Contents
Introduction
Dale Hausner was one of the most notorious serial killers in Arizona history. He was convicted of murdering six people and injuring 19 others in a series of random shootings that spanned from 2005 to 2006. He was sentenced to death in 2009, but he never faced execution. Instead, he took his own life in his prison cell in 2013. How did he manage to do that, and what was his motive? This article will explore the cause of death of Dale Hausner, and the possible reasons behind his suicide.
Dale Hausner’s Crime Spree
Dale Hausner, along with his accomplice Samuel Dieteman, terrorized the Phoenix area with their random acts of violence. They targeted pedestrians, bicyclists, animals, and anyone who crossed their path. They called their killings “RV’ing”, which stood for “random recreational violence”. They used various weapons, such as handguns, shotguns, and a crossbow, to carry out their attacks. They also kept a map of their crime scenes, and collected news clippings of their murders.
Hausner and Dieteman were arrested in August 2006, after one of Dieteman’s drinking buddies tipped off the police. The police found evidence linking them to the shootings in their apartment. Dieteman pleaded guilty to two of the murders, and testified against Hausner in exchange for a life sentence. Hausner denied any involvement, and suggested that his roommate was the real killer.
Dale Hausner’s Trial and Sentencing
Hausner’s trial lasted for seven months, and was one of the longest and most expensive in Arizona history. He represented himself for part of the trial, and cross-examined some of the witnesses, including Dieteman. He also held a jailhouse press conference, where he proclaimed his innocence and blamed the media for his arrest. He claimed that he was a victim of a conspiracy, and that the police planted evidence against him.
The jury did not buy his story, and found him guilty of 80 charges, including six counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to death for each of the murders, and received hundreds of years in prison for the other crimes. He also received an additional 14 years for assaulting a fellow inmate.
Dale Hausner’s Death
Hausner spent his time on death row in solitary confinement, in a cell that measured 7 by 12 feet. He had no contact with other inmates, and was allowed out of his cell for only one hour a day. He had access to books, magazines, television, and radio, but he was not allowed to have any visitors, except for his attorneys and spiritual advisers.
Hausner was not happy with his situation, and he expressed his desire to die. He wrote a letter to the Arizona Supreme Court, asking them to expedite his execution. He said that he was “tired of being locked up in a cage” and that he wanted to “be served with my death warrant to be executed as soon as possible”.
However, his wish was not granted, as Arizona had a moratorium on executions due to legal challenges over the lethal injection protocol. Hausner decided to take matters into his own hands, and killed himself by overdosing on an antidepressant drug called amitriptyline. He obtained the drug from another inmate, who smuggled it into the prison. He took a massive amount of the pills, and was found unresponsive in his cell on June 19, 2013. He was pronounced dead at a hospital an hour later.
Dale Hausner’s Motive for Suicide
The exact motive for Hausner’s suicide is unknown, but there are some possible explanations. One is that he was suffering from depression, and that the drug he took was meant to treat his condition. However, he may have taken too much of it, either accidentally or intentionally, and caused his death.
Another possibility is that he was remorseful for his crimes, and that he wanted to end his guilt and pain. He did apologize to the families of his victims during the penalty phase of his trial, and said that he was willing to accept his punishment. He also wrote some poems in his final days, expressing his regret and sorrow.
A third possibility is that he was angry and frustrated with the legal system, and that he wanted to escape his fate. He may have felt that he was unfairly convicted, and that he had no chance of winning his appeals. He may have also resented the fact that he was kept alive on death row, and that he had no control over his own life.
Whatever the reason, Dale Hausner’s suicide was the final act of a man who caused so much suffering and fear in the Phoenix community. His death marked the end of a dark chapter in Arizona history, and left behind many unanswered questions.
