James Ray Cable

James Ray Cable (1948 – December 3, 2013) was an American serial killer and rapist who, from 1977 to 1989, killed at least one man and three women in the state of Kentucky.

First murder Little is known about Cable's childhood. Born in La Grange, Kentucky in 1948, he was first arrested in 1971, on accusations of raping a 7-year-old girl in Owensboro. Later that year a jury convicted and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Just under a year later, on June 11, 1972, Cable escaped from the Kentucky State Reformatory but was caught later that same day, leading to his receiving an escape conviction. Cable was convicted of first degree manslaughter the following year and had 10 years added to his sentence.

Release and kidnapping conviction Three years later, Cable was paroled. Cable briefly left the area to meet with his parole officer while Clopton stayed. Over the next three weeks, both would continuously rape, whip, and assault the girl. She escaped the woods and alerted authorities, leading to Cable's arrest.

The girl told authorities that Cable and Clopton had confessed to killing teens Sherry Wilson and Bridgett Allen, both 14 and missing since January 25. At the time, Cable could not be conclusively linked to the murder; however, he was convicted and sentenced to 300 years in prison on the kidnapping and rape charges.

Implication in other murders In December 2003, DNA tests were carried out to attempt to link Cable to any unsolved crimes. When the tests were complete the following year, Cable was linked to, and subsequently charged with, three murders from the 1980s. The first of these to occur was Sandra Kellems, who, on June 8, 1982, was celebrating her 18th birthday. She decided to go to a friend's house in Owensboro but never arrived. The following day, her body was found under several trees and bushes. She had been sexually assaulted and killed by blows to the head with a brick. The final of these was the murder of Helen Booth, 24, a crime for which Cable had originally been considered a suspect. On May 11, 1989, her body was found in Riverside Park. Booth, who was pregnant, had been raped, gagged, and bludgeoned to death.

The Kellems and the Bird murder cases were reopened in 2001. Investigators in both cases began comparing notes and discovered that Cable had been in and out of prison during the time the murders were committed. Investigators began talking to him, collected his DNA, and matched it to that left at the crime scenes. Following this breakthrough, prosecutors sought the death penalty if Cable were to be convicted.

Cable was found competent to stand trial. However, in 2011, questions were raised about Cable receiving a death sentence due to his IQ of 70. He subsequently died in prison on December 3, 2013, before ever going to trial. He never confessed to the murders despite DNA evidence proving he was responsible beyond a reasonable doubt.