James Paster and Stephen McCoy

James Emery Paster (January 30, 1945 – September 20, 1989) and Stephen Albert McCoy (December 17, 1948 – May 24, 1989) were American serial killers who murdered at least three people in Texas between 1980 and 1981. Both were sentenced to death and executed at the Huntsville Unit in Huntsville, Texas, via lethal injection. Prior to Emery's execution, he confessed to two other murders in the Houston area, but he was never tried for either of these killings. McCoy was executed in May 1989, in what was considered a botched execution. Emery was executed in September 1989. Murders In October 1980, Paster, McCoy, and an acquaintance, Gary LeBlanc, agreed to murder 38-year-old Robert Edward Howard in Houston. Paster was hired by Howard's ex-wife and her new husband, who promised him USD 1,000 and a motorcycle in exchange for the killing. On October 25, 1980, Paster, accompanied by McCoy and LeBlanc, drove to a nightclub in Houston and slashed the tires of Howard's truck. When Howard returned to his vehicle, Paster approached him from behind and fatally shot him in the back of the head before fleeing. In November 1980, the same trio abducted 27-year-old Diana Trevino Oliver and forced her into their vehicle. She was taken to a field where she was raped and then fatally stabbed by McCoy. On December 31, 1980, 18-year-old Cynthia Darlene Johnson was found stranded by the side of the road by the trio. She was taken to a warehouse where the men raped her. LeBlanc then attempted to kill her by strangling her to death; however, his attempt at killing her failed. Paster then killed her in the early hours of January 1, 1981, by successfully strangling her to death. He then drove a nail up her nose to ensure she was dead.