Linwood murdered a woman in 1971 and served a year in a reformatory. In 1979, the three siblings (with help from an accomplice, Duncan Eric Meekins) went on a killing spree in their home city of Richmond, killing eleven people and leaving behind two survivors who escaped unharmed. Linwood and James were sentenced to death. In 1984, they escaped death row with four other inmates, and were recaptured within three weeks. Linwood and James were executed by electric chair in 1984 and 1985, respectively. Brother Anthony and accomplice Meekins are both still incarcerated.