Richard Snell (criminal)
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Richard Wayne Snell (1931 – April 19, 1995) was a convicted murderer executed in Arkansas for killing two individuals.
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[edit] Biography
Snell was a member of the radical white supremist group The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord (known as the "CSA"), which was started in 1971 in the small community of Elijah, Arkansas by polygamist James Ellison. He was involved with filming the planes that landed at the restricted airport in Mena, Arkansas, believed by many conspiracy theorists to be a government sanctioned cover-up. Snell believed that the CIA was using this airport to smuggle drugs into America. He was also a White-racist and a believer in the Christian Identity religion, and frequented Elohim City, a private community located in Oklahoma, created by members of Ellison's organization.
Snell had claimed that the police departments (local and state) in that area of Arkansas were involved in the cover-up of the Mena, Arkansas drug deals. He had also made claims to many people that he had filmed the then Governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton, at Mena Airport. That claim has never been proven in any form. He further claimed that one of the Arkansas state troopers, who was assigned to "Governor Security" at that time, had beaten his (Snell's) wife in an attempt to force her to reveal the location of the alleged video footage Snell had taken at Mena Airport.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had ongoing investigations into the organization. By the end of their operations, the ATF obtained 155 Krugerrands (gold coins), one live light antitank rocket (LAAW), 94 long guns, 30 handguns, 35 sawed-off shotguns and machine guns, one heavy machine gun (a Japanese copy of the WWI Lewis, in .303 caliber), and a quantity of C-4 explosives. Much of this arsenal was stolen.
In 1983, CSA member William Thomas accompanied Snell and member Steven Scott in attempting to dynamite a natural gas pipeline near Fulton, Arkansas, without success. Scott was eventually captured and convicted for that crime. Several other members were arrested on various other charges, mostly weapons violations. By 1985, the CSA had, for all practical purposes, fallen, due to most of its members being either killed or incarcerated.
[edit] Gunfight with police, capture, conviction, and death
"Wayne," as his friends called Snell, was an anomaly amongst the racists. He operated autonomously, using the CSA compound as his base of operation. His running mate, Steven Scott, gave this information in a federal prison holding cell to one of the then members.
Snell's downfall came on June 30, 1984, when he shot and killed a pawn shop owner he mistakenly believed was of Jewish descent. Shortly thereafter, he killed a black Arkansas State Trooper, Louis P. Bryant[1] near Texarkana, Arkansas. He then left the scene and drove across the Oklahoma state line. A truck driver who witnessed the last murder followed him, and contacted the Broken Bow police department. Police officers there set up a roadblock and engaged Snell in a gunbattle that resulted in his wounding and capture.
He was then returned to Arkansas for trial, convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of the state trooper, and death for the pawn shop owner. Snell never denied the allegations made against him, or the crimes he was accused of having committed. The death sentence was carried out on April 19, 1995.
Coincidentally, he was executed on the same day that Timothy McVeigh successfully carried out the Oklahoma City bombing. Snell had been accused of plotting to bomb the same building in the 1980s. One conspiracy theory holds that McVeigh committed the act in retaliation for Snell's execution. The two men did know one another, and ran in many of the same circles.[2] However, McVeigh has stated that the Waco Siege was his primary motivation, which took place On April 19, 1993, two years before.
[edit] Snell's last words
In his last words before executed Snell addressed then-Governor Jim Guy Tucker:
- "Governor Tucker, look over your shoulder; justice is coming. I wouldn't trade places with you or any of your cronies. Hell has victories. I am at peace."[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Trooper Louis P. Bryant. The Officer Down Memorial, Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
- ^ Lacayo, Richard. The State Versus Mcveigh. TIME Magazine (1996-04-15). Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
- ^ SiteGround.com
