LEVI KING: RANDOM RAMPAGE

Article BY LORI BELL

---

Two families, five victims, gunned down by the same deranged shooter on a 24 hour rampage. Police in two states worked quickly to identify the perpetrator only to find out he’s an ex con from a lawless home with absolutely no motive to kill.

In Anderson, Missouri, on September 29th, 2005, 70 -year – old Orlie McCool went grocery shopping with his 47 -year -old daughter- in- law Dawn. Orlie was an Army veteran and retired restaurant owner. His wife was out of town, and he needed his daughter -in – law’s help to carry the groceries back to his house.

Around 2:00 pm, Dawn and Orlie head back home after finishing grocery shopping. Dawn entered the house from the entry level and started carrying the groceries downstairs. Orlie entered behind her. They had no idea there was an intruder hiding in Orlie’s office which is off the foyer.

Suddenly a white male stepped from the closet and shot Orlie in the side of the head. Orlie was instantly killed. Dawn was still going down the stairs. The intruder fired repeatedly down the stairs at Dawn. The intruder shot until he was completely sure that they were both dead.

As the gunman exited the house he looked over and saw a set of keys by the flower box. He took the keys which were to a 2005 Dodge Dakota. He fled the scene in Orlie’s truck. The killer, for a moment, doesn’t know what to do next.

Eventually he decided to drive over 13 hours from Anderson all the way to the small town of Pampa in the Texas panhandle. The killer pulled into town off highway 70 at 3:48 am. He was feeling the urge to kill again. He spotted a deserted farmhouse down a country road. He decided this was where he was going to stop. The killer was armed with an AK-47.

In Pampa, Texas, on September 30th , 2005, the killer broke into the farmhouse through a back door. Thirty-one year old Brian Conrad and his 36 – year – old, pregnant wife, Michell were asleep in the master bedroom. Michell’s two children from a previous marriage were also asleep in separate bedrooms.

The killer entered the bedroom where he found Brian and Michell sleeping, and at this point, Michell woke up from the noise. She started screaming. The killer fired six shots at Michell, then pumped five bullets into Brian. He also shot the family dog, Molly.

Down the hall 10 – year – old Robin heard her mother’s screams and the gun shots. She crouched down and hid by the bathroom door. She observed the killer as he exited her parent’s bedroom. Robin ran to her bed and tried to hide underneath the covers.

The killer went into her room and shot at her. He fired a single shot, but the bullet only grazed her arm and leg. She grunted, fell to the floor, and tried to play dead. She was basically very lifelessly still. The killer went to another bedroom, then shot and killed her 14 – year – old brother, Zach.

Believing all the occupants were dead, he went downstairs and started going through the entire house. Upstairs, Robin listened intently, being careful not to make a sound. The killer went into the kitchen, rummaged through drawers, got something to eat, and then he ended up leaving the house.

He got back into Orlie’s truck and headed south on highway 70. When the sun rose at 7:00 am, Robin rose up from the floor without going into either of the other rooms. She knew full well what she would probably find.

Robin exited the home with a cordless phone in her hand, and called nine-one-one immediately. First Responders arrived at 7:24 am. They found Robin sitting on the tailgate of her stepfather’s pickup truck. She told them she wasn’t hurt.

Deputies put her into a locked patrol car then searched the premises, weapons drawn. They found all three occupants inside who sustained major gunshot wounds. They were all dead. Detectives were stumped.

They found 15 spent shell casings inside the home along with shoe prints and tire tracks, but nothing seemed to have been stolen from the residence. This triple homicide appeared to be a random act of intense violence. People around Orlie’s home that knew him, had been trying to call him, but no one had been able to contact him. His friends and relatives became concerned.

In Anderson, Missouri , on September 30th, 2005, Orlie McCool’s nephew, Alan Sink went over to his uncle’s house to check in. He found the front door unlocked, and he walked inside. He discovered Orlie’s body directly inside the door. He called nine – one – one immediately.

As soon as policed arrived. Alan informed them that his uncle’s pickup truck was gone. Deputies from the McDonald County Sherriff’s Department entered the house and found Orlie dead from a single bullet to the temple.

Dawn’s body was found on the lower level on the steps of the basement. She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Her purse remained on her shoulder. In it, police found a receipt from the Town and Country Supermarket, which was time – stamped 1:53 pm, Thursday , September 29th.

Considering Orlie lived five miles from the grocery store, detectives concluded the murders took place sometime around 2:00 pm that day. Detectives found that there were several spent shell casings. They collected them for later analysis, and started interviewing eye witnesses.

One of the individuals they interviewed was Shane Walters, who said that around 2:00 pm he noticed a man walking around the Orlie residence. He informed them that the man looked strikingly similar to Scott King, a local resident.

Walters knew that King had sons, but he did not know what they looked like. Scott King lived in Missouri, just miles away from Orlie. Investigators were informed that on September 29th, the day Orlie and Dawn had been murdered, King reported a burglary at his house.

King reported to police that he had gotten several guns stolen, including a 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol. The Sherriff’s office started to surmise the possibility one of those weapons was used to utilize the commission of the murders.

The Sherriff’s contacted Scott King and made initial arrangements to search his residence. McDonald County Sherriff’s deputies arrived at King’s house that afternoon. He showed the officers a spot by the door where he allowed his sons to shoot guns.

They found a bunch of different casings on the floor. The casings appeared to match the ones detectives retrieved that morning from Orlie’s house. King stated that the casings were previously fired from a 9mm Smith and Wesson that had been stolen. Many casings that were found were sent to the crime lab for ballistic comparison.

Later that day, King went to the Sherriff’s office to render a statement. Almost immediately he told them about his 23 – year – old son, Levi King. Scott told police that he had last scene Levi at 7:00 am on September 29th he took him to a bus stop so he could take a bus to Anderson.

Levi got out of his dad’s truck that morning and said he was going to the bathroom, but he never came back. Scott surmised that Levi might not only have possession of the gun, but was possibly involved in the murder to some degree.

After committing five murders in a 15 hour span, the killer headed south. The killer had driven 500 miles out of Pampa into El Paso, and across the border into Juarez, Mexico to try to escape his crimes. Authorities in the Texas panhandle had no idea that the person who murdered the Conrad’s there, was the same perpetrator who killed Orlie and Dawn McCool in Anderson, Missouri.

However, back in Anderson, the McDonald County Sherriff’s Department had made a key discovery less than 24 hours into their investigation. Bullet casings recovered from Orlie McCool’s home matched spent casings found at the house of Scott King.

The casings that they found at the McCool’s house especially matched the 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol King already reported as stolen. Coincidentally, Scott’s son, Levi was also missing. It was possible that Levi may have taken the guns, but his whereabouts were anybody’s guess.

On September 30th , less than 36 hours into their homicide investigation, the McDonald County Sherriff’s Department issued an arrest warrant for Levi King, who was wanted on suspicion of killing Orlie and Dawn McCool.

Levi was no stranger to the system, having been arrested and jailed on arson and burglary charges back in 2002. While police remained on the lookout for him, the Conrad’s killer remained in Juarez , Mexico. He was starting to panic especially after he mistakenly exited off of the main highway. He decided to turn around, still in Orlie’s truck. He was heading toward border patrol with no other exits in sight.

In El Paso Juarez, Mexico, on September 30th , 2005, the killer drove across the Bridge of the Americas and landed in the queue for reentry into the United States . The killer pulled up to a border patrol agent at the US/ Mexico border.

He was clearly nervous, and when asked to hand over his ID, he ended up providing multiple IDs, including one that belonged to Bryan Conrad. The border patrol agent asked if he had any weapons, and when he said yes, was asked to step out of the car.

Agents detained him and escorted him to a private interview room. He answered all the questions with facts, but with very little emotion. He actually never asked why he was being detained. Agents went to search the car and came up with an AK-47, 9mm Smith and Wesson, a .380 and a scoped rifle.

They discovered that the vehicle was registered to a Mr. and Mrs. Orlie McCool. Before long, agents spotted something lodged between the seats. They also discovered a Missouri Department of Corrections ID, which directly linked him to being none other than Levi King.

The agents fingerprinted him and entered them into AFIS. It was confirmed that he was currently on suspicion for a double homicide. Once they found that information, they ended up handing him over to the El Paso Police.

At El Paso Police headquarters, officers questioned Levi. Over the course of a 40 minute interview, Levi admitted that he had stolen the guns from his father, killed the McCool’s, and used their truck to skip town. Levi said nothing about the murder of the Conrad’s at the farmhouse. El Paso Police took Levi and shipped him back to Missouri.

In Anderson, Missouri, on October 6th, 2005, McDonald County Sheriff’s detectives formally interviewed Levi about the murders of Orlie and Dawn McCool. They asked him to retrace his steps after his father dropped him off at the bus stop.

Levi stated that he walked back up route 76, back to his father’s house, and slept in an old car parked outside. He waited for his father to drop off his younger siblings . He found the front door unlocked, and so was his bedroom door.

Once he was in his room he took a hatchet and hacked into his father’s gun locker and ammunition box, which took around 20 to 30 minutes. Levi took a 9mm, a scoped rifle, AK-47, and put them in a backpack.

He didn’t have a plan, but he was armed to the teeth and ready for anything. He left the house close to noon, and took off through the woods, taking a shortcut. Levi left the two rifles and the bag of ammunition stashed just off the road. He headed on down the county road, and walked out route 71 with only the 9mm gun.

Levi observed Orlie and Dawn leaving, and he decided he was going to break into their house. There was an open window leading into the master bathroom. He entered that window, and began room by room, searching before they got back. He found Orlie’s .380 lying next to the bed in the master bedroom.

Suddenly Levi heard sounds of people returning. He hid in an office closet. Dawn went by, and he let her pass. Orlie came in, and he shot him in the side of the head. Levi was scared. He then aimed the gun down the stairs toward Dawn, who was still carrying groceries, and fired at her several times to make sure that he killed her.

Levi fled the scene in Orlie’s truck, drove back to his father’s house, then retrieved the backpack of guns he hid in the woods nearby. He told police he had absolutely no justification for killing the McCool’s. He didn’t know why he shot them, he just did. He was held without bail for murders.

He then headed into Arkansas across I-40, eventually going into Texas. Fourteen hours and 400 miles later, he invaded the home of the Conrad’s. Levi said nothing about taking out the Conrad’s. Law enforcement apprehended him a day later at the International border in El Paso, Texas, then extradited him back to Missouri.

Back in Pampa, Texas, the Gray County Sheriffs had no motive and no suspects. People in the town of Pampa were just aghast at the fact of an entire family wiped out, except for the 10 -year – old. Everybody was armed and on edge. Three weeks into the investigation, the sheriff’s department caught a break in the form of a tip from Missouri law enforcement.

On October 19th, detectives received a phone call that there was a suspect in Missouri that had just admitted to killing a group of people in Texas. McDonald County police in Missouri told the Gray County Texas Sheriffs ,that the suspect they have in custody is a man named Levi King.

Levi never informed Missouri detectives that he ever killed anybody in Texas. The source of the information was from a jailhouse informant whom Levi had talked to. Levi apparently came clean to a jail employee the day before, while both out in the exercise yard at McDonald County Jail.

Levi had stated to this informant, “Hey you know what? There are four more like the ones I did here in Missouri, in Texas. The police drew the conclusion that King believed he also killed 10-year- old Robin, which is why he says he killed four more in Texas.

They also confirmed that when border patrol searched his vehicle there was an AK-47 which matched what was at the scene in the Conrad home. Once the Gray County Texas Sheriff’s were informed about the AK-47, and the fact that Levi gave authorities Brian Conrad’s ID at the border, they named Levi King as the primary suspect in their triple homicide.

The question remained – who is Levi King? And what could have possibly driven him to the point where he was suspected of murdering five people in less than 24 hours?

Levi King was born in Arkansas in 1982. He was one of seven children. His parents divorced in 1987 when he was 5 years old. He then lived with his dad only. The king household was an absolute hell hole. It was unsanitary, they had no running water, and the house had no rules. The kids could write on the walls, and they could get alcohol whenever they wanted.

Levi started to exhibit a number of very disturbing behaviors. He set fire to his sister’s room because he was mad at her. Levi grew up with a front-row seat to his father’s perpetual poor example. Levi took after his father, Scott. They were both obsessed with weapons. His father had guns, swords, knives, and hatchets.

His father often did drugs in front of the children, and by his early teenage years Levi also picked up a drug habit himself. Levi was drinking heavily by age 12, and pill-popping by age 13. By the age of 15, Levi dropped out of school, and by the age of 17 he was committed to a mental institution.

Levi’s freefall continued especially after the 2002 death of his brother, Spencer, who was fatally wounded inside the house with one of his father’s guns. At the age of 20 he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

That same year, Levi was convicted of arson and burglary after robbing a neighbor’s house and setting it on fire. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He got paroled after 17 months and sent to live in a halfway house.

On September 23rd, 2005, Levi escaped the halfway house. Nobody reported him missing. He slept at his mother’s house for 5 days. Levi’s mother drove him back to his dad’s. Levi and his dad become involved in an argument and his father kicked him out of the house.

At 7:00 a.m. the following morning, Scott saw his son for the last time when he dropped Levi off at the bus stop. In March 2006, Levi was indicted for two counts of murder in Missouri, and three counts of murder in Texas.

If convicted he faced the death penalty in Missouri and possibly another death sentence in Texas. Levi pled not guilty to all of the charges. But prior to trial, in April 2008, Missouri prosecutors took the death penalty off the table. Levi remarkably did plead guilty.

In Waynesville, Missouri, on April 18th, 2008, inside Pulaski County Circuit Court, Levi King took the stand during his sentencing hearing for the murders of the McCool’s. The fact that he was involved in drugs, and childhood abuse, and everything else, he waved all that in his defense.

He said, “ I’m not going to blame it on anything, I did it, I’m guilty, I’m responsible.” Levi was subsequently sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole. In August 2008, Levi entered Lubbock County Courthouse in Texas, and pled not guilty to the murders of the Conrad’s.

The proceedings were delayed nearly eight months. When the trial resumed he pled guilty, and at that point the jurors moved into the sentencing phase of the trial. The prosecution decided to seek the death penalty because of the excruciating effect that seeing all of her family members die, had on the young child, Robin.

14 year old Robin, the sole survivor of Levi’s Rampage, took the stand and recounted the details of the horrific night three years prior in which she lost her entire family. She talked about how she missed her father, mother, brother, and how she was still traumatized to this very day. She just broke down on the stand.

On October 5th, the jury began deliberating. To agree on the death penalty, the jury had to be completely in agreement. But one juror held out for more than 7 hours and refused to vote for the death penalty. Without a unanimous vote, on October 6th, 2009, Levi King received three life sentences without the possibility of parole.

You can’t expect Levi to turn out any other way then he did. The bottom line though is he was in a completely dysfunctional family, and tremendous abuse, which led him to Psychopathic Behavior. It is really a shame to waste $800,000 a year on this SOB. Levi King is currently incarcerated at the Eastern reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne, Terre, Missouri .