Associated Press Writer
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - A burglar who authorities said began his career while in elementary school
headed to the death chamber Thursday for fatally bludgeoning an Amarillo man with a tire iron during a
burglary of his home more than 14 years ago.
Granville Riddle, 32, didn't deny his involvement in the Oct. 9, 1988 beating death of Ronnie Bennett,
39, but contended he hit Bennett more than a dozen times in self-defense.
Riddle's attorneys went to the U.S. Supreme Court to try to halt the execution, which would be the
sixth in Texas this year and the third this week. Two more are scheduled for next week.
"I'm just a normal small town boy," Riddle, who declined to speak with reporters in the week's
preceding his execution, said on an Internet Web site devoted to prisoners seeking pen pals. "I am
caring and I am considerate."
His record disputed that.
"He's been a problem for law enforcement since he got old enough to even think about being a problem
for law enforcement," said Randall Sims, an assistant district attorney in Potter County who indicated
Riddle's first burglary was at age 8. "That's not good old country boys. That's prison material."
Besides numerous burglaries, including a church, school and a restaurant where his mother worked,
he had arrests for drug possession and auto theft. In April 1988, he was sent to prison after getting a
seven-year term for burglary but was paroled after just 2 1/2 months during a time when Texas was
experiencing a prison bed shortage.
In November 1988, the then 19-year-old was indicted for capital murder for killing Bennett.
"It was one of the bloodiest crime scenes I've ever seen in 20 years," said Sims, who prosecuted the
case. "The (victim's) skull looked like a volleyball that was a sponge, just holes everywhere."
Before arriving at death row, Riddle, from Stinnett, tried escaping from the county jail numerous times
-- succeeding once for three days. He also attempted to electrify his cell door with wires from his radio
and television and was involved in several fights with other inmates.
Evidence at his trial showed Riddle and a friend drove to Bennett's home. He gave conflicting
statements, saying he broke in by prying open a screen with the tire iron and later saying he found a
door unlocked and went in that way. Evidence showed a kitchen window had been pried open.
Riddle testified Bennett, who he knew and who he described as drunk, made a sexual advance that
angered him, so he responded by hitting the man some 15 times with the tire iron. But evidence
showed Bennett at the time of the attack had a blood-alcohol level of 0.29, enough to render him
unconscious.
The friend, Brad Bybee, who was waiting outside, testified Riddle called him in, pointed out some
items he could steal, then swung the lug wrench -- blunt end first -- at Bennett's head, leaving it buried
in the dead man's skull.
Bybee reacted in horror and fled. Riddle panicked, grabbed the victim's wallet and drove off in the
victim's truck, which was found burned the next day in a ravine near Borger, about 40 miles to the
northeast. Bybee was picked up by police and fingered Riddle, who was arrested five days later.
------
On the Net:
Granville Riddle: http://www.100megsfree4.com/bingola35/GRiddle/granvilleriddle.html
Texas Department of Criminal Justice: http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/scheduledexecutions.htm
