James Allen Paul (April 19, 1947 – March 3, 2000) was an American

spree killer A spree killer is someone who commits a criminal act that involves two or more murders or homicides in a short time, in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations ...

who murdered three people during a seven-day rampage across three states during May 1984. Paul was born on April 19, 1947, in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

. Little is known about his early life, but in his adult years Paul obtained work as stable hand for farms. In 1983, Paul moved to Room 1 at the Belvedere Motel on Route 22 in

Readington Township, New Jersey Readington Township is a township located in the easternmost portion of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 16,126, reflecting an increase of 323 (+2.0%) from the 15,803 ...

. At the same motel lived 47-year-old Virginia Vickory. On May 15, 1984, Vickory was found murdered in a field in Readington Township, having been shot in the face at a close range. Police quickly circled in on Paul, then 37 years old, who also went under multiple aliases including James Dalton and Steve Sanders. Paul fled to

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

not long after and, on May 17, 18-year-old Robin White went missing. Investigators believe White may have been hitchhiking and Paul offered her a ride and later killed her. White's body was found along a road in

Portland, Connecticut Portland is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,384 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The Portland (CDP), Connecticut, town center is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) ...

on May 20, shot to death with the same gun used to kill Vickory. Then, on May 22, 45-year-old George Call, a nurse of 10 years at the Sullivan Home nursing home, was found shot to death at a rest area along

Interstate 91 Interstate 91 (I-91) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of the region. The Interstate generally follows the course of the Connecti ...

Springfield, Vermont Springfield is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,062. History The land currently recognized as Springfield is the traditional land of the Pennacook and Abenaki people. One of the ...

. He had been shot in the face twice, just like Vickory, with his wallet stolen. A warrant was put out for Paul's arrest after Call's murder, and numerous tips began to flow in. Paul was considered armed and dangerous, and a nationwide alert was issued. Some of the tips sent by people began to shed light on Paul's whereabouts. Investigators began to develop a theory that Paul would return to New Jersey to pay a phone call from a family member. They tracked Paul's potential movements to a diner in

Arlington, New Jersey Arlington is a neighborhood in Kearny in the western part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Kearny Riverbank Park runs along the neighborhood's Passaic River shore. Arlington Memorial Park cemetery is located on Schuyler Avenue. T ...

, where he was trying to call a relative, and they arrested him. They found that Paul had been in possession of Vickory's car, and had a .22 caliber handgun latched onto him. Paul was held without bail at the Hunterdon County Jail until he was formally charged with Vickory's murder. Paul was additionally charged with the killings of White and Call; however, he never went to trial for their murders. He was due to stand trial for Vickory's murder, and to avoid a possible death sentence, Paul pleaded guilty to Vickory's murder, as well as

burglary Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...

and other charges, and was sentenced to

life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...

. For the remainder of his sentence, Paul remained in custody at

New Jersey State Prison The New Jersey State Prison (NJSP), formerly known as Trenton State Prison, is a state men's prison in Trenton, New Jersey operated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections. It is the oldest prison in New Jersey and one of the oldest correcti ...

, which he stayed in until he died on March 3, 2000.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, James Allen 1947 births 1984 murders in the United States 2000 deaths 20th-century American criminals American people convicted of burglary American people convicted of murder American people who died in prison custody American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment American spree killers Crime in Connecticut Crime in New Jersey Crime in Virginia Fugitives Murder in New Jersey Murder in Virginia Murder in Connecticut People from Norfolk, Virginia Criminals from Virginia People convicted of murder by New Jersey Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New Jersey Prisoners who died in New Jersey detention