Charles Harrelson

Charles Harrelson was an American criminal who was sentenced for the assassination of a federal judge. Born and raised in Texas, he served in the US Navy. He later worked as a salesman and subsequently turned a professional gambler. In 1960, he served a prison term for armed robbery, after which he moved back to Texas. He continued with his criminal activities, and was tried for murder of a Houston carpet salesman. He, however, hired a noted lawyer, and got acquitted. Though Harrelson got 15 years imprisonment in the murder case of a Texas grain dealer, he was released after 5 years due to good conduct. Next, he was paid $250,000 by a drug dealer to kill US District Judge John Wood. This was the first time in the 20th century that a federal judge was assassinated. He was sentenced for 2 life terms, though he denied having killed the Judge. As he tried to escape from prison, he was moved to a super-max prison in Colorado, where he died of heart-attack at 68. He had three sons, including actor Woody Harrelson.