The spine-chilling life story of a mentally challenged youngster, Joe Arridy who falsely accused of rape and brutal murder of Dorothy Drain. This false accusation against Joe became so serious that he was later on wrongfully convicted and then wrongfully executed on January 6,1939. Joe Arridy was born in the year 1915 in the city of Pueblo, Colorado, to Henry and Mary Arridy. As the Arridy family were immigrants who came in from Syria to live the American Dream, but they still struggled to find jobs as they couldn’t speak English with regular fluency.
After Henry landed a job in a major steel mill in Pueblo the family began to receive a steady source of income. Joe was a slow learner compared to the other kids his age, as he never spoke in full sentences and was also a late-bloomer to start speaking when he was young. After attending elementary school for one year, the Principal advised his parents to keep him at home, saying that he couldn’t learn. At the age of ten, Joe was admitted into the State Home and Training School for Mental Defectives, which is located in Grand Junction, Colorado.
How Did Joe Arridy Meet His Untimely Death?
Joe was first arrested on August 26, 1936, in charges of vagrancy in Cheyenne, Wyoming, after he was seen wandering around the railyard regions. The county sheriff, George Carroll knew about the ongoing investigation in the Dorothy Drain murder and rape case and while questioning Arridy he found out that he had passed through Pueblo and began to suspect Arridy for being part of this heinous crime. When sheriff Carroll contacted the Pueblo police, the officers had already arrested the prime suspect in the case, Frank Aguilar who worked for Dorothy Drain’ father and was fired a few weeks before the crime took place and only did he have a clear motive but the police also found an axe in his home. But Carroll stated that Arridy said told him several times he had “been with a man named Frank” at the crime scene.
Though Frank denied that he acted alone Arridy was largely convicted for his false confession and wasn’t given an exemption from his sentence to be executed in a gas chamber based on his unstable mental facilities. Arridy was so friendly that both the inmates and the officers stationed became his friends. One of the officers, Roy Best who gave Arridy a toy train which he always used to play with during his trials.
‘Imbecile’ Man With Death Penalty
Before his execution, officer Roy said that “He probably didn’t even know he was about to die, all he did was happily sit and play with a toy train I had given him”. Though due to his mental capabilities Arridy was classified as an “imbecile”, while also stating that his mind was that of a six-year-old. While moments before his impending death Arridy was informed about the gas chamber to which he replied to the warden, “No, no, Joe won’t die”. It was also reported that before entering the gas chamber Arridy was smiling but still hesitant but calmed down after he was assured by the warden.
Arridy’s case attracted attention from not only many psychiatrists but also researchers who studied human behaviours so as to be careful during such delicate cases. After reviewing all the evidence collected by attorney David A. Martinez and also proofs collected by Friends of Joe Arridy which is a non-profit organization, Governor Ritter gave Arridy a full and unconditional pardon in 2011 which completely cleared his name.
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