Dead Pool 22nd December 2024

Another strange week. I could have sworn Eddie Stobart was already dead, but apparently it was his son Edward Stobart who died a while back. One week to go, get your lists sorted for next year and ask your morbid friends to join in.  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Jean Adamson, 96, British writer (Topsy and Tim). 
• Mary Keir, 112, British supercentenarian, oldest person in Wales (since 2021). 
• Joseph Edward Corcoran, 49, American convicted mass murderer, execution by lethal injection. 
• John Marsden, 74, Australian writer (Tomorrow, When the War Began, So Much to Tell You).
• Steve Lewinson, 60, British bass guitarist (Simply Red). 
• Kevin Ray Underwood, 45, American convicted murderer, execution by lethal injection. 
• Eddie Stobart, 95, British businessman.

In Other News

A bizarre hunting accident ended in the deaths of both a bear and a father in Virginia. A group of hunters were reportedly tracking a bear in Lunenburg County, between Richmond and Danville, Virginia, on December 9th when the animal ran up into a tree to escape its pursuers. A hunter shot the bear, which fell out of the tree, crushing and killing another member of the party. The man has been identified by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources as Lester Harvey, 58, of Phenix, Virginia. The bear fell approximately 10 feet and landed on Harvey, who was standing under the tree, according to the Flying Monkeys. A member of the hunting party provided first aid until Harvey could be transported to a nearby hospital, but he ultimately died from his injuries on Friday, according to the wildlife department. According to his obituary, Harvey was a married father of five and had eight grandchildren. He worked as a self-employed contractor and reportedly loved the outdoors. A funeral for Harvey has been scheduled for Thursday.  Josh Harvey, one of his sons, said in a Facebook post that his dad was “injured extremely badly” doing what he loved the most along with his good friends. The post included photos from the hunting trip along with the dead bear and videos from his time in hospital. Despite the odd circumstances leading to Harvey’s death, it’s not unheard of for hunters to die or sustain severe injuries in the chaos of trying to kill a fleeing animal. In Alaska in 2018, a hunter was critically injured after his hunting partner shot a bear that was standing on a ridge. The bear fell down a slope next to the ridge, dislodging rocks that tumbled down and struck the man. A year later, another hunter in North Carolina was injured when his partner shot a bear in a tree. The bear fell out, but wasn’t dead; it defended itself and began attacking the hunter. The man and the bear then tumbled off a cliff together. The hunter was rushed to a nearby hospital, and the bear was later found dead.  

Police looking for a Britain’s Got Talent comic who has been missing since Monday have found a body. Officers looking for missing man Martyn Crofts, who impressed BGT judges Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon in the show’s sixth series in 2012, issued the update. He made it through to the semi-final stage as his oddball act with a saucepan on his head earned him the nickname ‘The Pan Man’ . In another round he sang a song while impersonating a Dalek from Doctor Who.  Police found a body on the Whinny Gill reservoir in Skipton, North Yorkshire on December 16th. While identification is still ongoing, the family has been informed and are being supported, North Yorkshire said. Following this, tributes have been pouring in for the 55-year-old on social media saying he was was ‘a light in everyone’s life’ who ‘put smiles on our faces while the world was at uncertainty’.  

A girl with a very rare genetic condition which causes rapid bodily aging has died at the age of 19 in South Africa. Influencer Beandri Booysen had been diagnosed with Progeria – also known as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) – an incredibly rare condition which affects only around one in four million babies in the world and causes children to rapidly age. Babies born with the condition tend to appear healthy at birth, but tend to start showing signs of premature aging within the first two years of life. According to the Cleveland Clinic, Progeria slows a person’s growth rate and hampers their weight gain as well as leading to a number of other symptoms including hair loss, wrinkled skin and a loss of fat underneath the skin. Booysen, from South Africa, had gained a significant following on social media after she and her family shared her journey with thousands of people. However, earlier this month (18th December), her family released a statement on Facebook announcing that she had sadly died. In the group ‘Beandri, Our Inspiration’, which was created by her family 15 years ago, they said: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Beandri Booysen, one of South Africa’s most beloved and inspiring young women. Beandri was not only known for her vibrant personality and infectious laugh but also as the last surviving individual in South Africa living with Progeria – a rare genetic condition that causes children to age prematurely. Despite the challenges she faced, Beandri radiated hope and joy. She became a symbol of awareness for Progeria and other special needs, using her unique spirit to inspire thousands of people worldwide. The Booysen family kindly requests privacy during this profoundly difficult time as they mourn the loss of their beloved Beandri.” Her mother shared on 8th October that Beandri had gone in for heart surgery and had thanked fans for their support. 

On This Day

• 856 – Damghan earthquake: An earthquake near the Persian city of Damghan kills an estimated 200,000 people, the sixth deadliest earthquake in recorded history.
• 1965 – In the United Kingdom, a 70 miles per hour speed limit is applied to all rural roads including motorways for the first time.
• 2001 – Richard Reid attempts to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes aboard American Airlines Flight 63.

Deaths

• 1880 – George Eliot, English novelist and poet (b. 1819).
• 1943 – Beatrix Potter, English children’s book writer and illustrator (b. 1866).
• 2014 – Joe Cocker, English singer-songwriter (b. 1944).
• 2018 – Paddy Ashdown, British politician (b. 1941).

Last Meals

Joseph Edward Corcoran was an American convicted mass murderer who was executed for a 1997 quadruple murder case in Indiana. Corcoran was found guilty of the 1997 murders of his brother, his sister’s fiancé, and two of their friends at his house, and sentenced to death in 1999. Prior to this, Corcoran was previously charged in 1992 with murdering his parents when he was nearly 17 but was acquitted of all charges.

On April 14, 1992, four days short of reaching his 17th birthday, Joseph Corcoran allegedly murdered his parents – 53-year-old Jack Corcoran and 47-year-old Kathryn Corcoran.

At around 8.30am, Corcoran’s parents were found dead inside their Ball Lake home at Steuben County, Indiana, sustaining gunshot wounds caused by a shotgun. Evidence showed that Corcoran likely murdered his parents with a 12-gauge shotgun. He allegedly believed they were too strict with him, had sold a car he thought would belong to him, burned his music tapes, and made him go to church. The timing of the discovery of his parents’ bodies was an hour after Corcoran boarded the school bus to school. His friends had testified that Corcoran had offered them $200 and a shotgun to kill his parents, and their conversations revolved around killing people and animals. However, the evidence against Corcoran was circumstantial and no direct evidence was found to prove Corcoran guilty of the double murder. 

On July 26, 1997, five years after allegedly killing his parents, Joseph Corcoran committed the quadruple murder of his brother and three other men.

Corcoran was inside his house in with his 30-year-old brother James Corcoran. They shared the house with their sister Kelly Nieto and her 32-year-old fiancé Robert Scott Turner. Friends 30-year-old Timothy G. Bricker and 30-year-old Douglas A. Stillwell were also inside the house that day. Corcoran’s sister was absent from home and at a nearby store at that time.

According to court and media sources, James, his friends, and Turner were together in the living room, watching television and eating pizza. Corcoran, who was upstairs on the second floor, purportedly overheard the four men talking about him in the living room. Prosecutors claim Corcoran overheard those in the living room talking about his alleged involvement in the murder of his parents. Enraged at this, Corcoran confronted the men with a gun. Before he did so, Corcoran took his seven-year-old niece into an upstairs bedroom to protect her from the gunfire and then loaded a semi-automatic rifle and moved to the living room with the weapon. Corcoran shot his brother, Turner, and Bricker. Stillwell was able to evade the initial onslaught and attempted to escape, but Corcoran shot and killed Stillwell before he could leave the house.

After murdering the four men, Corcoran stepped out of the house and asked a neighbour to call the police. When the police arrived, they found the bodies of the four men, and found Corcoran’s niece unharmed inside her bedroom. Authorities also discovered about 20 to 30 weapons inside the attic of Corcoran’s house. 

When Corcoran’s sister received word of the murders, she told the press that the truth of Corcoran murdering her other brother and fiancé made her completely view the murders of her parents in a different light. She was now certain that Corcoran was guilty of their parents’ murders in 1992. Previously, she and James defended him fiercely in court. Corcoran’s sister stated that she cried over the case and blamed Corcoran for ruining her life with the loss of their parents and James. 

Unsurprisingly, the then 22-year-old Joseph Corcoran was arraigned in court on four counts of murder, one for each of his victims. On May 22, 1999, Corcoran was found guilty of murder on all four counts. The jury returned with their verdict two days later, unanimously recommending Corcoran receive four death sentences for all the four killings. 

After being sentenced in 1999, Joseph Corcoran spent more than two decades on death row at Indiana State Prison.  

Early on the morning of December 18, 2024, Corcoran was executed by lethal injection at the Indiana State Prison. He was pronounced dead at 12:44 am, eight minutes after he received a single dose of pentobarbital. No media attendees were permitted, although Corcoran chose a reporter with the Indiana Capital Chronicle as one of his witnesses.

Corcoran reportedly requested ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s for his last meal, without specifying a particular flavour. Corcoran was granted a final meeting with his family, including his wife Tahina, whom he married while in prison. Corcoran’s last words were “Not really. Let’s get this over with.” 

Corcoran was the first condemned inmate to be executed in Indiana after a 15-year moratorium on executions since 2009. Corcoran was the 24th death row prisoner to have his death sentence carried out in the U.S. in 2024.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Ralph Fiennes (62), Vanessa Paradis (52), Samuel L. Jackson (76), Kiefer Sutherland (58), Jane Fonda (87), Jenny Agutter (72), Jonah Hill (41), Jake Gyllenhaal (44), Kristy Swanson (55), Alyssa Milano (52), Jennifer Beals (61), Richard Hammond (55), Emily Atack (35), Christina Aguilera (44), Steve Austin (60), Sia (49), Keith Richards (81), Brad Pitt (61), Steven Spielberg (78), Katheryn Winnick (47), Milla Jovovich (49), Bill Pullman (71), Laurie Holden (55), Eugene Levy (78), Ernie Hudson (79), Miranda Otto (57), and Krysten Ritter (43).