The Truth About Woody Harrelson's Hitman Father. As a hitman, Charles Harrelson hung out with a pretty rough crowd, and one of his unsavory associates was Pete Scamardo. Family : Change in family responsibilities 23 July 1961 (Birth of son Woody) chart Placidus Equal_H. So we strolled along and actually we went back, we came out of the yard, we went by the Texas Depository building, across the street. According to Attaway, she'd seen Harrelson pull the trigger. All that gunfire on the side of the road attracted quite a bit of attention, and soon the cops were on the scene. Chauncey Holt was a con artist scamming off the assassination, as others. Wikimedia CommonsActor Woody Harrelson attempted to get his father a new trial after Jimmy Chagra recanted his statement that Charles Harrelson was guilty of Judge John H. Wood Jr.s murder. We could have gotten right up to the grassy knoll and thrown ourselves on the ground, like everybody else was, and started screaming, and that would have been the end of it. Born in 1938, Charles Harrelson was a man who couldn't stop moving. Chagra, one of the most significant marijuana traffickers in the States during the 70s, reportedly paid Charles $250,000 to kill Wood as he was afraid of the sentence that the judge could impose. Charles Harrelson was sentenced to two life sentences. Charles Harrelson died of a heart attack in prison in 2007. It was the first time a federal judge had been assassinated in the United States, and President Jimmy Carter condemned the killing as "an assault on our very system of justice." In September 1970, he was acquitted of the murder charge. On September 22, 1970, he was acquitted by a jury in Angleton, Texas. Wow, so it seems that Charles Harrelson wasn't only an ordinary criminal, but possibly a merc involved in CIA black-ops in Cuba. After spending three years in jail waiting for trial, Charles Harrelson was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years behind bars. Apart from that, the modus operandi didnt fit the way Charles killed his victims, but admissibility was stretched to its absolute limits so that Charles was convicted. This not-so-upstanding citizen had acquired some heroin and wanted Harrelson to sell it for him. His name was Gordon Shanklin. Age, Height, and Weight. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but with time off for good behavior, he was free in five years.Photograph of the tramps arrested at the Dealey Plaza. And as the officers trained their guns in his direction, Harrelson admitted to killing the judge (as well as John F. Kennedy). In 1997, Woody Harrelson told interviewer Barbara Walters that he firmly believed his father had been trained by the CIA. Yeah, that's quite a plot twist right there, but it was far from the last shocking moment in the Alan Berg saga. According to Woody, his father disappeared from the family's home in Houston in 1968, leaving his wife Diane to raise Woody and his two brothers. [19] Marrs stated that Harrelson was involved "with criminals connected to intelligence agencies and the military" and suggested that he was connected to Jack Ruby through Russell Douglas Matthews, a third party with links to organized crime who was known to both Harrelson and Ruby. In other words, prosecutors would need more evidence to bring him down, so they were only too happy when Johnny Ray Spinelli offered to lend a helping hand. Tired of the California scene, Harrelson and his new bride made their way back to the Lone Star State, where he decided to make a dishonest living as a full-time gambler. Laywer David Berg's new memoir reveals the story of his most dramatic case. During the '80s and '90s, the actor spent millions trying to get his father a new trial, although in 2012, an older Woody admitted his father wasn't exactly a saint. But after he was discharged, he turned to a wayward life of crime. advocates for a healthy discussion about the instances of violence, abuse, sexual misconduct, animal cruelty, abuse etc. United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas John H. Wood Jr. was assassinated by Harrelson outside his home in San Antonio in 1979. Bettmann/Getty ImagesCharles Harrelson (far right) in court on October 22, 1981, after his conviction for being a felon in possession of a gun. In 1968, the 31-year-old Berg got a phone call from a woman promising him a good time if he would swing by a local bar. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. [7] The murder is chronicled in the memoir Run Brother Run by the victim's brother, David Berg. Their lucky numbers are 1, 3, 4, and lucky colors are grey, blue, white, orange. THE bloody family secrets of Woody Harrelson, the Hollywood actor, are to be revealed in a prison memoir written by his father, a professional hitman. The Judge was assassinated, (using a rifle and a scope), outside his home in San Antonio, Texas, while he was entering his car. His father had recently left the family, and even before that, he'd spent most of his time in prison. Chagra, the drug lord, was acquitted of conspiracy charges in connection with the assassination. Their involvement in JFKs death has often been linked to conspiracy theories. Facebook; He took no valid part in my upbringing, Woody Harrelson told People in 1988. The parents of Harrelson are Diane Lou and Charles Voyde. His birth sign is Leo and his life path number is 6. Charles Harrelson was eventually convicted in 1982 and sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus 5 years for the slaying. Harrelson worked as an encyclopedia salesman in California, and as a professional gambler. According to The Houston Chronicle, Charles Harrelson briefly served in the U.S. Navy in the 1950s. Find Charles Harrelson's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. Then Gordon Shanklin said, "You're free to go.". We said, "Hey, we're federal agents working on this thing," and they said, "Come with us." He was first charged with robbery in 1959 in Los Angeles, where he worked as an encyclopedia salesman. When shown a picture of the Dealey Plaza tramps she responded "Yep, that's my Bill!". He was the estranged father of actor Woody [] Eventually, the cops brought in a businesswoman named Virginia Farah, who was Harrelson's friend and had once hired him as a bodyguard. Source for information on Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83: Great American Trials dictionary. Harrelson even boasted probably to impress potential employers that he had shot President John F Kennedy in Dallas in 1963. We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. "[21], Joseph Chagra later testified during Harrelson's trial that Harrelson claimed to have shot Kennedy and drew maps to show where he was hiding during the assassination. U.S. District Judge John Wood Jr. was known as Maximum John for the extremely harsh sentences he gave to drug dealers. We were in the box car a long time. The actor revealed he learned his dad was a killer when he was 11 or 12 as he heard a radio host talking about Charles V. Harrelson and his trial for murder. When Woody was old enough, he tried to get his dad a new trial to get him out of jail. Kennedy. "Judge Wood's assassin dies of heart attack", "Woody Harrelson's Father Dies in Prison", "Woody Harrelson's assassin father dies in prison", "Woody Harrelson, Cheers' Cheery Bartender, Feels a Bit Mixed About Fame and a Strange Family Twist", "Alan Harry Berg (1936-1968) - Find A Grave", "Decades Later, Revisiting a Death in the Family", "Woody Harrelson's father famous in the Valley before achieving national notoriety", "Woody Harrelson: my father, the contract killer", United States of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Jo Ann Harrelson, Defendant-Appellant, "Jamiel A. Chagra, 63, Drug Kingpin, Dies", "Warren Commission Critics Push Cover-Up Theory", "Guard Foils Escape Attempt by Woody Harrelson's Dad", "New Podcast 'Son Of A Hitman' Investigates Woody Harrelson's Hitman Dad, Including His JFK Assassination Claim", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Harrelson&oldid=1142377565, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 02:03. As it turns out, Woody's dad, Charles Harrelson, made a living by filling people full of lead. Born in 1938, Charles Harrelson worked as a sonar man in the Navy. And in a crazy coincidence, Berg's dad just happened to hire the brother of the man who allegedly killed his son. Charles Voyde Harrelson - the killer-for-hire who prompted the biggest FBI investigation ever to probe El Paso by assassinating a federal judge - died last week at a federal prison in Colorado, the San Antonio Express-News reported this morning. In 1991, Doc Hollywood (1991) gave him his first widely-seen movie role, and he followed that up with White Men Can't Jump (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993) and Natural Born Killers (1994). Charles Harrelson was born in the Year of the Tiger. Charles Harrelson was handed two life sentences and spent his life in a maximum-security prison. Charles Harrelson was labeled a hitman for the first time in 1968 when he reportedly killed carpet salesman Alan Berg. At one point during his incarceration, Charles Harrelson made the audacious claim that he assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Brett Harrelson: Age, Height & Weight. Their strengths are tolerant, loyal, valiant, courageous, trustworthy, intelligent, and virtuous. The Chagras were a prominent family in El Paso. Charles Chuck Harrelson, who died in a Colorado maximum security jail last month, left a bundle of papers to his three sons with a plea to clear him of murdering a judge. After murdering a federal judge, things started falling apart for Charles Harrelson. But in 1973, he was convicted of killing a grain dealer named Sam Degelia Jr. for $2,000 and sentenced to 15 years behind bars, though he was released after just five years for good behavior. It helped that Chagras brother was a defense attorney who made a lot of money. I dont know how Woody feels about his father, but Harrelson was probably the last of a killing breed.. Parents Voyde Harrelson Alma Lee(nee Sparks)Harrelson Charles was the father of actor Woody Harrelson. I estimated that it was almost 2 o'clock, although my watch was still on Arizona time. Charles Harrelsons trial was uncommon, especially because prosecutors included a witness testimony under hypnosis (which would never be admissible in court nowadays). The individual behind him I knew as Charles Harrelson. Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor and playwright. He got married to Nancy Hillman Harrelson, Diane Lou Oswald (1959-1964), Jo Ann Harrelson, and Gina Adelle Foster. Later, in 2003, Chagra retracted his earlier statements and stated that Harrelson wasnt the one who shot the Judge. There she found the arrest records that showed the tramps to be: Harold Doyle, John Forester Gedney, Gus W. Abrams. [26] Harrelson was subsequently transferred to supermax prison ADX Florence in Colorado. Charles Voyde Harrelson (July 23, 1938 - March 15, 2007) was an American hitman and organized crime figure who was convicted of **inating federal judge John H. Wood Jr., the first federal judge to be **inated in the 20th century. Charles "Charlie" Harrelson is an actor known for portraying "Quinn" on Fear The Walking Dead and "Noah" on the hit SyFy movie Swamp Shark. Brett Harrelson was born in Midland, Texas, the son of Diane Lou (ne Oswald) and Charles Voyde Harrelson, who divorced in 1964. Charles Harrelson, the father of actor Woody Harrelson who was convicted of multiple murders as well as the subject of allegations that he was involved in the assassination of President John F . In the absence of Joe's testimony, Jamiel Chagra was acquitted of the murder. But once we got in there, and these events come off because they happened almost at the time we arrived there. Along with his two siblings, Harrelson was raised by his mom, who worked as a secretary and did all the parenting alone. Kennedy. So I thought it was possibly 2 o'clock before the train actually started to move. Woody Harrelson Career Profession: Actor Known For: Cheers Debut: Film: The Box 2009 Movie poster Net Worth: USD $65 Million Approx Family & Relatives Father: Charles Harrelson His father Charles Harrelson Mother: Diane Lou Oswald His mother Diane Lou Oswald Brother: Brett Harrelson His brother Brett Harrelson Jordan Harrelson Curiosity got the better of the young man, and he asked his mother if the elder Harrelson was any relation. What does this all mean? Charles Harrelson (Charles Felton Harrelson) was born on 6 November, 1983 in Tampa, Florida, USA, is an Actor, Camera Department. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Within months of his release, Woody Harrelsons dad would be contracted to carry out his biggest hit ever a sitting federal judge. [20] Lois Gibson, a well-known forensic artist, matched photographs of Harrelson to the photographs of the youngest-looking of the three "tramps". The actor heard a news broadcast discussing the murder trial of Charles V. Harrelson. He said he was turning us over to the FBI. In 1995, along with two other prisoners, Harrelson made his own rope, tossed it over a wall, and tried making a break for it. Then, on December 14, 1982, a judge handed down two life sentences to Charles Harrelson, sending him away for good. While trying to evade the investigation officials, Harrelson drowned himself in drugs but was soon stopped at a Texas interstate. His mother confirmed that the man on trial for murdering a federal judge was indeed Woodys father. It was just mind-blowing to see all the things he did just like me.". He has got brown hair with blue eyes. And yeah, Foreman worked his defense attorney magic for Harrelson. While such clothing might be a disguise, their footwear seems consistent with their classification as vagrants. When the police investigated the death of grain dealer Sam Degelia, they learned that his business partner wanted his life insurance payout, so he reportedly hired Charles to kill him. Woody Harrelson has a height of 1.77m. Charles Harrelson was born on July 23rd, 1938, in Lovelady, Texas,[3] the son of Alma Lee (ne Sparks; 19072002) and Voyde Harrelson (19011976). He has two brothers, Jordan and Woody Harrelson. Manage Settings Woody Harrelson Parents Who are the parents of Woody Harrelson? We started to move, backing down the tracks a little ways. A warning shot made them surrender. They are brave, playful, leader, fun, warm, protective, generous, and charismatic. There were DEA agents lurking in the trees and helicopters everywhere he looked, and his drug-addled behavior is what eventually brought him down. At the. They didn't treat us like dangerous suspects. However, Lois Gibson, a well-known forensic artist, identified Woody Harrelsons father as one of the three tramps, who were three mysterious men photographed shortly after the JFK assassination. Era tambm pai do actor Woody Harrelson. But that hasn't stopped people from believing his tall tales. Harrelson later admitted that he had been involved in dozens of murders beginning in the early 1960s. So when he was sent to the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, he started cooking up plans to make his great escape. Criminal convicted of assassinating federal judge John H. Wood, Jr., the first federal judge killed in the 20th century. Before he eventually retired, Foreman had defended over 1,000 accused killers, and only one was ever executed. They had caught someone in the Dal Tex building. Because they treat cop killers a hell of a lot different than they treat killers of anyone else. According to prosecutors, some members of the family were also involved in drug smuggling. He was isolated for 23 hours a day, and during his one golden hour he was allowed to exercise outside in a pen. After his failed breakout, Harrelson was shipped to ADX Florence, a supermax prison in Colorado that's housed notorious criminals like the Unabomber and 9/11 planner Zacarias Moussaoui. Link to Wikipedia biography. Charles Harrelson (far right) in court on October 22, 1981, after his conviction for being a felon in possession of a gun. Jim Kershaw, a retired Houston jailer, once said he developed such a good relationship with Charles that they even had nicknames for each other. The actor has also played killers in movies like the aforementioned Rampart, as well as criminals in films like Out of the Furnace and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Initially, he worked as an encyclopaedia salesman, but later turned to gambling. [citation needed] Harrelson was convicted of killing Judge Wood after being hired by drug dealer Jamiel Chagra of El Paso, Texas. Woody Harrelson biography. Until that point, the young Harrelson didn't really know much about his dad. So I scooted under the train, went under to the other side, encountered Harrelson and Montoya, we searched out the car, which was not too far from the engine, climbed in it, closed the door and sat there in silence, while I monitored the radio and listened to what was going on. We were strolling around, people were coming around. Harrelson was paid $2,000 (the equivalent of $16,000 in 2020) for the murder of Degelia, a grain dealer and father of four who was killed in McAllen, Texas. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. In 2012, while promoting the movie Rampart, Woody Harrelson sat down for an interview with the Guardian. They didn't handcuff us. Harrelson found himself in a standoff with the police for six long hours, threatening suicide the entire time. A warning shot was fired at them from the prison's tower, and the trio surrendered. He has two brothers, Jordan and Woody Harrelson. For years, some claimed Harrelson was one of the tramps the tallest one and that he'd been up on the infamous grassy knoll with alleged CIA agent Charles Rogers. [15], In 2003, Chagra recanted his previous statements, stating that someone other than Harrelson had shot Judge Wood. children: Brett Harrelson, Jordan Harrelson, Woody Harrelson Born Country: United States Murderers American Men Height: 1.78 m Died on: March 15, 2007 place of death: USP Florence, Colorado, United States Recommended Lists: American Celebrities Leo Criminals Male Criminals Male Murderers American Criminals Childhood & Early Life Source: Ghgossip.com ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT But when the cops pulled Harrelson over one day, the hitman was forced to ditch the drugs. He also told Turner that he would not have accepted such a contract as he knew that if he had, he would have ended up, like Lee Harvey Oswald, being killed by the Mafia. Please check back soon for updates. Gus Abrams was dead but his sister identified him as the third tramp in the photograph.Charles Harrelson at a Texas courthouse in 1982. District Judge John Wood Jr. was known as Maximum John for the extremely harsh sentences he gave to drug dealers. The Murders of Charles Harrelson Moms and Murder True Crime This week we're talking about the contract-killings of Charles Harrelson, the hit that finally sent him to prison, and some really interesting allegations about being an accomplice in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. But Charles Harrelson chose a different path for himself. His height is 1.77 m tall, and weight is 83 kg. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards . Harrelson's father was Charles Voyde Harrelson.He was a contract killer.He was arrested for the killing of Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr. by rifle fire in 1979 in San Antonio.. Harrelson is a vegan. The Alan Berg story is basically one big soap opera, full of twists, turns, and crazy cliffhangers. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Spinelli was a crook known as the "Fotomat Bandit," and he'd gotten his name as you might assume by robbing Fotomats (drive-thru photo-developing kiosks). I was born on his birthday. Harrelson died in 2007 inside the Florence supermax . Harrelson's wife, Jo Ann, was sentenced to consecutive terms totaling 25 years on multiple convictions of conspiracy and perjury related to the assassination. One of the most interesting pieces of JFK lore involves the photo of the "Three Tramps," a trio of hobos who were arrested in the aftermath of Kennedy's assassination. Chagra was arrested for drug trafficking across the border and was slated to appear before Judge Wood, who was known as Maximum John because of the heavy sentences he issued for drug offences. Additional Product Features . We will continue to update details on Charles Harrelsons family. He was married to Nancy Hillman Harrelson, Diane Lou Oswald, Jo Ann Harrelson, and Gina Adelle Foster. Before he started killing, though, he tried his hand at selling dental equipment, and somewhere along the way, he divorced Diane. I assumed that it was their normal enthusiasm about having captured a cop killer, is what I thought. Shortly after moving to La La Land, Harrelson found himself behind bars thanks to a little bit of armed robbery. No song matches found.. Were currently in process of confirming all details such as Charles Harrelsons height, weight, and other stats. He said that the statements made during the standoff were "an effort to elongate my life. When Woody Harrelson was around 11 or 12 years old, he was just sitting in a car, minding his own business and listening to the radio. Biography of Woody Harrelson. And as Harrelson wasn't exactly a mechanic, he decided to "fix" the muffler by blasting it with a .44 magnum. He Was A Hero Of Ireland's Independence Movement Then Tried To Become An Irish Mussolini, She Became America's First Female Mayor Because Of A Sexist Prank, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Plus they didn't search us, and we were heavily armed. In 1979 he was allegedly paid $250,000 to shoot a Texas judge preparing to sentence a drug dealer. [13] In 1978, after serving five years, he was released early for good behavior. Now, he owed Scamardo a favor. [23][24], In 1982 Harrelson told Dallas TV station KDFW-TV, "Do you believe that Lee Harvey Oswald killed President Kennedy, alone, without any aid from a rogue agency of the US government or at least a portion of that agency? Woody Harrelson stepped up pressure for a retrial, but his father died before lawyers could get him out of jail. [16] Chagra died in July 2008 of cancer. Contents 1 Personal life The FBI and private researchers sought the other two tramps. They have strong sense of errantry, being frank and easy to win others' trust. For his acting skills, Woody has been honored with numerous awards such as the American Comedy Award, Primetime Emmy Award, MTV Movie Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. Charles Harrelson was the father of actors Brett and Woody Harrelson.[2]. Maybe he even was a CIA operative, a MK Ultra asset activated to take part on JFK's murder and the feeling of coc aine rush may have been effect of his programming. In 1968 Harrelson, the father of the actor, Woody Harrelson, was convicted of the murder of businessman, Sam Degelia, in a contract killing in South Texas. 4/9/17. They opened the door and there was a whole bunch of police officers with shotguns and everything else. Personal life. ", In addition to the legal proceedings and all that misspent cash, Woody visited his father in prison once a year until his dad's death, and while their relationship was definitely weird, Woody said he and his dad were friends "who got along pretty good.".