Willie Horton

William R. Horton was serving a life sentence for murder in Massachusetts in 1986 when he was released from prison on a weekend furlough program. Horton failed to return to prison, and while on the run, raped a woman in Maryland. In the 1988 Presidential Campaign, a pro-Republican political action committee aired controversial ads attacking Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis for supporting his state's criminal rehabilitation furlough program.

Fast Facts:

1. Full name: William R. Horton
2. Born: August 12, 1951
3. Birthplace: Chesterfield, South Carolina
4. Residence: Maryland House of Correction Annex, Jessup, Maryland
5. Occupation: None
6. Victims: Joseph Fournier, unnamed woman
7. Weapons used: Knife, Pistol
8. Location of crimes: Lawrence, Massachusetts; Oxon Hill, Maryland
9. Charged with: Murder, Rape
10. Convicted of: Murder, Rape
11. Sentenced to: Two consecutive life terms, plus 85 years

The "Willie Horton" Ad

The advertisement featuring Horton had a powerful effect on the 1988 campaign. The ad, which featured a mugshot of Horton, above the name "Willie Horton" (a name which Horton did not go by), contrasted Bush's support for the death penalty with Dukakis's support for the furlough program. Many critics, including Vice-Presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen and Jesse Jackson, accused the ad's sponsors of playing on racial fears in the ad. After being captured in Maryland, Horton was sentenced to two consecutive life terms, plus 85 years, and remains in prison in Maryland to this day.

Categories