The Grim Path of Jeffery Lee Griffin: From Fashion to Fatality

Early Life and Troubled Beginnings

Jeffery Lee Griffin's life began in 1955 amidst the sprawling urban landscape of Houston, Texas. From an early age, Griffin's life was marked by turmoil. He was one of several children in his family and exhibited signs of mental illness as young as five. By the age of eleven, these symptoms had become significant enough to warrant repeated stays in state hospitals, a pattern that would continue throughout his youth.

The summer of 1978 saw Griffin's release from institutional care under clinical supervision, allowing him to return to his home in Houston. He soon found employment as a male fashion model, an occupation that seemed to provide a semblance of normalcy. Yet, those who knew him, like neighbors and acquaintances, often saw him shooting hoops at Moody Park, and he was not known to engage in violence.

A Series of Murders

The tranquility of Griffin's modeling life shattered on July 23, 1978, when the city of Houston was rocked by the gruesome discovery of Sylvia Mendoza's body. The 20-year-old waitress was found partially unclothed in a trash bin, brutally stabbed 49 times. The police questioned several individuals, among them Griffin, who claimed to have "witnessed" her abduction but could not identify the perpetrator. Lacking concrete evidence against him, the authorities released him.

The horror escalated on March 13, 1979, when Griffin entered the One Stop Drive In, a modest convenience store in his neighborhood, intent on robbery. Inside, he confronted 19-year-old employee David Sobotik and Sobotik’s 7-year-old friend, Horacio DeLeon. Griffin's heist netted him $175, but the ordeal was far from over. He forced the pair into Sobotik's car and drove to an isolated location. There, Griffin's violence erupted as he stabbed both victims repeatedly, aiming for their hearts. In a chilling detail, Griffin later recounted saying "sorry" with each stab to young DeLeon. That night, he sought refuge at an acquaintance's apartment, visibly distressed and armed, spending the night lying on the floor.

The Arrest and Confession

The following day, Griffin attempted to mislead the police by claiming to have witnessed two men robbing and abducting Sobotik and DeLeon. However, the authorities saw through his ruse and took him in for further questioning. Under pressure, Griffin confessed to the double murder and to the earlier murder of Mendoza, even revealing the location of the knife he used. When asked why he committed such heinous acts, he could only say, "something inside told him to stab them."

Trial, Appeals, and Execution

Despite confessing to all three murders, Griffin was charged only with the murder of David Sobotik. During the trial, a peculiar image emerged of Griffin, who was seen carrying comic books in his back pocket. He was found guilty and sentenced to death, with an initial execution date set for June 14, 1984. However, this was postponed after his lawyer, Stephen G. Schneider, filed a habeas corpus petition with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

A second execution date was scheduled for July 17, 1985, but another appeal delayed it again, this time questioning the exclusion of some prospective jurors and arguing for leniency due to his confessions. Griffin's legal team made a final appeal to the Supreme Court in 1992, hoping for a stay of execution. The appeal was denied.

On November 19, 1992, Jeffery Lee Griffin was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit. The execution brought a sense of closure to Sobotik's family, who viewed the event as justice served. In his final moments, Griffin shared laughter with the prison chaplain and bid farewell to his mother, aunt, and fiancée, Regina, from England. His last words before entering the death chamber were, "You're a good warden. I'll see you. I'm ready."

Sources

The information in this narrative is based on the original Wikipedia article on Jeffery Lee Griffin, which can be found here.