Walter H. Bourque Jr.

Walter Henry Bourque Jr. (1937 – January 10, 2025) was an American convicted murderer who was the second longest-serving prisoner in United States history, and the third-longest worldwide.

Bourque served 69 years and 31 days after being sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder in 1955 at the age of 18.

Early life Bourque was born in 1937, in Manchester, New Hampshire, to Walter Bourque Sr. and his wife Aurore Bourque. He had a younger brother, George. At the time of the murder, Bourque was employed at a local shoe factory.

Murder and sentencing On July 6, 1955, Bourque—17 years old at the time—sexually assaulted and murdered his neighbor, four-year-old Patricia Ann Johnson, in the cellar of their adjoining tenement. Bourque stated that at approximately 3:30 p.m., he lured Johnson into the cellar and assaulted her. When Johnson threatened to tell her mother, Bourque choked her and threw a cap pistol at her before ultimately killing her with an axe.

Following the murder, Bourque dug two separate holes in the earth-floor cellar of the tenement. He buried Johnson's body in a hole feet deep, covered it with dirt, and placed a window screen over the grave; he buried her clothing in a second hole nearby. After concealing the sites, he returned to his apartment.

Bourque was involved in the search for the missing girl for two days, which included over 1,000 volunteers. On July 8, the victim's father, Richard Johnson, informed police that his daughter occasionally visited the cellar to watch Bourque chop wood; police subsequently took Bourque into custody. After two hours of questioning, he confessed to two officers and led them to her body. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and held without bail.

On July 11, Bourque pleaded not guilty in New Hampshire Superior Court. Following a grand jury indictment for first-degree murder on September 13, At trial, Bourque admitted to the murder while on the stand. Judge William A. Grimes instructed an all-male jury to choose between four separate indictments: first-degree murder with capital punishment (hanging), first-degree murder with a mandatory life term, second-degree murder which could carry up to life, or first-degree manslaughter with a maximum 30-year sentence.

Bourque expressed deep remorse over the 1955 murder, stating that he thought about Johnson constantly and wished someone had stopped him on the stairs. after serving 69 years, 31 days. Only one other U.S. inmate is known to have served a longer sentence: Francis Clifford Smith, who served 70 years, 31 days in prison.