Ray and Faye Copeland

Ray Copeland was born in Oklahoma in 1914. While he was growing up, his family moved around, struggling to survive during the Great Depression. As a young man, he began a life of petty crime, stealing livestock and forging checks, until he was caught and served a year in jail. After his release in 1940, he met Faye Wilson, and they were married soon afterward. They quickly had several children and, thanks to Ray's criminal reputation, had to keep moving their family around while money was tight. Upon hearing that Faye had been sentenced to death by lethal injection as well, Ray showed no emotion and replied "Well, those things happen to some, you know." ==Known victims==

• Dennis K. Murphy of Normal, Illinois; killed October 17, 1986 • Wayne Warner of Bloomington, Illinois; killed November 19, 1986 • Jimmy Dale Harvey, 27 of Springfield, Missouri; killed October 25, 1988 • John W. Freeman, 27 of Boonville, Indiana; killed December 8, 1988 • Paul J. Cowart, 20 of Dardanelle, Arkansas; killed May 3 or 4, 1989 ==In other media==

The Copelands' story has been fictionalized in the graphic novel Family Bones, written by Ray's great-nephew Shawn Granger. The play Temporary Help by David Wiltse, which appeared off-Broadway in 2004, was based on this story. The case was documented in multiple television series, such as Forensic Files, Wicked Attraction, Becoming Evil: Sisterhood of Murder and The New Detectives. It is speculated that the 2022 film X is loosely based on the killings committed by the Copelands. == See also ==