Gene Edward Travis Victims: 2
Gene E. Travis, a former resident of Freetown, had a criminal record dating back to 1959.
He was convicted for armed robbery and two counts of assault with intent to murder on June 29, 1966.
He was also convicted of robbery in Rhode Island in 1968. He was later convicted of escape and also for many lesser drug offenses.
Just prior to his release when he was paroled, Joseph Travis, his father, clearly informed the parole board he didn't think it was a good idea for his son to be set free. He was later released from the Massachusetts prison system in November 1985.
December 9 1985 : Simone Auger (27) Fall River, Mass.
Travis had only been released from prison for 33 days, when he committed murder. On December 9, 1985, at approximately 5 P.M., Simone Auger left her place of employment, and headed to Globe Video owned by her father, Emile Auger (1922-2010). On arriving at Globe Video, Simone spoke briefly with her father, who then left the store to go home for supper. Simone was the only employee in the store.
At approximately 5:40 P.M., a dark-colored Monte Carlo, was seen parked near Globe Video. A witness, saw a man fitting the description of Travis walk towards Globe Video, only to return to his car approximately one minute later. The man repeated this conduct twice more. On his third return to the automobile, the man was accompanied by Simone. The man walked on the outside of the sidewalk, with Simone to the inside. The couple walked slowly. Simone carried with her a pocketbook. When they reached the parked automobile, the man walked with Simone to the passenger side of the automobile and opened the passenger door.
Between 6:10 and 6:15 P.M., Customers found the store deserted and notified police. The Fall River Police Department, in turn telephoned Emile Auger. When Mr. Auger arrived at Globe Video, he found that the cash register had been emptied, and that Simone's coat, gloves and keys remained in the back room where she had placed them earlier. Simone was not in the store, and was missing. Emile Auger explained to Fall River Police that he had transferred money, including a roll of forty quarters, from a cash drawer in an inner office to the cash register in the store.
December 10, 1985: Janice Pinelli (42) North Kingstown, R.I.
The day after Travis kidnapped and murdered Simone Auger, he robbed a North Kingstown, R.I. shoe store and brutally stabbed Janice Pinelli twenty-three (23) times after strangling her with an electrical cord. She later died as a result of her injuries.
After the murder, Travis was stopped and arrested on unrelated charges by the Greenwich, R.I. Police department. A large roll of bills as well as forty-two quarters were found in his pockets.
December 11, 1985: Search Warrant Issued North Kingstown R.I. Police
The North Kingston R.I. Police Department executed a search warrant on the Travis's vehicle and seized a length of electrical cord from the back seat. On this date, Warwick R.I. Police Department recovered Simone Auger's pocketbook from a trash container in an industrial area.
April 9 1986: Simone Auger's Remains Discovered Tiverton R.I.
The partially decomposed body of Simone Auger was discovered on an over-grown lot in Tiverton, R.I. A length of electrical cord was recovered from the brush nearby. An autopsy determined that Simone had died of asphyxiation due to strangulation, either by ligature or by use of the assailant's hands.
April 8 1988: Travis Found Guilty in Massachusetts & Rhode Island
A Massachusetts jury found Travis guilty 1st-degree murder committed with deliberate premeditation, unarmed robbery and kidnapping. The judge sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment for the first degree murder, to be served from and after a life imprisonment sentence the defendant was serving in Rhode Island. The judge also sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment for the unarmed robbery, to be served from and after the life sentence for first degree murder. Finally, the judge sentenced the defendant to eight to ten years for the kidnapping, to be served concurrently with the life imprisonment sentence for unarmed robbery.
Travis was convicted in Rhode island for Janice Pinelli’s murder and became the first person in Rhode Island sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Travis offered an explanation for his crimes "I was broke. And I just had to go out and do what I do best. A human life doesn't mean too much to me." In fact, Travis never seemed to show any remorse for what he had done.
April 29 1996: Travis Escapes from Prison...again
Travis had previously escaped from a Rhode Island prison while serving a 19-year sentence for armed robbery and attempted murder, and was recaptured after 19 days. On April 29, 1996 Travis escaped again following his murder sentences, sneaking out of the maximum-security Adult Correctional Institution in Cranston in the back of a garbage truck. He was on the run for 12 hours before he was captured by Providence R.I. Police. Gene Travis died in prison.
Gene E. Travis, a former resident of Freetown, had a criminal record dating back to 1959.
He was convicted for armed robbery and two counts of assault with intent to murder on June 29, 1966.
He was also convicted of robbery in Rhode Island in 1968. He was later convicted of escape and also for many lesser drug offenses.
Just prior to his release when he was paroled, Joseph Travis, his father, clearly informed the parole board he didn't think it was a good idea for his son to be set free. He was later released from the Massachusetts prison system in November 1985.
December 9 1985 : Simone Auger (27) Fall River, Mass.
Travis had only been released from prison for 33 days, when he committed murder. On December 9, 1985, at approximately 5 P.M., Simone Auger left her place of employment, and headed to Globe Video owned by her father, Emile Auger (1922-2010). On arriving at Globe Video, Simone spoke briefly with her father, who then left the store to go home for supper. Simone was the only employee in the store.
At approximately 5:40 P.M., a dark-colored Monte Carlo, was seen parked near Globe Video. A witness, saw a man fitting the description of Travis walk towards Globe Video, only to return to his car approximately one minute later. The man repeated this conduct twice more. On his third return to the automobile, the man was accompanied by Simone. The man walked on the outside of the sidewalk, with Simone to the inside. The couple walked slowly. Simone carried with her a pocketbook. When they reached the parked automobile, the man walked with Simone to the passenger side of the automobile and opened the passenger door.
Between 6:10 and 6:15 P.M., Customers found the store deserted and notified police. The Fall River Police Department, in turn telephoned Emile Auger. When Mr. Auger arrived at Globe Video, he found that the cash register had been emptied, and that Simone's coat, gloves and keys remained in the back room where she had placed them earlier. Simone was not in the store, and was missing. Emile Auger explained to Fall River Police that he had transferred money, including a roll of forty quarters, from a cash drawer in an inner office to the cash register in the store.
December 10, 1985: Janice Pinelli (42) North Kingstown, R.I.
The day after Travis kidnapped and murdered Simone Auger, he robbed a North Kingstown, R.I. shoe store and brutally stabbed Janice Pinelli twenty-three (23) times after strangling her with an electrical cord. She later died as a result of her injuries.
After the murder, Travis was stopped and arrested on unrelated charges by the Greenwich, R.I. Police department. A large roll of bills as well as forty-two quarters were found in his pockets.
December 11, 1985: Search Warrant Issued North Kingstown R.I. Police
The North Kingston R.I. Police Department executed a search warrant on the Travis's vehicle and seized a length of electrical cord from the back seat. On this date, Warwick R.I. Police Department recovered Simone Auger's pocketbook from a trash container in an industrial area.
April 9 1986: Simone Auger's Remains Discovered Tiverton R.I.
The partially decomposed body of Simone Auger was discovered on an over-grown lot in Tiverton, R.I. A length of electrical cord was recovered from the brush nearby. An autopsy determined that Simone had died of asphyxiation due to strangulation, either by ligature or by use of the assailant's hands.
April 8 1988: Travis Found Guilty in Massachusetts & Rhode Island
A Massachusetts jury found Travis guilty 1st-degree murder committed with deliberate premeditation, unarmed robbery and kidnapping. The judge sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment for the first degree murder, to be served from and after a life imprisonment sentence the defendant was serving in Rhode Island. The judge also sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment for the unarmed robbery, to be served from and after the life sentence for first degree murder. Finally, the judge sentenced the defendant to eight to ten years for the kidnapping, to be served concurrently with the life imprisonment sentence for unarmed robbery.
Travis was convicted in Rhode island for Janice Pinelli’s murder and became the first person in Rhode Island sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Travis offered an explanation for his crimes "I was broke. And I just had to go out and do what I do best. A human life doesn't mean too much to me." In fact, Travis never seemed to show any remorse for what he had done.
April 29 1996: Travis Escapes from Prison...again
Travis had previously escaped from a Rhode Island prison while serving a 19-year sentence for armed robbery and attempted murder, and was recaptured after 19 days. On April 29, 1996 Travis escaped again following his murder sentences, sneaking out of the maximum-security Adult Correctional Institution in Cranston in the back of a garbage truck. He was on the run for 12 hours before he was captured by Providence R.I. Police. Gene Travis died in prison.