out of prison, Walker married a woman called Stella, with whom he had frequent fights. She would eventually divorce him due to his excessive drinking. Murders On June 18, 1983, Walker woke up and drank beer and vodka before spending the day at Silver Creek fishing. At the creek, located just outside Mascoutah in St. Clair County, Walker met 21-year-old Kevin Paule and his fiancée, 25-year-old Sharon Winker. After chatting with them for a while, Walker decided he would rob them and took out a .25-caliber pistol. After taking Paule's wallet, he tied them to a tree and bound their hands with tape. Paule then told Walker he would not get away with the crime because he knew who he was. Fearing they would go to the police, Walker decided to kill both of them. He fatally shot Paule in his right temple and then killed Winker with a fatal shot to the back of the head. Walker took Paule's wallet, which contained $40, and fled the area. Aftermath After the murders, Walker drove to the Runway Lounge bar near Scott Air Force Base and drank beer. He chatted with the owner for several hours until it was after midnight. Walker then stood up, took out his gun, and robbed the bar after everyone had left. As Walker fled with the stolen money, the owner chased after him, jumped into a car, and rammed Walker's vehicle. Walker opened fire and hit the other vehicle's windshield but missed hitting the owner. Following the crash, smoke covered the area, and Walker escaped. When police arrived and searched the vehicle, they found multiple items that were confirmed to belong to Paule and Winker. In addition, the murder weapon was also recovered. Walker fled to his half-sister's house and asked her for a lift to a St. Louis bus station. He then bought a bus ticket to Tacoma, Washington, where his ex-wife lived. He later hitchhiked to Walden, Colorado and contacted a former girlfriend. The former girlfriend turned him in by contacting the Jackson County Sheriff's Department. Officers arrested Walker, who waived extradition proceedings and was picked up by St. Clair County police on July 16. Trial On July 27, 1983, Walker pleaded guilty to two counts of murder. He chose to have his case decided by a jury trial instead of a judge. The jury, consisting of six men and six women, reached