Melvin White - Sexually Assaulted And Killed A Nine Year-Old Girl

On August 4, 1997, nine year-old Jennifer Gravell spent the day at a barbeque in her Texas neighborhood. A 47 year-old man called Melvin White was also at the the party. After having a few drinks, Melvin White headed home a some time between 10:30 and 11 p.m.. For some reason, Jennifer went to his house at about the same time and it was then that Melvin White put her in his truck and kidnapped her.

Melvin White drove Jennifer to an isolated spot and took her behind a water tower where he bound and gagged her before sexually assaulting her with what police believe to have been a screwdriver. Then he killed her by crushing her skull with a tire iron.

Melvin White was arrested when a witness reported seeing him in his truck with a girl in the passenger seat. When they saw him in the truck again at around 1 a.m., Melvin White was the only person in the truck. When Melvin White was presented with this information he confessed to the murder and told the police where to find Jennifer's body.

At Melvin White's trial in June of 1999 he was found guilty of murder. At his punishment hearing a number of other claims were made about inappropriate relations Melvin White was said to have had with children. Melvin White's own daughter reported that Melvin White had offered her $50 a week in exchange for sexual favors on demand. At the hearing Melvin White was sentenced to death.

In May of 2003, Jennifer Gravell's father committed suicide by shooting himself. The family reported that the suicide was related to the trauma of his daughter's murder.

On November 3, 2005, Melvin White apologized to his victims's family before he was executed by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 6:21 p.m.

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