- 3 months ago
- #pixystixkiller
- #halloween
- #trickortreating
In 1974, Ronald O'Bryan, his kids and neighbors went out trick or treating only to have a nasty surprise once his son tried out a piece of candy.
#pixystixkiller #halloween #trickortreating
#pixystixkiller #halloween #trickortreating
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00:00Hello and welcome to the Dark Mystery Lounge.
00:03You know, one thing I remember about Halloween as a kid
00:06was getting all dressed up in my costume,
00:08going to school, and have no work to do.
00:11The day was just one big party.
00:13The highlight of Halloween was going trick-or-treating
00:16with my family and friends.
00:17Getting that sack bowl of candy,
00:19coming home with your stash,
00:21that would hopefully last you for the next few weeks,
00:23or if your parents were really stingy,
00:25it would last you until Christmas.
00:27My parents would check my candy,
00:28making sure it's safe,
00:30and throw away anything that looks suspicious.
00:32That was just the norm for me.
00:34Well, it became a regular thing for me
00:36as a child of the 80s.
00:38Lots of parents were worried about razor blades
00:40and caramel apples, or poison and candy.
00:42Which leads me to an awful person
00:44that was dubbed the Pixie Sticks Killer,
00:47aka the Candyman,
00:48or the man that killed Halloween.
00:50On Halloween 1974,
01:00Ronald O'Brien took his kids,
01:01Timothy and Elizabeth,
01:03out trick-or-treating
01:04in a Pasadena, Texas neighborhood.
01:06His neighbor with their two kids accompanied them.
01:09They were having a lot of fun
01:10going from house to house,
01:11getting a pretty good stash of candy.
01:13The kids knocked on one of the doors,
01:15and no one answered,
01:16so they moved on to the next house.
01:18Ronald stayed behind for a few minutes.
01:20Eventually, he caught back up with the group
01:22and told them that someone did answer the door
01:25right after they left,
01:26and gave them five large Pixie Sticks.
01:28Ronald gave one to each of the neighbor kids,
01:31then one to each of his kids.
01:32He later gave the fifth Pixie Stick
01:34to a 10-year-old kid he recognized from church.
01:37Once they were home,
01:38Timothy asked if he could have a piece of candy
01:40just before bedtime.
01:41At first, he wanted one of the lollipops,
01:43but his dad said it would take too long to eat.
01:46Ronald suggested the Pixie Sticks.
01:47Timothy was having trouble
01:49getting the powdered candy out of the straw,
01:51so his dad helped him loosen it.
01:53He tasted it and complained
01:54that it didn't taste right.
01:55It was bitter.
01:56His dad gave him some Kool-Aid
01:58to wash away the taste.
01:59He immediately began complaining
02:01that his stomach hurt
02:02and ran to the bathroom.
02:04He started vomiting
02:05and convulsing on the floor.
02:06Timothy was rushed to the hospital
02:08only to die while en route.
02:10This was less than an hour
02:11after eating the candy.
02:12He was eight years old.
02:18Once news got out about the poisoned candy,
02:21parents became so fearful
02:23that they took their kids' trick-or-treat candy
02:25to the police,
02:26thinking that it was possibly laced too.
02:28At first, Ronald was not a suspect
02:30until they got the autopsy results back for Timothy.
02:34It was found that he died
02:35from ingesting potassium cyanide.
02:37Yep, cyanide.
02:38Police managed to recover the other Pixie Sticks
02:41from the other children
02:42who hadn't eaten the candy.
02:43The fifth child,
02:44who was given one of those Pixie Sticks,
02:46his parents became brantic
02:48when they couldn't find it
02:49in their son's bag.
02:50They rushed to his bedroom
02:51only to find him asleep
02:53clutching the Pixie Stick in his hand.
02:55He was having trouble
02:56getting the staple off
02:57that sealed the candy.
02:59Each of them looked like they were opened.
03:01The top two inches of candy
03:02had been dumped out
03:04and replaced with cyanide
03:05then stapled shut.
03:06The one that Timothy consumed
03:08was enough to kill two or three adults.
03:10The others had enough
03:11to kill three or four adults.
03:13And these were the large
03:1421-inch Pixie Sticks,
03:16not the little ones
03:17in the paper tubes
03:18that we see today.
03:19Police spoke with Ronald.
03:21He said he couldn't remember
03:22which house he got the Pixie Sticks from,
03:24which seemed suspicious
03:25because they only took the kids
03:27to two streets for trick-or-treating
03:29before heading home
03:30because it began to rain.
03:32Suspicions were raised even more
03:33once police talked to the residents
03:35on those two streets
03:37and they claimed
03:38that they didn't give out
03:39any Pixie Sticks.
03:40Investigators took Ronald out on a walk
03:42around the neighborhood
03:43three times
03:44before he could identify
03:45which house the Pixie Sticks came from.
03:48He claimed that the house
03:49was not lit up
03:50but the door cracked open
03:51and an arm came out
03:52with five Pixie Sticks.
03:54He didn't see the man's face
03:55but described the arm as hairy.
03:57The house was owned
03:58by a man named Courtney Melvin.
04:00Courtney said that he was at work
04:02until 11 p.m. on Halloween night.
04:04He worked as an air traffic controller
04:05at William P. Hobby Airport.
04:08Police ruled him out as a suspect
04:09when over 200 people confirmed
04:11that he had been at work.
04:13The investigation turned to taking
04:15a deep dive into Ronald O'Brien.
04:18Ronald and his wife
04:19lived in Deer Park, Texas.
04:21He worked as an optician
04:22at Texas State Optical in Houston.
04:24He was a deacon
04:25at the Second Baptist Church
04:27where he sang in the choir
04:28and ran a local bus program.
04:31His employer at Texas State Optical
04:33was about to fire him for theft
04:34but this was not out of the ordinary
04:36for Ronald.
04:37He couldn't manage to keep a job.
04:39Having held 21 different jobs
04:40before this one,
04:42he was in debt over $100,000.
04:44His car was about to be repossessed
04:46and he had defaulted
04:48on several bank loans
04:49and the family home
04:50had been foreclosed on.
04:52Then they found out
04:53that Ronald took out
04:54life insurance policies
04:55on his children
04:56in the months before Timothy died.
04:58It's one thing to take out
04:59life insurance policy
05:00on yourself or your spouse
05:02but your kids?
05:03That's highly unusual.
05:04In January 1974,
05:06he had taken out
05:07$10,000 life insurance policy
05:09on both of his children.
05:10One month before Timothy's death,
05:12Ronald then took out
05:13an additional $20,000 policy
05:15on both children.
05:17Then only a few days
05:18before Halloween,
05:19Ronald took out
05:20a third $20,000 life insurance policy
05:23on both children.
05:24The various policies
05:25totaled to approximately $60,000.
05:28Now, his wife had no knowledge
05:30that her husband
05:30took out all of these policies
05:32but the police learned
05:33that the day after Timothy died,
05:35Ronald was on the phone
05:36with the insurance company
05:37about collecting the policies
05:39he had taken out on his son.
05:41Even more shocking
05:41is that Ronald visited
05:43a chemical supply store
05:44in Houston
05:45to buy cyanide
05:46shortly before Halloween.
05:48He left that store empty-handed
05:49because he learned
05:50that the smallest amount
05:51available to purchase
05:52was by pounds.
05:54So it seems that the motive
05:55for poisoning his own children
05:57was for money
05:58and the neighbor kids
05:59were given the poisoned candy
06:00to help cover his tracks.
06:02Even though Ronald maintains
06:04that he's innocent,
06:05he was arrested
06:05on November 5, 1974.
06:14Following his arrest,
06:15Ronald was indicted
06:16on one count of capital murder
06:17and four counts
06:19of attempted murder.
06:20He pled not guilty
06:21on all count.
06:21Trial began on May 5, 1975
06:24in Houston
06:24even though it was never revealed
06:26where or how
06:28Ronald purchased the cyanide.
06:29During trial,
06:30a chemist
06:31who was an acquaintance
06:32of Ronald back in 1973
06:34testified that Ronald
06:36asked him how to purchase cyanide.
06:38Other friends and co-workers
06:39testified that in months
06:41before Timothy's death
06:42that Ronald showed
06:43an unusual interest in cyanide
06:45and spoke about
06:46how much it would take
06:47to kill a person.
06:48Ronald's sister-in-law
06:49and brother-in-law testified
06:50that on the day
06:52of Timothy's funeral,
06:53he spoke of using
06:54the money from
06:55Timothy's insurance policies
06:56to take a long vacation
06:58and buy other items.
06:59His own wife
07:00even testified against him
07:02saying that Timothy
07:03didn't choose the pixie sticks
07:04that Ronald had in fact
07:06forced him to choose
07:07the pixie sticks.
07:08His defense mainly drew
07:09upon the decades-old
07:11urban legend
07:11concerning a mad poisoner
07:13who hands out
07:14Halloween candy
07:15laced with poison
07:16or needles
07:17or candy apples
07:18with razor blades inserted.
07:19These stories have persisted
07:21despite the fact
07:22that there were
07:22no documented instances
07:24of strangers
07:25poisoning Halloween candy.
07:26On June 3, 1975,
07:29it only took the jury
07:2946 minutes to find
07:31Ronald O'Brien
07:32guilty of capital murder
07:33and four counts
07:34of attempted murder.
07:35And the jury
07:36only took 71 minutes
07:37to sentence him
07:38to death by electrocution.
07:40Ronald was sent
07:46to Ellis 1 Unit
07:48near Huntsville, Texas
07:49where he was automatically
07:50shunned and despised
07:51by his fellow
07:52death row inmates
07:53for killing his child
07:54and was absolutely friendless
07:56according to
07:57former chaplain
07:58who worked for
07:59Texas Department
07:59of Criminal Justice.
08:01Ronald's first execution date
08:02was set per
08:03August 8, 1980.
08:05His attorney successfully
08:06petitioned for
08:07his day of execution.
08:08A second date
08:09was scheduled
08:09for May 25, 1982
08:11but this date
08:13was also postponed.
08:14A third execution date
08:15was set for
08:16October 31, 1982
08:18which would have been
08:19the 8th anniversary
08:20of Timothy's murder.
08:22Judge Michael McSpadden
08:23who scheduled
08:24the execution
08:24said he would
08:26personally drive
08:26Ronald to the
08:27execution chamber.
08:28The Supreme Court
08:29delayed the date
08:30yet again
08:31to give Ronald
08:32a chance to pursue
08:33an appeal
08:33to seek a new trial.
08:35A fourth date
08:35was scheduled
08:36for March 31, 1984.
08:38It was also decided
08:39that Ronald would
08:40be executed
08:41by lethal injection
08:42rather than
08:43electrocution.
08:44His lawyer sought
08:45a fourth stay
08:46on the basis
08:46that lethal injection
08:48was a cruel
08:48and unusual punishment
08:49which of course
08:50was rejected
08:51on March 28.
08:52So on March 30, 1984
08:54he had his last meal
08:56which consisted
08:57of a T-bone steak
08:58medium to well done
09:00French fries and ketchup
09:01whole kernel corn
09:02sweet peas
09:03lettuce and tomato salad
09:05with egg
09:06and French dressing
09:07iced tea with sweetener
09:08saltine crackers
09:10a Boston cream pie
09:11and rolls.
09:12Just after midnight
09:13on March 31st
09:15Ronald was taken
09:15to the execution chamber
09:17and strapped down
09:18to the gurney.
09:18He was asked
09:19if he had any last words.
09:20He said
09:21what is about
09:22to transpire
09:22in a few moments
09:23is wrong.
09:24However,
09:25we as human beings
09:26do make mistakes
09:27and errors.
09:28This execution
09:29is one of those wrongs
09:30yet doesn't mean
09:32our whole system
09:32of justice is wrong.
09:34Therefore,
09:35I would forgive
09:35all who have taken part
09:37in any way
09:38in my death.
09:39Also to anyone
09:40I have offended
09:41in any way
09:42during my 39 years,
09:44I pray and ask
09:44your forgiveness
09:45just as I forgive
09:47anyone who offended
09:48me in any way
09:49and I pray
09:50and ask God's forgiveness
09:51for all of us
09:52respectively
09:53as human beings.
09:55To my loved ones
09:56I extend
09:56my undying love.
09:58To those close to me
09:59know in your hearts
10:00I love you
10:01one and all.
10:02God bless you all
10:02and may God's best blessings
10:04be always yours.
10:06As the drugs
10:06began to flow
10:07a woman weeped loudly
10:09saying
10:09Ron I'll miss you.
10:11She was an 18 year old
10:12Texas A&M student
10:13who had been corresponding
10:14with Ron for six months
10:16prior to his execution.
10:18Ronald yawned deeply
10:19his chest heaved
10:20and his eyes closed to slits.
10:22There was a gurgling sound
10:23and within minutes
10:24his lips turned blue.
10:26He was pronounced dead
10:27by 12.48 A.M.
10:28only 10 minutes
10:29after the execution started.
10:31A crowd of 300 demonstrators
10:33gathered outside the prison.
10:35When they learned
10:35that Ronald was dead
10:36they cheered
10:37while some yelled
10:38trick or treat
10:39and showered
10:40anti-death penalty
10:41demonstrators
10:41with candy.
10:44Shortly after
10:47Ronald's conviction
10:48his wife divorced him.
10:50She remarried
10:50and her new husband
10:52adopted Elizabeth.
10:53Ronald was buried
10:54at Forest Park
10:55East Cemetery
10:56in Webster, Texas.
10:57Timothy is buried
10:58in Forest Park
10:59Lawndale Cemetery
11:00in Houston.
11:01It seems thanks
11:02to this monster
11:03and his greed for money
11:04he not only killed his child
11:06but killed Halloween
11:07for everyone else in America.
11:09People are unwilling
11:10to accept homemade treats
11:11from little old ladies
11:13in fear that they might
11:14have needles
11:14or razor blades
11:16or poison.
11:16Pixie sticks are now
11:18in little paper tubes
11:19so it's obvious
11:20if someone has tampered
11:21with it.
11:22Nowadays they have
11:23something called
11:24trunk or treat
11:25where neighbors meet up
11:26in a parking lot
11:27and pass out treats
11:28from the trunk
11:29of their cars.
11:29Some just stop
11:30taking their kids
11:31out altogether.
11:32Checking your child's candy
11:33after trick or treating
11:34has become the norm
11:35nowadays
11:36all because of
11:37one greedy
11:38selfish bastard.
11:39Well I don't know
11:44about you
11:45but this douchebag
11:46sickens me to no end.
11:47He ruined a holiday
11:48for a lot of people
11:49who just wanted
11:50to celebrate Halloween
11:51by taking their children
11:53out for trick or treating.
11:54Something so innocent
11:55and fun
11:56now makes people paranoid
11:57so when you take
11:58your kids
11:58or grandkids
11:59out trick or treating
12:00this year
12:01just make sure
12:02to follow some
12:03simple rules
12:03like only go to houses
12:05that have their
12:06porch lights on
12:06cut fruit into slices
12:08and if anything
12:09looks suspicious
12:10just start with out.
12:11And if older kids
12:12come to your door
12:13to trick or treat
12:14give them some candy.
12:15They are out
12:16having innocent fun.
12:17I'd rather they be
12:18out doing that
12:19rather than
12:20causing any trouble.
12:21I know when I became
12:22too old
12:23which was like 13
12:24these people would
12:25just shut the door
12:26in my face
12:26and that's just
12:27messed up.
12:28If you enjoyed
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12:33Thank you for
12:34hanging out with me
12:35in the Dark Mystery Lounge.
12:36This is Phoenix
12:37signing out.
12:38Have a good evening
12:39and stay safe.
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