Willie Horton

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Having been convicted of 1974 robbery and murder, Horton absconded from a Massachusetts prison furlough program in 1986. In 1987, while on the run, Horton committed kidnapping, armed robbery, and rape in Maryland. During the 1988 U.S. presidential election, Vice President and Republican nominee George H. W. Bush brought Horton up frequently during his campaign against Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis who was the governor of Massachusetts, and whom Bush claimed was responsible for Horton's release on furlough.

In Their Own Story

In 1970, a terrifying incident at Milwaukee saved the life of fellow Tiger Al Kaline. While chasing a fly ball, Kaline collided with outfielder Jim Northrup, fell onto the warning track, and began to suffocate as his jaw locked and tongue obstructed his airway. Horton rushed over and pried open Kaline's mouth to clear his breathing. Another dramatic moment occurred on June 5, 1979, against the Tigers at the Kingdome. Against pitcher John Hiller, Horton hit what appeared to be his 300th career home run, but it struck a speaker hanging from the roof and bounced onto the field for a single. He collected his actual 300th home run the next day against Jack Morris. On April 14, 1974, he also hit a popup that struck and killed a pigeon at Fenway Park.

Reader's Guide

William R. Horton was born in August 1951 in South Carolina. He was convicted of assault as a teenager and was sentenced to a period of incarceration. Horton subsequently moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts and became a drug dealer. In 1974, he was convicted of armed robbery and murder in the first degree for the killing of Joseph Fournier and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. In 1986, he absconded from a weekend furlough program. In 1987, he committed kidnapping, rape, and attempted murder in Maryland and was sentenced to two life terms plus 85 years. As of December 30, 2025, Horton was incarcerated at the Jessup Correctional Facility in Maryland.

Did You Know?

• Horton was one of three African-American men convicted in the 1974 robbery and murder of 17-year-old Joseph Fournier.
• Horton absconded from a Massachusetts prison furlough program in 1986 after nine previous furloughs without breach.
• In 1987, Horton raped a woman after pistol-whipping, stabbing, binding, and gagging her fiancé in Maryland.
• The sentencing judge in Maryland refused to return Horton to Massachusetts, saying he should never breathe free air again.