William Dathan Holbert

Last updated
William Dathan Holbert
WilliamDHolbert.jpg
Holbert in 2020
Born
William Dathan Holbert

(1979-09-12) September 12, 1979 (age 45) [1]
Saluda, North Carolina, U.S.
Other namesWilliam Adolfo Cortez [2]
Conviction(s) Murder
Criminal penalty47 years
Details
Victims5-6, all in Panama: [3] [4]
  • Michael Francis Salem, alias Mike Brown, an American former drug trafficker who was trying to sell his home
  • Smith's wife [ ambiguous ]
  • the Smiths' son [ ambiguous ]
  • Cher Lynn Hughes, a St. Louis native and small hotel owner
  • Bo Icelar, a former gallery owner from Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • Jeffery Kline, lawyer [5]
Country Panama
Date apprehended
July 26, 2010 [6]

William Dathan Holbert (born September 12, 1979), alias William Adolfo Cortez and nicknamed "Wild Bill", is an American serial killer/hitman. Originally from North Carolina, he is currently serving a 47-year sentence for the killings of five Americans in Panama.

Contents

Early life

Holbert was born on September 12, 1979, in Saluda, North Carolina. Living in the rural mountains of Western North Carolina, Holbert's family owned and managed a small apple orchard and cattle ranch. Holbert attended high school in the neighboring city of Hendersonville, North Carolina. He played high school football and was elected by his teammates as one of two "field generals" or the defensive captain of the team. As a student, Holbert was remembered as gifted, but with an unremarkable grade point average by his teachers. He was also known as a troublemaker. He graduated from North Henderson High School in 1997. He was cited by a game warden in 1996 when he was 17 for illegally hunting on federal land. He was not arrested but was fined and released, but otherwise had no arrests or convictions as a minor.[ citation needed ]

Political activism

From 2003 to 2005, Holbert led the Southern National Patriots, a militia and fledgling political party based in Western North Carolina. The group was a controversial conservative activist organization. Members often were seen in uniform on the streets of Forest City, North Carolina. At its height, the organization had 500 active members and acquired a meeting house on Main Street in Forest City. The group was criticized as being a racist organization in 2005 by the local branch of the NAACP. He denied this charge, claiming that several of the group's members were African American. The group collapsed in 2005 when Holbert left the U.S. [7]

Murder convictions

Holbert and his partner (later wife), Laura Michelle Reese, were arrested by authorities as they attempted to make their way into Nicaragua via Costa Rica on July 26, 2010, calling themselves William and Jane Cortez. [8] [9] [10] [11]

Prosecutors said that Holbert confessed to killing five American expatriates in Panama. Prosecutors say Holbert befriended the victims, shot them in the head, and then buried their bodies. [4] One of the victims was "a career criminal with a hand in drug running who escaped from prison". [4] Some sources indicate he confessed to killing a sixth, American lawyer Jeffery A. Kline. [5]

Six years after his confession for the killing of five people in Panama, the Superior Court of Chiriquí Province set a trial date for December 5, 2016. [12] On August 14, 2017, Holbert was sentenced to 47 years and his ex-wife, Reese, was sentenced to 26 years for her role. [13] [14]

Appeal

Holbert immediately appealed the sentence, citing Panama's 20-year maximum penalty at the time of the murders. His appeal was submitted on January 11, 2018. As of September 2019, the appeal was process in the Supreme Court of Justice. [15]

Media coverage

In October 2010, an episode of Dateline NBC entitled "Stealing Paradise" investigated the disappearances of Cher Hughes and Bo Icelar, residents of Bocas del Toro, Panama, [16] [17] whose bodies were discovered on Holbert's property. [18]

In 2016, a detailed account of Holbert's crimes written by Nick Foster, The Jolly Roger Social Club: A True Story of a Killer in Paradise, was published. [19]

In January 2019, the Daily Mirror published an exposé on Holbert's supposed existence inside the New Chiriqui Public Prison. The online edition alleged that Holbert enjoys liberal privileges, has access to firearms inside the prison, and feasts on fast food daily. It reported on Holbert's status as the leader of various violent gangs, which Holbert defends as Christian groups. [20] In 2021, Holbert published a controversial memoir about his life in prison, Long Live the King Wild Bill (The Hero is a Villain). [21]

Holbert was criticized by the authorities for publishing photos of prison officials in 2015. The prison system of Panama keeps staff members' names private. Holbert, alleging corruption, published photos of several government functionaries. A corruption scandal ensued in the prison system, and several high-level officials of the now-defunct David Public Prison were fired or sanctioned by the government. [22] [23] Holbert did an interview with the Daily Mirror on January 15, 2019, outlining the conditions of the Panamanian prison systems. [24]

Prison chaplain

Holbert now operates and chairs Los Reos Unificados, a syndicated Christian inmate organization, in Panama. He also operates Panama Human Rights, an international human rights organization for prisoners. [25] In September 2014, Holbert's lawyer issued a statement saying that Holbert had been appointed chaplain of the Catholic Church in the Public Jail of David. In February 2020, Holbert was appointed Pastor and Mediator to the approximately 150 inmates of the super-maximum security wing of the most notorious prison in the Republic of Panama, La Joya. [26] [27] [28] In early 2020, he was appointed pastor of the infamous Sector C in the La Joya Prison Complex. He also acts as the mediator between the various violent gangs of the prison. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Quentin Rehabilitation Center</span> Mens prison in California, US

San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in Marin County.

Wild Bill may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HM Prison Belmarsh</span> Mens prison in Thamesmead, London, England

His Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is a Category A men's prison in Thamesmead, southeast London, England. The prison is used for high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security. Within the grounds is the High Security Unit (HSU), which consists of 48 single cells. It is run by His Majesty's Prison Service. The prison has been called "Britain's Guantanamo Bay" due to the long-term detention of terrorism suspects without charge. Considered the toughest prison in the UK, Belmarsh is also notoriously known as "Hellmarsh" owing to the high number of physical and authority abuses reported by both the prison's inmates, and by human rights activists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Henry Gaskins</span> American serial killer (1933–1991)

Donald Henry "Pee Wee" Gaskins Jr. was an American serial killer and rapist from South Carolina who stabbed, shot, drowned, and poisoned more than a dozen people. Before his convictions for murder, Gaskins had a long history of criminal activities resulting in prison sentences for assault, burglary, and statutory rape. His last arrest was for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, 13-year-old Kim Gehlken, who had gone missing in September 1975. During their search for the missing girl, police discovered eight bodies buried in shallow graves near Gaskins' home in Prospect, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Hayes (serial killer)</span> American convicted serial killer

Robert Tyrone Hayes is an American serial killer who was convicted of three murders in the Daytona Beach, Florida, area between December 2005 and February 2006. DNA tests have also linked him to a fourth murder committed in March 2016. In addition, he remains the prime suspect in the murder of another woman in December 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedro Rodrigues Filho</span> Brazilian serial killer (1954–2023)

Pedro Rodrigues Filho, also known as Pedrinho Matador, Killer Lil' Pedro, Killer Killer Petey, or simply Killer Petey, was a Brazilian serial killer, spree killer, vigilante, and YouTuber known for pursuing and killing exclusively suspected criminals as a teenager, between the age of 14 and 19, in particular an entire gang in response to the murder of his pregnant girlfriend. Officially sentenced for 71 murders but claiming to have killed over 100 drug dealers, rapists, and murderers, he served 34 years in prison before his release in 2007. In 2011, Rodrigues was imprisoned again on charges of inciting riot and deprivation of liberty; he was sentenced to eight years in prison, but was released again in 2018 after seven years on good behavior.

Internet homicide, also called internet assassination, refers to killing in which victim and perpetrator met online, in some cases having known each other previously only through the Internet. Also Internet killer is an appellation found in media reports for a person who broadcasts the crime of murder online or who murders a victim met through the Internet. Depending on the venue used, other terms used in the media are Internet chat room killer, Craigslist killer, Facebook serial killer. Internet homicide can also be part of an Internet suicide pact or consensual homicide. Some commentators believe that reports on these homicides have overemphasized their connection to the Internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Ray Bowles</span> American serial killer (1962–2019)

Gary Ray Bowles was an American serial killer who was executed in 2019 for the murders of six men in 1994. He is sometimes referred to as The I-95 Killer since most of his victims lived close to the Interstate 95 highway.

The Bradford murders were the serial killings of three women in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England in 2009 and 2010.

Colorado State Penitentiary is a Level V maximum security prison in the U.S. state of Colorado. The facility is part of the state's East Cañon Complex, together with six other state correctional facilities of various security levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Edwards (serial killer)</span> American serial killer (1933–2011)

Edward Wayne Edwards was an American serial killer and former fugitive. Edwards escaped from jail in Akron, Ohio, in 1955 and fled across the country, holding up gas stations. By 1961, he was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

The Peterborough ditch murders were a series of murders which took place in Cambridgeshire, England, in March 2013. All three victims were male and died from stab wounds. Their bodies were discovered dumped in ditches outside Peterborough. In Hereford, two other men were stabbed but survived. The perpetrator was Joanna Christine Dennehy, a Cambridgeshire woman, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order.

References

  1. ↑ Winner, Don (July 28, 2010). "Identities of William Dathan Holbert and Laura Michelle Reese Confirmed - 100%". panama-guide.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  2. ↑ Foster, Nick (13 July 2016). "Catching Wild Bill and Jane: The End of a Killing Spree in Panama | Literary Hub". lithub.com. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  3. ↑ "The Jolly Roger Social Club". crimetraveller.org. July 5, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Getlen, Larry (10 July 2016). "How a small-time crook became a ruthless killer — with a passion for real estate". New York Post. NYP HOLDINGS, INC. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 Holbert bio. Accessed January 30, 2025.
  6. ↑ Hawkins, Kristal. "The real-life 'Hostel' murders". crimelibrary.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  7. ↑ Star News Report https://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20100729/oak-island-forgery-suspect-connected-with-up-to-20-murders-in-central-america
  8. ↑ Sheridan, Michael (August 2, 2010). "Fugitives William Dathan Holbert, Laura Michelle Reese busted in Panama as suspected serial killers". New York Daily News . Archived from the original on August 4, 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-22– via Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ "William Dathan Holbert, Jailed American, Admits Killing 5 People in Panama Resort Area: Authorities". Huffington Post. August 2, 2010. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Wild Bill:Terror, Death Deception". Telemetro News. October 6, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Mission Statement". Panama Human Rights. May 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ Margulis, Abigail (October 21, 2016). "Trial date set for confessed serial killer, WNC native 'Wild Bill'". Citizen Times. www.citizen-times.com. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  13. ↑ Lion, Patrick (August 15, 2017). "Serial killer and ex-wife jailed for 73 years after robbing and killing five people in Caribbean tourist destination". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Holbert, Reese sentenced in Panama for 5 murders". blueridgenow.com. AP. August 14, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  15. ↑ soliveros (2018-04-10). "Sala Segunda de lo Penal resolverá apelación contra William Dathan Holbert". Critica (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  16. ↑ Snow, Kate (22 October 2010). "Stealing Paradise". Dateline. NBC News.com. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  17. ↑ Garrison, Chad (October 25, 2010). "Cher Hughes: St. Louis Woman Murdered in Panama Subject of Dateline Episode". riverfronttimes.com. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  18. ↑ Miller, Carlin (July 27, 2010). "Cher Lynn Hughes Murdered in Panama; Texas Man Suspected in Death of American Woman". CBS News . Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  19. ↑ Foster, Nick (2016). The Jolly Roger Social Club: A True Story of a Killer in Paradise. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN   978-1627793728.
  20. ↑ Evans, Sophie (2019-01-15). "Notorious serial killer's chilling WhatsApp video call from inside squalid jail". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  21. ↑ Holbert, William (2021). Long Live the King Wild Bill: The Hero is a Villain. Stone Jug Entertainment. ISBN   979-8791356369.
  22. ↑ ""Salvaje Bill" publica fotos de funcionarios de la cárcel de David". El Siglo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  23. ↑ "El "Salvaje Bill" sopla corrupción". El Siglo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  24. ↑ Evans, Sophie (2019-01-15). "Notorious serial killer's chilling WhatsApp video call from inside squalid jail". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  25. ↑ "Reos de Panamá crean su propio Blog". La Estrella de Panamá (in Spanish). 2015-05-25. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  26. 1 2 "El asesino en serie de Panamá que dirigió un partido político en EEUU y ahora es pastor en la cárcel". 15 June 2021.
  27. ↑ "Desmienten que "Wild Bill" haya sido designado como capellán". telemetro.com. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  28. ↑ Sabloff, Nicholas (August 5, 2010). "William Holbert Panama Murders: More Bodies Found At Hostel Of U.S. Man Accused Of Serial Killings". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 28 March 2014.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.