A native of Las Vegas, born in 1956, Horton was possessed of an explosive temper and "a bad habit of pulling the trigger" when quarrels erupted into violence. Between the ages of 16 and 20, he dispatched at least one victim per year, regaling the judge at his murder trial with a promise to take more lives in the future, if the opportunity arose.
Horton's first victim was a "Jane Doe," picked up at a liquor store in the latter half of 1972, beaten to death with a jack handle and dumped in the desert when she objected to Wayne's smoking marijuana while driving. Her skeletal remains, complete with shattered skull, were found on February 4, 1973, but the woman remains unidentified today.
On May 12, 1975, Horton tried to rob Edward Buccieri, a 52-year-old shift boss at Caesar's Palace, shooting his victim five times in the head after Buccieri "called him dirty names." Three months later, Horton repeated the performance -- down to the number of gunshots -- with Las Vegas cab driver William Tinnell. Far from insulting Horton, the cabbie was on his knees, pleading for mercy when he died, but Wayne felt no sympathy. As he explained in court, "I don't think he deserved to live."
On April 21, 1976, Horton was jailed in Las Vegas, awaiting trial on charges of rape, robbery, and kidnapping, when he led two cellmates in fatally stabbing 19-year-old Calvin Brinson. All three prisoners were charged with murder, but Horton freely confessed his role in the unprovoked attack, blaming Brinson's death on his own "frustration" at confinement.
On June 5, 1976, Horton pled guilty to the Buccieri and Tinnell murders, giggling as he described the crimes in court. In return for his guilty plea, various other felony charges were dismissed, including the August 1975 strangulation murder of Delmar Bright, later charged to serial slayer Billy Chadd. Three weeks later, Horton received two consecutive terms of life imprisonment without parole, publicly lamenting the fact that he would not be executed. Voicing his intention to claim future victims, Horton said, "There are several people I'm going to kill if I can." When a black prisoner began chuckling nervously, Horton swung around to face him. "Go ahead and laugh, nigger," he snarled. "You might just be the first one."
The killer was more subdued on August 3, when he filed guilty pleas in the deaths of Calvin Brinson and the "Jane Doe" victim, drawing two more terms of life without parole. Nevada authorities announced their intention of seeking Horton's transfer to a California prison, where he would be permanently out of touch with other inmates he has vowed to murder.
A native of Las Vegas, born in 1956, Horton was possessed of an explosive temper and "a bad habit of pulling the trigger" when quarrels erupted into violence. Between the ages of 16 and 20, he dispatched at least one victim per year, regaling the judge at his murder trial with a promise to take more lives in the future, if the opportunity arose.
Horton's first victim was a "Jane Doe," picked up at a liquor store in the latter half of 1972, beaten to death with a jack handle and dumped in the desert when she objected to Wayne's smoking marijuana while driving. Her skeletal remains, complete with shattered skull, were found on February 4, 1973, but the woman remains unidentified today.
On May 12, 1975, Horton tried to rob Edward Buccieri, a 52-year-old shift boss at Caesar's Palace, shooting his victim five times in the head after Buccieri "called him dirty names." Three months later, Horton repeated the performance -- down to the number of gunshots -- with Las Vegas cab driver William Tinnell. Far from insulting Horton, the cabbie was on his knees, pleading for mercy when he died, but Wayne felt no sympathy. As he explained in court, "I don't think he deserved to live."
On April 21, 1976, Horton was jailed in Las Vegas, awaiting trial on charges of rape, robbery, and kidnapping, when he led two cellmates in fatally stabbing 19-year-old Calvin Brinson. All three prisoners were charged with murder, but Horton freely confessed his role in the unprovoked attack, blaming Brinson's death on his own "frustration" at confinement.
On June 5, 1976, Horton pled guilty to the Buccieri and Tinnell murders, giggling as he described the crimes in court. In return for his guilty plea, various other felony charges were dismissed, including the August 1975 strangulation murder of Delmar Bright, later charged to serial slayer Billy Chadd. Three weeks later, Horton received two consecutive terms of life imprisonment without parole, publicly lamenting the fact that he would not be executed. Voicing his intention to claim future victims, Horton said, "There are several people I'm going to kill if I can." When a black prisoner began chuckling nervously, Horton swung around to face him. "Go ahead and laugh, nigger," he snarled. "You might just be the first one."
The killer was more subdued on August 3, when he filed guilty pleas in the deaths of Calvin Brinson and the "Jane Doe" victim, drawing two more terms of life without parole. Nevada authorities announced their intention of seeking Horton's transfer to a California prison, where he would be permanently out of touch with other inmates he has vowed to murder.
