. "The deathpenalty removesthe possibilityof restoring harmony; whereas a life sentence holds the opportunity to reestablish harmony and find balancein our world," she continued. 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. [1], Dixon was born on August 26, 1955, in Fort Defiance, Arizona. Clarence Dixon, 66, was put to . Dick will always be remembered for his unconditional love, camaraderie, great sense of humor and generosity. You may always enhance any obituary with your condolences, stories or photos. Clarence Dixon was put to death in Arizona on Wednesday after being convicted of killing 21-year-old Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin in 1978. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Clarence Dixon (New Haven, Connecticut), who passed away on February 20, 2022 at the age of 63. Dixons attorneys made several efforts to delay the execution, citing mental illness and other disabilities, including blindness. Unseen, unheard, but always near. Did you encounter any technical issues? Clarence Dixon in BillionGraves Clarence Dixon was born in 1897. He grew up there attending public schools. "Why am I not surprised that (Dixon) chose to use my sister's name?". Last year, the state prompted an an outcry after it emerged that it had secretly refurbished its gas chamber in 2020, and purchased materials to make hydrogen cyanide, a deadly gas used in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. "This is finality for this process. Support local journalism. Jutras at one point, while filming a livestream of her own, appeared to become emotional, noting Dixon was a member of the Navajo Nation. However, the County Attorney's Office andcourts did not immediately begin commitment proceedingsand released the inmate. "Under these circumstances, the execution of Mr. Dixon a severely mentally ill, visually disabled, and physically frail member of the Navajo Nation is unconscionable., Jimmy Jenkins, Lacey Latch and Chelsea Curtis. View All Obituaries Welcome to Twiford Funeral Homes Our founder, Sam A. Twiford Sr. often said: "We may have several funerals today, but remember, the families we are serving only have one." This simple statement has become a guiding principle for all of our organizations. It was way, way, way too long," she said. If he does not choose, the court said the death penalty "shall be inflicted by lethal injection. Clarence graduated from Indiana Area High School in 1949. Growing up in Phoenix, Bowdoin went to Squaw Peak Elementary and graduated with honors from Camelback High School. At 2 a.m., Bowdoin's boyfriend found herdead inside her bedroom. Outside, a group of protesters started slowly dispersing when police began to leave, though some stayed back for official word of the execution. Court issues warrant of execution for death row prisoner, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Dixon seemed defiant andproclaimed his innocence in a calm voice. Hayden appeared to be in pain while the team attempted to insert the IVs, Hayden said. First published on May 11, 2022 / 2:01 PM. Clarence was born on February 6,. Bowdoinwas considering a career in law, international marketing or diplomacy after taking the LSAT and the Foreign Service Officers tests. "I do and always will proclaim my innocence now let's do this shit," Dixon said in his last statement, according to Strada. Gilbert Dixon was born on March 14, 1960 in Houston, Texas to the late Clarence Dixon and Emilie Rubit Dixon Johnson. He had that way of patting folks on the back that made them feel very special. Arizona executed the first death row inmate in eight years on Wednesday morning for the 1978 murder of 21-year-old Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin. 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. Dixon was sentenced to life in prison in that case for sexual assault and other convictions. Semen was found on her vagina and underwear, but it could not be positively matched to any suspect. Flipboard. She was a debutante for the Phoenix Honors Cotillion in 1974 and was first runner-up for the organizations Debutante of the Year academic award. Following the execution of Clarence Dixon? CBRE. Bowdoins family and friends did not know of any previous contact between her and Dixon, according to court records. 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. Instead, he was executed with an injection of pentobarbital. His attorneys sought to halt the execution, but judges rejected their argument that he was not mentally fit to be executed and did not understand why the state wanted to end his life. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. The US District Court for the District of Arizona also denied a motion for the stay of his execution on Tuesday and the US Supreme Court denied the attorneys application for a stay of execution Wednesday. "They did have to wipe up a fair amount of blood," said Paul Davenport, a media witness from The Associated Press, who saw the incision taking place. He was predeceased by his wife, Barbara-Lynn; and his two sisters Jo Ann Baggs and Mary Dixon of Virginia. The Guardian newspaper first reported the details, revealing Arizona's Department of Corrections had bought a solid brick of potassium cyanide in December 2020 for $1,530. He began throwing shoes as a boy in Creekside and did not stop until he was in his mid-80s. Arizona has not carried out an execution sincethe botched execution of Wood, which took nearly two hours to complete. Tempe police detective Tom Magazzeni was lookinginto cold cases in the 1990s and using updated DNA technology. Hepleaded not guiltyat his arraignment hearing inJanuary2003, but he was ultimately convicted a few years later. More than 20 years passed before detectives suspected Dixon inBowdoin's murder. 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Toma said the Department of Corrections also diagnosed Dixon as schizophrenic, in 1981, and found him to be "severely confused and disturbed." Dixon, 66, who was blind and in declining health,. On Monday, the state produced a new batch of the drugs and provided Dixon's team with testing results regarding its potency. Kat Jutras of Death Penalty Alternatives for Arizona became emotional while protesting the execution of Clarence Dixon on May 11, 2022. It was his choice how to conduct his trial and not present any mitigation, Maricopa County prosecutor Vince Imbordino said. His execution for. She heard Dixon gasp after drugs were administered and then appeared to go to sleep. Dixon was convictedthree decades after her death. He was convicted in 2008 for the 1978 murder of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old senior at Arizona State. [2][3] In 1974, he graduated from Chinle High School. That type of frustration I think is powerful to use to continue our work as advocates because Clarence is not the only one, unfortunately, he had to be the first, she continued. Tasler said there appeared to be no elected officials in the witness room. Dixons execution marks a return to the death penalty for Arizona after a troubled history that includes the state attempting to acquire execution drugs illegally in 2015and more recentlyfailing to accurately determine the shelf life of the pentobarbitalthe state plans to use moving forward. Bill Drobick, of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Florence, at one point led the group in the Lords Prayer. Arizona has executed Dixonfor the 1978 murder of 21-year-old ASU studentBowdoin. 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 . He retired after 31 years from the post office but not before making many, many long-lasting acquaintances and good friends. Beulah Ann died in 2009, a year after Dixon was convicted, and Harold died in 2018. Follow him on Twitter @JimmyJenkins. Clarence Dixon chided medical staff in his final moments before he was put to death in Arizona's first use of the death penalty since 2014. Family and friends can send flowers and/or light a candle as a loving gesture for their loved one. Just before 9 a.m., people quietly gathered near Butte and Pinal Parkway avenues,with most carryingsigns decrying the execution. The prisoner's mental state affected his trial, according to Dixon's federal public defender, who unsuccessfully appealed for a review bythe U.S. Supreme Court. 2023 Cable News Network. Attorneys requesteda commutation to a life sentence or, at the very least, a reprieve that would postpone the execution while other legal action playedout. She said the event was not closure, but it provided finality. Clarence Dixon was executed by lethal injection May 11, 2022. Most notably, Clarence (or Dixie to his horseshoe-pitching buddies) was an accomplished horseshoe-pitching competitor. Sep 2014 - Present8 years 6 months. Reach the reporter at jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com or at 812-243-5582. 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. The AP reported that Dixon's mouth stayed open, and his body did not move after the drugs were injected. Clarence Dee Dixon February 19, 1936 - April 24, 2022 (86 years old) Libby, Montana Clarence Dee Dixon Obituary We are sad to announce that on April 24, 2022 we had to say goodbye to Clarence Dee Dixon (Libby, Montana), born in Pocatello, Idaho. DNA samples taken while he was in prison later linked him to Bowdoin's killing, which had been unsolved. Hes not a danger to society, hes more of a danger to himself. Bowdoin returned to her apartment in Tempe in the early hours of January 7. Please accept Echovita's sincere condolences. Dixons attorneys saidtheir clientlived with untreated paranoid schizophrenia virtually all of his adult life. "Dixon was afforded every possible due process remedy," she said. Dixon is scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. Wednesday at thestate prison in Florence. Dixon was the first man put to death by Arizona since the botched execution of Joseph Wood in 2014. After dinner, she met a friend at a nearby bar. James was 23 when her younger sister was murdered. While at ASU, shestudied abroadand made many plans for her last semester and life after graduation. Deana Lynne Bowdoin, 21, was a senior at Arizona State University when she waskilled inher apartment in the early morning hours ofJan. 7, 1978. To view our latest e-Edition click the image on the left. Dixon's execution by lethal injection took place on May 11. "They did have to wipe up a fair amount of blood," said Paul Davenport, a media witness from the AP. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-minute delay of Dixon's execution less than an hour before his execution began. My focus was on securing justice for Deana Bowdoin, her family, and our communities, and that has been achieved today.. Several months after Bowdoin's death,Dixonwas sentenced for burglary and assault with a knife after attacking another woman in her Tempe apartment. He made choices, she said, and therefore Im not even going to waste any more breath or words on him.. [7], Dixon's lawyers argued that he was mentally incompetent, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and had experienced frequent hallucinations throughout his life. The tribe has long opposed the death penalty and executions of tribal members, stating that it was a violation of their cultural and religious teachings. 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. The group remained mostly quiet until about 10 a.m. when they gathered closer together and took turns speaking into a mic as Dixon was due to be executed. Following the execution of Clarence Dixon? Troy Hayden, a media witness, said the execution took place slightly late it was scheduled for 10 a.m. But sheruled Dixonwas so mentally ill and dangerous to the community that he should be civilly committed to the state hospital. 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Clarence David Dixon In loving memory of Clarence David Dixon who passed away on April 1st 2020. He was executed by lethal injection on May 11, 2022, in the state's first execution in nearly eight years, since the botched execution of Joseph Wood in 2014. People protest the execution of Clarence Dixon outside the Arizona State Prison Complex on the day of execution in Florence, Ariz., May 11, 2022. When his competency was restored, then-Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sandra DayO'Connor found him "not guilty by reason of insanity." "Today the process has been finalized," saidLeslie Bowdoin James, the sister of Deana Bowdoin, adding thather husband just died 12 days ago. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Dixons death was the first execution carried out during Duceys tenure, and occurred Wednesday while the Republican governor was in Washington, D.C., for a series of meetings with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. [15] Dixon was given the choice to be executed by lethal injection or lethal gas. Dee. 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. Note: Do you have a family photo of Clarence Dixon? [11] In April 2021, the state announced it was ready to begin executions again. Dixon, who was 67, appeared to be in pain as the execution team tried to place the IV, eventually putting it in his groin. He diagnosed the inmate with "schizophrenia paranoid type, a psychotic disorder that means he suffers from disturbance in thought and perception.". His issues with drug addiction and alcoholism led to divorce in 1978, according to court records. The group remained mostly quiet until about 10 a.m. when they gathered closer together and took turns speaking into a mic as Dixon was due to be executed. 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. Frank Atwood update:Court issues warrant of execution for death row prisoner. According to Hayden and the AP, the medical team struggled to find a vein to administer the lethal drugs into Dixon's body. It is unclear if he accepted her offer. For instance, Dixon was allowed to fire his attorneys and represent himself, despite making legal argumentsthat were "purely delusion and lacked any basis in fact," his federal defender said. Family and friends must say goodbye to their beloved Clarence Dixon Jr. (Bakersfield, California), who passed away on February 6, 2020. Deana Bowdoingrew up in the Valley and graduatedwith honors from Camelback High School. 1 I. The case remained cold until 2008 when DNA technology linked Dixon to the murder. It was learned that Dixon had lived across the street from Bowdoin at the time of her murder. He deserved to have a life despite what he did in his past and I think that were all here to offer our love to the victim and our condolences for what theyve experienced over this 44-year period of time.. Managing ongoing loan servicing and debt advisory relationships and the ensuring the operational delivery of services. Clarence was an avid sportsman and belonged to a number of sporting clubs. Lawsuits that were filed required the state to use a new lethal injection cocktail. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Addressing the media, Jamesread a list of numbers that she said were important to her. Prosecutorshave a solemn responsibility to speak on behalf of all victims, and especially for those who can no longer speak for themselves, said Brnovich. The Arizona Supreme Court has set an execution date for Clarence Dixon, who was sentenced to death in the killing of Deana Bowdoin in Maricopa County. There were concerns about Dixon's mental health before the murder trial. Following a lengthy process, the state looked to find a new and approved drug for executions. Clarence Dixon wasexecuted shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday at the state prison in Florence. 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 . "Under these circumstances, the execution of Mr. Dixona severely mentally ill, visually disabled, and physically frail member of the Navajo Nationis unconscionable.". Follow coverage from Republic reporters of the executionhere. In 1965, he was hired by the U.S. Hes a member of the Navajo Nation and deserved to live, she said. But multiple courts found that while Dixon may have harbored delusions about a judicial conspiracy to kill him, he was aware of his circumstances and constitutionally eligible to be put to death. Then, in 2001, there was a match with Dixon. Clarence Dixon, a man convicted of murder and sexual assault connected to a 1978 death, has been unanimously denied reprieve and commutation by the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency Thursday . Dixon now has 20 days to decide whether to be executed by lethal injection or by gas. 1978 murder of Deana Bowdoin, a 21-year-old senior at Arizona State University. We are sad to announce that on September 2, 2021 we had to say goodbye to Clarence Dixon of Delair, New Jersey. "I made a promise to Arizona voters that people who commit the ultimate crime get the ultimate punishment," Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a statement. For 25 years, Deana Bowdoin's killer was a mystery. The murder went unsolved until 2001, when DNA profiling linked him to the crime. Obituary. The organizations state advocacy Director Kat Jutras said her frustration with Dixons execution in particular was his history of mental illness. Obituary Mr. Clarence Dixon was born August 04, 1950, to the late Harrison Dixon Jr. and Annie Mae Bledsoe Dixon. AP CNN Convicted Arizona murderer Clarence Dixon was executed by lethal injection Wednesday morning despite several. For subscribers:As stateresumes death penalty, former executioner tells his story. She had beenstrangled, raped and stabbed. Bowdoin had dinner with her parents the evening before she was found dead. "As victims, the Arizona Constitution guarantees a prompt and final conclusion of this matter. On Sunday February 20, 2022 Clarence "Picky" Dixon Jr. departed this earthly life at Yale New Haven Hospital. None of Bowdoin's family or friends knew of any connection between her and Dixon, however. The last time Arizona executed a prisoner was in July 2014, when Joseph Wood was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours in an execution that his lawyers said was botched. "43 and 20.the number of hearings and the number of years I have attended since the indictment. Heran evidence from Bowdoin's case through a new nationwide database. Clarence Dixon was a former ASU student who lived across the street from Bowdoin. The 66-year-oldDixon wasthe first personexecuted by Arizonasince the botched execution of Joseph Wood in 2014.