All Murderers Received at Angola: 1962

This list, which documents how much time was served by convicted murderers who were Wilbert Rideau's contemporaries, dramatically illustrates the unequal treatment he has received from the Louisiana justice system.

Wilbert Rideau was one of 31 convicted murderers received at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola during 1962. All are listed below. Following each convict's name is his prison number, the date he arrived at Angola, his sentence, the date of his release, and the number of years he served.

All the prisoners on this list, with the exception of one man who died after three years, were released after serving as few as 5 or as many as 30 years.

The average amount of time served by all the convicted murderers received at Angola during 1962 was 12 years. The average served by those arriving with death sentences was 17 years. The three from Wilbert Rideau's home parish, Calcasieu, served an average of less than 8 years. All three of these men from Calcasieu were white.

Wilbert Rideau, whose conduct record and numerous achievements surpass that of any prisoner in Louisiana history, is the only one of the 1962 arrivals still imprisoned. After being punished far more severely than his contemporaries, the man Life magazine called "the most rehabilitated prisoner in America," whose conviction has been thrown out by a federal court, now faces retrial by a prosecutor campaigning for re-election.

2. Walter Watson, #55970, arrived 2/6/62 with Life. Released 1/21/69 after 7 years.

3. Ollie Ward, #55974, arrived 2/6/62 with Life. Released 11/12/73 after 10 1/2 years.

4. J. L. Gray, #56116, arrived 2/6/62 with Life, Released 11/12/73 after 11 1/2 years.

5. Melvin Godfrey, #56163, arrived 3/13/62 with Life. Released 7/10/68 after 6 1/2 years.

6. Joseph Dale, #56229, arrived 3/27/62 with Life. Released 1/8/87 after 25 years.

7. Roy Fulghum, #70654, arrived 3/30/62 with Death (4 murders).
Released on medical furlough in 1984 after 22 years and lived for 7 more years.

8. Loyal Zigler, #56262, arrived 4/2/62 with Life. Released 9/12/72 after 10 1/2 years.

9. Joe White, #56310, arrived 4/6/62 with Life. Released in 1992 after 30 years.

10. Charles Jones, #56328, arrived 4/9/62 with Life. Released 3/4/68 after 6 years.

11. Wilbert Rideau (Calcasieu Parish), #75546, arrived 4/11/62 with Death. Still confined after 40 years.

12. Henry Davis, #56425, arrived 4/30/62 with Life. Released 9/18/73 after 11 1/2 years.

13. Billy Wright (Calcasieu Parish), #56486, arrived 5/10/62 with Life. Released 6/26/67 after 5 years.

14. Alice Washington (female), #56548, arrived 5/26/62 with 3 life sentences for 3 murders. Released 5/19/72 after 10 years.

15. Ronald L. Kennedy, number unknown, arrived 6/4/62 with Life plus 15 plus 5.
Commuted to 40 years on 9/30/76 and released after serving 14 years.

16. Ella Gillyard, #56650, arrived 6/13/62 with Life. Released 12/22/67 after 5 1/2 years.

17. Joseph Parker, #56715, arrived 6/28/62 with Life. Released 2/19/73 after 11 years.

18. Wayne S. Turner, #62895, arrived 6/29/62 with Death. Released 10/30/70 after 8 years.

19. Thad Thompson, #70575, arrived 7/9/62 with Death. Released 2/21/85 after 22 1/2 years.

20. Mack Williams, #56776, arrived 7/11/62 with Life. Released 10/1/70 after 8 years.

21. John T. Miller (Calcasieu Parish), #57041, arrived 9/29/62 with Life.
A fourth felony offender, he was released 7/30/71 after 9 years.

22. Welton Pleasant (Calcasieu Parish), #57042, arrived 9/29/62 with Life. Died in prison after 3 years.

23. Cleve J. Thibodeaux (Calcasieu Parish), #57043, arrived 9/29/62 with Life.
A second felony offender, he was paroled after 10 years.

24. Adam Amos Mack, #74265, arrived 10/4/62 with Death. Released 11/18/78 after 16 years.

25. Shelton Williams, #74266, arrived 10/4/62 with Death. Released 11/28/78 after 16 years.

26. Mark Moore, #57141, arrived 10/15/62 with Life. Released 2/17/77 after 14 1/2 years.

27. Addie M. Lemoine, #57185, arrived 10/23/62 with Life. Released 12/1/70 after 8 years.

28. Tony Womack, #57201, arrived 10/25/62 with Life. Released 9/1/71 after 9 years.

29. James Pitts, #57217, arrived 10/30/62 with Life. Released 4/6/72 after 9 1/2 years.

30. Samuel Hickman, #57278, arrived 11/8/62 with Life. Released 3/31/70 after 7 1/2 years.

31. Ruben Davis, #57385, arrived 12/3/62 with Life. Released 7/16/73 after 10 1/2 years.

Information used in compiling this list comes from prison records, Sheriff's receipts, and Department of Corrections files.