Honken, who grew up in Iowa, later moved to Arizona where he built a meth empire. Twenty-seven years ago this week, after dealer Greg Nicholson secretly recorded Honken and testified against him in front of a grand jury, Honken and his girlfriend went to Nicholson’s home. Together, they murdered Nicholson, his girlfriend Lori Duncan, and her daughters, 10-year-old Kandi and 6-year-old Amber.
In 2004, while serving a 27-year prison sentence on a federal drug conviction, Honken went on trial for those murders. The court took unprecedented security measures during his trial, keeping the jury anonymous and having Honken, who was outfitted with a stun belt, bolted to the floor of the courtroom to prevent him escaping.
While his attorneys argued there was no physical evidence linking Honken to the murders, there was overwhelming oral evidence and testimony from witnesses. Honken’s childhood friend said he helped melt down the gun used in the slaying. Fellow inmates testified against Honken, sharing information he told them in prison.
Kansas man butchers two women, dumps 16-year-old in a septic pond
Thursday, July 16, Wesley Ira Purkey, of Kansas, was executed by lethal injection for murdering teenager Jennifer Long in 1998 and an 80-year-old woman with polio.
