John Fearance said he returned home from his job at a car repair shop and found that his wife had baked him a casserole with meat. He said he liked his meat separate. In anger, this led him to stab a neighbor to death. He broke into at least two houses in his neighborhood, including Mr. Faircloth's. Mr. Faircloth's wife, Betty, identified Mr. Fearance as the man who stabbed her husband 19 times.
Fearance said he was remorseful but should not have been sentenced to death. "They should have tried me for temporary insanity," he said. Fearance ended a brief, rambling final statement before execution by saying he was ready to die. "I would like to say that I have no animosity toward anyone," Fearance said. "I made a mistake 18 years ago. I feel like I'm not responsible for what I done because I had a bad psychotic break. I lost control. I lost my life. I don't have any hate toward humanity. I didn't mean to and I'm ready to go meet my Maker." He said "hail Mary" through a gasp before falling silent.