California Death Row Inmate Dies After Long Wait

A prisoner on California’s death row, sentenced for the 1979 murder of his pregnant wife, has died after over 45 years behind bars. Jerry T. Bunyard passed away on July 10 at the California State Prison in Sacramento, as confirmed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). He was 76 years old.

“At 4:44 p.m., Bunyard was pronounced deceased at an outside medical facility by medical staff,” stated the CDCR in a release. The Sacramento County Coroner will determine the official cause of death.

Bunyard was convicted of first-degree murder for the deaths of his wife, Elaine Bunyard, and her unborn child. She was discovered dead on November 1, 1979, in the garage of their San Joaquin County home. The couple’s 7-year-old daughter also lived there.

Court records showed Elaine Bunyard died from a shotgun blast to the head, while the fetus died shortly after due to lack of oxygen. Investigators revealed Bunyard had enlisted Erwin Popham, a childhood friend, to carry out the murders.

Popham, a transient, with a history of minor crime and substance abuse, occasionally stayed with the Bunyard family. The arrangement to kill Elaine materialized after Bunyard believed she was pregnant by another man.

Bunyard had offered Elaine a $50,000 divorce settlement, which she declined. He sought to end the marriage to pursue a relationship with a new partner. The deal with Popham involved an initial payment of $1,000, with more funds promised from Elaine’s life insurance payout after her death.

The murder was planned to look like a suicide. On the day of the crime, Popham attacked Elaine while she washed dishes, striking her with frying pans. He then moved her to the garage, placing her in a chair, and fired a shotgun under her chin.

Facing a blood-soaked scene, Popham abandoned the suicide setup and attempted to stage a robbery. He later informed Bunyard “it was done” after the attack, according to a review by the California Supreme Court.

The CDCR reports 567 inmates currently on death row in California. Since 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order has paused the death penalty, temporarily halting executions throughout the state.