The high-profile 1976 disappearance and murder of a Columbia waitress is the topic of a new book that’s written by the judge who presided over the trial.
Retired Boone County Circuit Judge Gary Oxenhandler, who presided over Johnny Wright’s murder trial, is the author of “The Life of a Murder.” Wright was able to avoid detection for more than three decades before being captured in Georgia. He was eventually convicted of second degree murder for waitress Rebecca “Becky” Doisy’s death.
Retired judge Oxenhandler discussed Becky Doisy Saturday morning on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable” program:
“She’s a young lady, an MU student. Worked at Ernie’s, particularly on the weekends. Was very well-liked, had a big circle of friends. She was from St. Louis. Her dad was a doc (physician),” Oxenhandler says.
Becky Doisy was a 1971 graduate of Kirkwood high school. Her body has never been found. Mr. Oxenhandler tells host Fred Parry that one of the first things he did before writing the book is contact the Disciplinary Commission for Judges and Attorneys and ask if he could do this. They told him yes, noting he’s not a judge anymore. He tells listeners that they also advised him to say retired judge in the book.
Retired Judge Oxenhandler’s book reveals new details about the case that did not come up at trial. He discussed some of those details Saturday with host Fred Parry on 939 the Eagle’s “CEO Roundtable” program:
“I found in the records three other women that Johnny Wright had attacked. That would never … the only … I never heard anything about that in getting. Now had the state … the state was aware of it, and the defense was aware of it. But there has to be more of a connection than these events. And … but I learned about it afterwards,” Oxenhandler says.
Wright was able to avoid detection for more than three decades before being captured in Georgia and then convicted of second degree murder for killing waitress Becky Doisy. Wright died in prison at the maximum-security Jefferson City Correctional Center in 2015, of apparent natural causes. Doisy worked at Ernie’s Steakhouse.
The retired judge introduces readers to each of the key players from a first-person perspective. You can listen to Fred’s full interview with Judge Oxenhandler here.
