Rufe Persful
American murderer
Died when: 84 years 356 days (1019 months)Star Sign: Gemini
Rufe Persful (born May 25, 1906, Salina, Kansas – May 16, 1991 Santa Barbara, California) was an American criminal, convicted for murder, kidnapping and robbery.
He was considered one of the most dangerous criminals of his era by the authorities.Convicted of the murder and robbery of an elderly man at the age of 18, he was sentenced to 15 years in Arkansas State Penitentiary, but unlike a standard prison, it involved .
He was given the task of shooting fellow inmates with a shotgun if they attempted to escape.He killed and disabled many prisoners during his time at the Arkansas Penitentiary, punctuated by periods of parole as a reward for his prison protection, and then re-offending and being sent back to resume his role.
In December 1934, Persful was convicted for kidnapping and robbery in Paragould, Arkansas and sentenced to 20 years, after which he was transferred to United States Penitentiary, Atlanta.
Two inmates recognized him from Arkansas and word spread of his killing of fellow inmates and he began being severely abused.
He was transferred to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary a year later but was recognized and continued to be tortured by his fellow inmates because of his past offenses.
In 1937, Persful attempted to cut off his hands in sheer desperation of his experiences at Alcatraz and was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
He was eventually sent to McNeil Island Penitentiary, where he was again recognized and suffered much abuse from his fellow inmates, despite being heavily watched over by the prison staff.
Persful was released in April 1948 and moved in with a relative in Gary, Indiana, never to be convicted of a crime again.
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