Jesse Joseph Tafero (October 12, 1946 – May 4, 1990) was convicted of murder and executed via electric chair in the U.S. state of Florida for the murders of 39-year-old Florida Highway Patrol officer Phillip A. Black (who served 9 years with Florida Highway Patrol) and 39-year-old Ontario Provincial Police Corporal Donald Irwin (who served 18 years with Ontario Provincial Police), a visiting Canadian constable and friend of Black. The officers were killed during a traffic stop where Tafero, his wife Sunny Jacobs and their children were passengers. Tafero's execution was botched; his head burst into flames during the execution by electric chair. After Tafero's execution, the driver, Walter Rhodes, confessed to shooting the officers, but later retracted his testimony. 1967 crimes At the time of the murders, Tafero was on parole for attempted rape, holding two women hostage. Murders, trial, and execution On the morning of February 20, 1976, Black and Irwin approached a car parked at a rest stop for a routine check. Tafero, his wife Sonia "Sunny" Jacobs, their two children (ages 9 years and 10 months) and Walter Rhodes were found asleep inside. Tafero had previously been in prison and was on probation. Black saw a gun lying on the floor inside the car. He woke the occupants and had first asked Rhodes then Tafero to come out of the car. According to Rhodes, Tafero then shot both Black and Irwin with the gun (which was legally registered to Jacobs who bought guns on behalf of Tafero – he couldn't legally obtain a license because of his record) and led the others into the police car to flee the scene. According to Tafero, Rhodes shot the officers and handed the gun to him so that Rhodes could drive. They later disposed of the police car and kidnapped a man and stole his car. All three were arrested after being caught in a roadblock. When they were arrested, the gun was found in Tafero's waistband. This account, however, was later contradicted by Rhodes; there was subsequently enough evidence to support reasonable doubt regarding Tafero's conviction. Gunpowder tests found residue on Rhodes consistent with "having discharged a weapon", residue on Tafero consistent with "handling an unclean or recently discharged weapon, or possibly discharging a weapon", as well as residue on Jacobs and her son consistent with "having handled an unclean or recently discharged weapon". Prior to his conviction