Billy Ray Hamilton

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Billy Ray Hamilton (a.k.a. "Country") (January 31, 1949 – October 22, 2007) was an American convicted

in 1979. Allen befriended Hamilton and allegedly offered to pay him $25,000 to carry out the murders. At Folsom Prison, Allen used to refer to Hamilton as his "good dog", though at the time of Allen's trial, he claimed to only have met Hamilton three or four times.

After Hamilton was

and wounded two other people, Joe Rios and Jack Abbott. Hamilton shot Schletewitz at near point-blank range in the forehead and murdered Rocha and White after forcing them to lie on the ground within the store. A neighbor, Jack Abbott, who heard the shotgun blasts came to investigate and was shot by Hamilton. Abbott returned fire and wounded Hamilton, who escaped from the scene.

Five days after the events at Fran's Market, Hamilton was

sentenced Hamilton on March 2, 1981.

Hamilton was on

San Quentin State Prison

in California where he died from cancer on October 22, 2007 at the age of 58.

See also

• List of United States death row inmates

External links

• "People v. Hamilton". California Supreme Court. July 28, 1988.
• "Bad Dad". The Malefactor's Register.
• Rothfeld, Michael (October 26, 2007). "Death row inmate, 58, dies of cancer". Los Angeles Times.