Death Row Inmate Jerry T. Bunyard Passes Away After 45 Years

Jerry Bunyard Dies in California State Prison

Jerry T. Bunyard, a California prison inmate sentenced to death for the 1979 murder of his pregnant wife, Elaine Bunyard, has passed away. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced Bunyard’s death at the age of 76. He spent more than four decades on death row. Bunyard was declared deceased at an outside medical facility by medical staff at 4:44 p.m. on July 10. The Sacramento County Coroner will establish the official cause of his passing.

Murder Conviction and Details

Bunyard faced a conviction for first-degree murder due to his involvement in the slaying of his wife and her unborn child. Court records reveal that Elaine Bunyard was killed by a brutal shotgun attack to her head. Her fetus suffered fatal oxygen deprivation shortly afterward. The crime occurred in the couple’s San Joaquin County home, shared with their 7-year-old daughter. Investigations indicated that Bunyard had enlisted Erwin Popham, his childhood friend, to execute the killings.

Background and Execution Details

Erwin Popham, described as a small-time criminal and frequent drug user, was a drifter who had lived intermittently with the Bunyard family. Bunyard approached Popham to murder his wife, convinced she had conceived a child with another man. Despite initially rejecting the proposal, Popham agreed to commit the murder for a $1,000 fee, to be paid within a week and supplemented by more money from Elaine’s life insurance policy. Bunyard had offered a $50,000 divorce settlement, which Elaine refused. This refusal and Bunyard’s desire for a new relationship fueled the murder plan.

Attempted Suicide Staging

Popham attacked Elaine as she washed dishes by striking her head with frying pans, dragging her unconscious to the garage. He seated her in a chair and used Bunyard’s pump shotgun, aiming it under her chin, subsequently pulling the trigger, which resulted in massive injury. Popham abandoned the suicide staging due to considerable blood evidence and tried to frame it as a robbery instead.

California’s Moratorium on Executions

Governor Gavin Newsom implemented a moratorium on executions in 2019, offering temporary reprieves to all sentenced to death in California. Bunyard’s death occurs as the state maintains a death row of 567 inmates. Governor Newsom’s decision halted any impending executions.

Jerry Bunyard’s case highlights the complexity and drawn-out process of death penalty cases in California, while the state’s execution suspension remains in place.