Robert Wayne Harris

Robert Wayne Harris (February 28, 1972 – September 20, 2012) was an American mass murderer and serial killer who killed six people in Texas. In 1999, Harris abducted and killed a woman whom he suspected of stealing money from him. The following year, he went on a shooting rampage at his former workplace, a car wash, killing five people. Harris had been fired a few days earlier, after he exposed himself to a customer. He was convicted of capital murder for the car wash shooting, sentenced to death, and executed in 2012.

Early life When Harris was 8 years old, he watched his father kill his mother and then commit suicide. He was then "bounced around among relatives," developed a stutter, and placed in special education classes. Harris was bullied in school and dropped out in 9th grade. Harris was known to physically confront teachers and students and was diagnosed with aggressive conduct disorder. However, he earned his GED when he was 18.

Early crimes When Harris was 15, he assaulted a mall clerk and burglarized his aunt's home. After she reported the burglary, Harris struck his aunt on the head with a hammer so hard that it broke. He spent two years in a juvenile correctional facility for this incident. Harris started dealing drugs when he was 17 years old. Harris was initially questioned about Scott's disappearance, but was not charged. When police found her truck, all of the property inside was missing, except for the keys.

On March 15, 2000, Harris masturbated in front of a female customer at his workplace in Irving, Texas, Mi-T-Fine Car Wash. The woman reported the incident and the police were called. Harris was arrested, then fired two days later. He had worked there for about 10 months at the time of being fired. On March 19, Harris borrowed a car from a friend. He then went to another friend, Billy Brooks, who got his stepson to lend Harris a pistol.

On September 29, 2000, the jury recommended a death sentence for Harris after about two hours of deliberations. Two of victim Rhoda Wheelers children, Charity McFadden and Jeremy Spears, were in the courtroom during the sentencing. They expressed a positive view of the sentence.

While he was on death row, Harris's lawyers claimed he was mentally disabled and thus ineligible for execution. However, experts for both the state and the defense agreed Harris was not mentally disabled. His last words were "I want to tell y'all, know that I love you. Billy, I love you, English, Hart and Eloise. Dwight, take care of Dwight. I'm going home, I'm going home. I'll be alright, don't worry. I love y'all. God bless and the Texas Rangers, Texas Rangers."

He is buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery.