Steven Thompson, Part I, I Can’t Even

Before I tell you about how I came to know him, you should probably know what he did. I had to wait until after I took my sleeping pill to be able to write even this much about it, and I’m not going to use my own words to tell you. Once again, I’m going to rely on the appeal court’s description. It is horrific, and I will understand if you decide that you don’t really need to know exactly what he did.

Steven Allen THOMPSON v. STATE.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama.

April 12, 1988.

Rehearing Denied May 24, 1988.

The appellant was indicted for three counts of capital murder as follows:

… <a long discussion of the precise counts of capital murder are given here. Basically, he beat, raped, and stabbed Robin Balarsz to death, tied her up to his car and dragged her 3000 feet down the road, where he mutilated her corpse.> …

The appellant pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. The jury found the appellant guilty of the capital offenses charged in the indictment and, following a sentencing hearing, recommended life imprisonment without parole by a vote of eight to four. Thereafter, the trial court sentenced the appellant to death by electrocution.

The trial judge in his sentencing order outlined the facts surrounding this shocking and vicious crime:

"The victim, Robin Balarzs, was engaged to marry David Roberts, a long-time friend of the defendant. On May 11, 1984, David Roberts was absent from Huntsville due to military service. Defendant was aware of this absence. On that day defendant went to the home in Huntsville where Robin Balarz resided with her parents and her young child. The parents and the child were also out of town. Robin and her friend Cindy McElroy were at the residence. Defendant, Robin and Cindy engaged in normal conversation and defendant slept on a sofa while the girls retired to separate bedrooms. Early on the morning of May 12th defendant left the residence. Cindy McElroy left at a later time. Cindy noticed no unusual behavior on the part of the defendant. "Defendant was absent without leave from the Navy and had need for money and goods which he could convert to cash. He planned to return to the Balarzs household to feloniously take money, gold or silver. In his planning defendant bought tape, bandages and other items with which to bind Robin. On his arrival in the night of May 12, 1984, defendant entered the household on invitation of his friend and followed a course of conduct which can be described as beyond human comprehension in its vileness. Defendant bound and gagged Robin with a sock, bandage, rope and tape he had brought into her home with premeditated design. He cut her clothes from her person and beat her with his fists. He took a meager $1.00 bill from her purse (although at some point he also took her engagement ring). He stuffed a sock in her mouth. He cut her with a knife. He positioned his rental vehicle near the garage to facilitate her removal from the residence. He made some effort to conceal the blood and physical tracings of his acts of brutality, placed Robin, still alive, in the vehicle, left the home and drove to secluded Green Mountain, a rugged area in Huntsville, Madison County. There, he proceeded to brutalize Robin Balarzs in a manner almost unspeakable in its nature, character and extent. Defendant had sexual intercourse upon her, shoved a large knife into what he thought to be her vagina, bound her breasts with a rope, tied her to the vehicle and dragged her through mud, over rocks and on pavement for a distance in excess of 3000 feet. At some point he pulled and shaved her hair with a razor especially purchased. He stabbed her about her breasts and cut her with the knife. "Robin Balarzs died during her ordeal. Some of the atrocities were against her corpse. "The defendant realized that left in the Balarzs home were items which would reveal his crimes, if not his identity. He returned to the residence for the purpose of securing these items, leaving Robin Balarzs on Green Mountain. "While defendant was attempting to re-enter the Balarzs home David Roberts returned. Seeing David drive up to the residence, defendant evaded detection and drove away to spend the rest of the night in his vehicle. "David Roberts entered the home and noticed signs of the defendant's depravity. He contacted neighbors and friends of Robin, called hospitals and tried to locate her. Finally, David Roberts called Huntsville Police Department and investigation into the case began. David recalled seeing defendant's vehicle parked near the residence and an alert was dispatched on defendant by radio. At that time it was in connection with a missing person report. In the early morning of May 13, 1984, two uniformed officers saw defendant in his vehicle and stopped him. Defendant's vehicle was dirty and damaged and defendant had what appeared to be blood and mud about his person. Defendant was properly advised of his constitutional rights, taken into custody, removed to police headquarters and questioned. After first denying knowledge of the fate of Robin Balarzs, defendant made statements admitting his activities and led an officer to the scene atop Green Mountain. Robin's battered body was found. Her parents and David Roberts were advised that she was dead."

If you want to read the whole appeal decision, here’s the link:
 https://law.justia.com/cases/alabama/court-of-appeals-criminal/1988/542-so-2d-1286-0.html 

Here are a few newspaper articles: 

Interview with Steve:
 https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19860829&id=HLIfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W9cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1532,6284220&hl=en 

A notice that the execution had taken place, with a brief background on the crime:
 https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.true-crime/y5OJdZLi7wU 

I told you it was horrific. Don’t blame me for the nightmares. 

I promise I will post more on this subject. It’s just really hard to think about, much less write about. The bottom line is that he was electrocuted to death in the Alabama electric chair, “Yellow Mama”, almost exactly 20 years ago. 

Next time, I will reveal how I became involved in this, and we will begin to read Steven’s words from his own pen.