Willie Horton
William "Willie" Robert Horton | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Robert Horton August 12, 1951 |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
| Convictions | First degree murder, armed robbery, rape, assault |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole |
| Imprisoned at | Jessup Correctional Institution Jessup, Maryland, U.S. |
William Robert Horton (born August 12, 1951), commonly referred to as "Willie Horton", is an American felon.
Having been convicted of 1974 robbery and murder, Horton absconded from a Massachusetts prison furlough program in 1986. In 1987, while on the run, Horton committed kidnap, armed robbery, and rape in Maryland.
During the 1988 U.S. presidential election, Vice President and Republican nominee George H. W. Bush brought Horton up frequently during his campaign against Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis who was the governor of Massachusetts, and whom Bush claimed was responsible for Horton's release on furlough.