HARLAN, Texas –
Greg Ferguson was 26 when he was sentenced to death for the murder of his brother and sister-in-law, and was sent to a federal correctional facility just outside of Harlan, Texas. That was in 1946. In 1947, Ferguson successfully escaped from prison, and had been on the run ever since.
Last month, authorities in Dallas arrested Ferguson, who is now 95-years-old, as he sat drinking coffee in a small diner. The waitress serving him said that he had been coming into the diner every morning for as long as she could remember.
“I can’t believe that nice old man was an escaped convict!” said Marissa Fuller, 28. “I’ve been waitressing here since high school, and Mr. Ferguson was always so nice. He always left a good tip, and he always took his coffee with cream and sugar. Why, every killer I’ve ever met only drank their coffee black. Just goes to show you, I guess.”
Police say that they had received an anonymous tip that Ferguson may still be residing in Texas, and that he had been seen in Dallas.
“As it goes, Mr. Ferguson went with us very peacefully, and didn’t try and run,” said Police chief Mark Hamlin. “Of course, it would be hard for him to have run anyway, as he was barely able to stand on his old legs.”
Hamlin says that Ferguson was returned to a cell at the same correctional facility in which he was originally sent, and was executed a week later.
“We don’t screw around in Texas when it comes to killing people,” said Hamlin. “We missed out on our chance to fry this ol’ boy for the last damn near 70 years. As soon as we could, we put him down.”
Ferguson leaves behind a wife of 45 years, 3 sons, and 11 grandchildren – none of whom say they were aware that he was a violent killer.