Kenneth McDuff: The Infamous Texas Killer Who Faced Death Row Twice

Kenneth McDuff is infamous for being the only Texas man sentenced to death, somehow released from prison, and then sentenced to death again. How could such a strange turn of events happen?

Who Was Kenneth McDuff?

Kenneth McDuff was born in the tiny East Texas town of Rosebud in 1946. From an early age, it was obvious that he was a bully, and rather than finish school, he went to work doing manual labor for his father.

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At 18, he was convicted of 12 counts of burglary and sentenced to twelve 4-year prison terms to be served concurrently. He made parole before he turned 20.

The First Crimes That Sent McDuff to Death Row

Known as "The Broomstick Murders," McDuff, along with a possibly unwilling accomplice, kidnapped three young teenagers at gunpoint on August 6, 1966.

After shooting the two boys inside a car trunk, the men sexually assaulted 16-year-old Edna Sullivan repeatedly. McDuff then strangled her to death with a broomstick handle.

McDuff's accomplice would confess the next day and implicate McDuff, who was then sentenced to the electric chair.

How Kenneth McDuff Was Released From Prison

In 1972, the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional, and luckily for McDuff, his sentence was commuted along with everyone else on death row.

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Somehow, his life sentence was eligible for parole, and even more incredibly, because a board member thought he could "still contribute to society," he was back on the streets in 1989.

He was one of 20 death row inmates to secure parole, but he was the only one to return to Huntsville.

The Murders After McDuff’s Release

It is believed that McDuff began killing again three days after his release. He likely tortured, sexually assaulted, and murdered at least six women until 1992, when he was finally picked up by law enforcement for soliciting prostitutes. Fingerprint evidence matched one of the crime scenes.

McDuff’s Execution And Burial

A journalist would say, "If there has ever been a good argument for the death penalty, it's Kenneth McDuff," and it's difficult to disagree with that.

He was sentenced to death and finally met his maker on November 17, 1998, 32 years after his first murders.

He is buried in the Huntsville cemetery for prisoners whose families do not claim their bodies. His headstone does not have his name, only his prison number, and his date of execution.