Morris Mason
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Morris Odell Mason (March 28, 1954 - June 25, 1985) was a convicted rapist and murderer who called himself "the killer for the Eastern Shore."
He was convicted of rape, murder and arson in the 1978 slaying of 71 year old Margaret K. Hand in Northampton County, Virginia. Mason nailed his victims wrist into the seat of a chair and bound her with rope into it before burning her home down.
Attorneys for Mason contended that their client was mentally retarded and did not comprehend his crimes, thus warranting the commutation of his death sentence by Governor Chuck Robb. The Governor rejected their appeals after having read internal memos stating that several psychiatric analyses of Mason done by the state during his life of crime showed that Mason had a low IQ but understood his actions. In particular, after killing Hand, Mason took steps to avoid implicating himself by returning to the burning house to recover a bag with his identity papers in it.
Mason plead guilty to assault on two teen-age sisters the day after Hand's murder. In all, he received the death penalty and seven life terms plus 100 years for his crimes. He was executed in Virginia's electric chair.
