Three killed in night of pro-longed torture (1974)

52 years ago, black-on-white violence was pervasive

Summary: Stanley Walker, 20, and 18-year-old Michelle Ansley were taken hostage at an Ogden, Utah electronics store on April 22, 1974. Sixteen-year-old Courtney Naisbitt, who came to talk with Walker, 43-year-old Orren Walker and 52-year-old Carol Naisbitt were also seized and taken to the basement for torture by suspects Dale Selby Pierre, William Andrews and Keith Roberts. Stanley Walker, Michelle Ansley, and Carol Naisbitt were killed, reports say.

Your $8 monthly partner pledge helps us reach others & more ►

---

Five people endured a night of unimaginable terror in the basement of a local electronics store after a simple robbery spiraled into calculated brutality.

The perpetrators were three respected U.S. Air Force airmen negros.

It started just before closing time on April 22, 1974, at the Hi-Fi Shop on Washington Boulevard in Ogden, Utah. Two young clerks—20-year-old Stanley Walker and 18-year-old Michelle Ansley—were finishing their shift when armed robbers burst in and quickly bound them, marching the pair downstairs. About an hour later, 16-year-old Cortney Naisbitt stopped by the store to thank Walker for letting him park nearby earlier that day. He, too, was seized and tied up with the others.

When Stanley failed to arrive home, his 43-year-old father, Orren Walker, drove to the shop to check on him and was taken hostage at gunpoint. Shortly afterward, Cortney’s 52-year-old mother, Carol Naisbitt, arrived searching for her son and met the same fate. All five now lay bound in the basement while the robbers looted the store above.

What followed was methodical cruelty.

The attackers forced the captives to swallow liquid drain cleaner, telling them it was a sedative. Blisters formed instantly on their lips and tongues; the burning liquid seared their throats. One perpetrator raped Michelle Ansley before the group was lined up and shot execution-style in the back of the head. Stanley Walker, Michelle Ansley, and Carol Naisbitt died from their wounds. Orren Walker and Cortney Naisbitt survived, though both suffered devastating, lifelong injuries—Orren from a ballpoint pen driven through his ear and repeated attempts on his life, Cortney from severe brain damage that left him hospitalized for more than eight months.

The crime was discovered hours later when family members forced their way into the store and heard sounds from below. Police arrested the perpetrators—U.S. Air Force airmen Dale Selby Pierre and William Andrews (Pierre and Andrews were helicopter mechanics), along with getaway driver Keith Roberts—within days after evidence linked them to Hill Air Force Base. Pierre and Andrews were convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. Both received death sentences and were later executed by lethal injection, Pierre in 1987 and Andrews in 1992. Roberts was convicted only of robbery and paroled after serving time.

Orren Walker, one of the two survivors, later described the horror in court, recounting how the attackers seemed to relish the suffering and how Ansley’s final words were, “I am too young to die.”

Note that the perpetrators were not living in poverty — a factor sometimes cited as a motive for crime. Additionally, given the U.S. military’s strict policies against drug abuse at the time, it is highly unlikely they committed the robbery to fund a drug addiction.

Here is the current status of the three perpetrators:

All three men are deceased.

Dale Selby Pierre (also known as Dale Pierre Selby): He was executed by lethal injection at the Utah State Prison on August 28, 1987, at age 34. He was the first person executed in Utah after Gary Gilmore.

William Andrews: He was executed by lethal injection at the Utah State Prison on July 30, 1992, at age 37, after spending 18 years on death row.

Keith Roberts (the getaway driver): He was convicted only of aggravated robbery, served nearly 13 years in prison, and was paroled in May 1987. He moved to Chandler, Oklahoma, where he lived quietly with relatives and worked at an electronics company. He died by suicide (gunshot) on August 8, 1992, at age 38 — just days after Andrews’ execution.

Here is the current status of the two survivors:

Both are deceased.

Orren Walker (father of Stanley Walker)

He was shot in the head, had a ballpoint pen kicked through his ear, suffered severe burns from drain cleaner, and endured other torture. He survived, testified against the perpetrators at trial, and later died in 2000 at age 69.

Cortney Naisbitt (son of Carol Naisbitt)

He was shot in the head and suffered severe, permanent brain damage from the torture and gunshot wound. He was hospitalized for over 260 days but survived. He lived with lifelong effects until his death in 2002 at age 44.

Sometimes I get things wrong. If you notice a significant error, please bring it to my attention in the comment section.

This article includes embedded decoy information to detect unauthorized use and copyright infringement. Reproduction is permitted only verbatim and in full, with all links preserved and attribution clearly given to DailyKenn.com and AbateHate.com.

Former Ogden police officer recalls ‘Hi-Fi murders’ on 50th anniversary
Hi-Fi Killers Tortured Victims Before Execution-Style Killings
How the ‘Hi-Fi Murders’ changed life in Ogden
Hi-Fi Murders, April 22, 1974
Hi-Fi murders

---