Arizona’s most notorious death row inmates past and present have incredible stories, including this one where the murdered children were floated down the Colorado River.
ALVIE COPELAND KILES
Date of Birth: May 21, 1961
Sentenced: March 28, 1990
It was February 9, 1989, when Alvie Kiles stole his girlfriend's purse and sold her food stamps to get money to support his cocaine habit.
Throughout the night, he injected cocaine and drank beer with friends.
After 11 p.m. he returned home in Yuma and argued with his girlfriend about selling the food stamps. During the argument, she slapped him. When he told her not to do that again, she did, hitting him a second time. Kiles then went to his car, took out a tire iron and knocked her unconscious. When she woke, she asked, "Why did you do that?" and he beat her with the tire iron until she died.
He then used the same weapon to kill the victim’s daughters a 9-month-old and a 5-year-old who screamed after witnessing the murder. Kiles took the children, wrapped them in plastic and floated them down the Colorado River.
The baby was found in a canal in Morelos, Mexico a week later. The body of the 5-year-old was never found.
The next day Kiles continued his cocaine use and talked about the murders to five friends. When one of them doubted his story, he took them to the apartment where he saw the victim. Kiles stepped on her face as he walked into a bedroom.
After telling his mother what happened, she contacted police. Police found Kiles at friend’s home hiding under a bed.
Kiles was convicted on the murders on December 15, 1989.
During the sentencing hearing, one psychiatrist concluded that Kiles had an adjustment disorder with depressed mood. While another said, he was a "poly-substance abuser, having a mixed personality disorder with narcissistic and antisocial characteristics."
"They were just killed very quick, in a blind rage"
Kiles submitted a statement during his presentence hearing. In it, he said, "They were just killed very quick, in a blind rage." He blamed his addictions for the murders saying in the statement, "I know that if it wouldn’t have been for my addicting and alcohol, this would have been prevented, but it did happen."
Kiles remains on Death Row in Florence.
