Syvasky Lafayette Poyner (April 7, 1956 – March 18, 1993) 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 killed four women and a teenage girl during a series of armed robberies in
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...
in 1984. Convicted of multiple counts of capital murder and condemned to death, Poyner was executed in 1993.
Early life
Poyner was born on April 7, 1956, in
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
, living on the East End with his mother, who died in 1980. Poyner's mother was a very religious woman who often kept her son inside their 19th Street apartment. According to her friends, she would often sit outside her apartment, reading the Bible and giving religious advice. Poyner would not meet his father, William E. Johnson, until he was called to testify at his murder trial.
From the age of 14, Poyner was in and out of detention centers and jails for stealing. Johnson later said his son "could steal something in a twinkle of an eye and look at you and swear he didn't do it."
In 1974, Poyner was evaluated by a psychiatrist after an arrest for auto theft. According to court records, the doctor concluded that Poyner, then 17, suffered from "difficulty in social relations, feelings of insecurity and dissatisfaction with his own abilities."
The following year, he was referred to a psychiatrist for "depression ... bizarre behavior ... suspiciousness and inability to function in the home environment."
Adult life
As an adult, Poyner committed crimes dating back to 1976. He served nearly three years in prison on 1981 forgery and burglary charges and faced multiple auto theft charges. He was married to a nurse at one point but later divorced.
Murders
On January 23, 1984, Poyner killed Joyce Baldwin, a 45-year-old proprietor of a beauty salon in Hampton, Virginia. She was found dead behind the counter in her shop, shot once in the left side of her head. Poyner had shot her as she pleaded for her life. A week later, in Williamsburg, Poyner killed Clara Louise Paulett, a motel manager, as well as her maid, 43-year-old Chestine Brooks, during a hold-up. On January 31, in Newport News, Poyner robbed and killed 17-year-old Vicki Ripple, an ice cream parlor clerk. Two days later, Poyner raped, robbed, and murdered Carolyn Hedrick, a candy bar saleswoman.
Arrest, trial and execution
Poyner was arrested on February 4, 1984. He was caught after trying to sell candy bars he had stolen from Hedrick to a local barber. The barber, who had heard that Hedrick was a candy bar saleswoman, called the police.
Poyner eventually confessed to all five murders. He said he targeted women since they were easier to rob than men, and shot them to avoid leaving witnesses. Poyner was tried and convicted of five counts of capital murder and sentenced to death. After his appeals failed, he was executed in the
electric chair
An electric chair is a device used to execute an individual by electrocution. When used, the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes fastened on the head and leg. This execution method, ...
at
Greensville Correctional Center
Greensville Correctional Center is a prison facility located in unincorporated Greensville County, Virginia, near Jarratt. The prison, on a plot of land, is operated by the Virginia Department of Corrections. "901 Corrections Way Jarratt, VA 2387 ...
on March 18, 1993. His
last meal
A condemned prisoner's last meal is a customary ritual preceding execution. In many countries, the prisoner may, within reason, select what the last meal will be.
Contemporary restrictions in the United States
In the United States, most states gi ...
consisted of fried chicken, rice and gravy, and green beans. A chaplain read a statement from Poyner: "Every hurt that has ever been done . . . heal that hurt. I choose to forgive, and I ask to be forgiven." In a statement released by his attorney, Poyner also said "I am sorry for all the hurt and pain and sorrows and suffering that I caused. Please forgive me. . . . I am going home to be with Jesus."
See also
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Capital punishment in Virginia
Capital punishment was abolished in Virginia on March 24, 2021, when Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill into law. The law took effect on July 1, 2021. Virginia is the 23rd state to abolish the death penalty, and the first southern state in Unit ...
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List of people executed in Virginia
This is a list of people executed in Virginia after 1976. The Supreme Court decision in ''Gregg v. Georgia'', issued in 1976, allowed for the reinstitution of the death penalty in the United States. Capital punishment in Virginia was abolished by t ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poyner, Syvasky
1956 births
1993 deaths
20th-century African-American people
20th-century American criminals
20th-century executions by Virginia
American murderers of children
American rapists
Executed American spree killers
Executed African-American people
Executed people from Virginia
People executed by Virginia by electric chair
People convicted of murder by Virginia
People from Newport News, Virginia
Violence against women in Virginia