JEFFERSON CITY — Travis Canon was a teenager when he got hooked on drugs.
He was 19 when he committed his first serious crime. In 1997, Canon and two accomplices robbed a convenience store on U.S. Highway 71 near Maryville. He shot and killed store clerk Gracie Hixson in the process.
kAmw6 H2D a` J62CD @=5 H96?[ 72465 H:E9 2 A@DD:3=6 562E9 D6?E6?46[ r2?@? E@@< E96 25G:46 @7 9:D 5676?D6 2EE@C?6J[ A=62565 8F:=EJ E@ 7:CDE\568C66 >FC56C 2?5 DE2CE65 D6CG:?8 2 =:76 D6?E6?46 H:E9@FE E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 A2C@=6]k^Am
kAmr2?@? :D :?42C46C2E65 2E y6776CD@? r:EJ r@CC64E:@?2= r6?E6C[ 2?5 2D :E DE2?5D ?@H 96’D ?6G6C =62G:?8] qFE a_ J62CD :? AC:D@? 42? 492?86 2 A6CD@? 7@C E96 36EE6C[ r2?@?’D >@E96C[ |2C82C6E[ 6>A92D:K65 E@ E96 w@FD6 $A64:2= r@>>:EE66 @? rC:>:?2= yFDE:46 %9FCD52J >@C?:?8] $96 E6DE:7:65 :? DFAA@CE @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]9@FD6]>@]8@G^3:==EC24<:?8^3:==D`h`^9=C3:==DA57^_bbdw]_`x]A57Qmwq `hdk^2m[ H9:49 H@F=5 8C2?E 2 A2C@=6 962C:?8 E@ D@>6 :?>2E6D D6?E6?465 E@ =:76 H:E9@FE A2C@=6 H9@ 92G6 D6CG65 2E =62DE ad J62CD :? AC:D@?]k^Am
kAm“x’> ?@E D2J:?8 >J D@? 5:5?’E 56D6CG6 E@ 8@ E@ AC:D@?] ]]] yFDE 3642FD6 D@>6@?6 4@>>:ED 2 4C:>6 2E 286 `h 5@6D?’E >62? E96J’C6 :CC6566>23=6[” D96 D2:5[ ?@E:?8 E96 5C2>2E:4 G2C:2?46D :? 492C8:?8 2?5 D6?E6?4:?8 @7 D:>:=2C 4C:>6D 7C@> 4@F?EJ E@ 4@F?EJ] $96 ;@:?65 2 ?F>36C @7 @E96C 4C:>:?2= ;FDE:46 C67@C> 25G@42E6D[ D@4:2= H@C<6CD 2?5 AC:G2E6 4:E:K6?D :? DFAA@CE @7 C6E9:?<:?8 =:76 H:E9@FE A2C@=6 :? |:DD@FC:]k^Am
kAmk^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 23@FE @AA@CEF?:EJ[” D2:5 E96 3:==’D DA@?D@C #6A] y:> }66=J[ #\r2>6C@?] }66=J D2:5 96 H2D :?DA:C65 E@ 5C27E E96 AC@A@D2= 27E6C >66E:?8 2 >2? D6CG:?8 =:76 H:E9@FE A2C@=6 7@C 2 >2C:;F2?2\C6=2E65 4@?G:4E:@?]k^Am
kAm&?56C E96 3:==’D 4FCC6?E =2?8F286[ @776?56CD H@F=5 92G6 E@ >66E E9C66 DE2?52C5D 367@C6 2 A2C@=6 3@2C5 4@F=5 962C E96:C 42D6ik^Am
kF=mk=:m$6CG6 2E =62DE ad J62CD @7 E96:C D6?E6?46]k^=:mk=:mp446AE 244@F?E23:=:EJ 7@C E96:C 4C:>6] %9@D6 H9@ 92G6 >2:?E2:?65 :??@46?46 D:?46 4@?G:4E:@? 2?5 >66E E96 @E96C 4C:E6C:2 H@F=5 2=D@ 36 6=:8:3=6]k^=:mk=:m|2<6 C62D@?23=6 677@CED E@H2C5 C6923:=:E2E:@?]k^=:mk^F=m
kAmr@?G:4ED H9@D6 4C:>6WDX >66E 46CE2:? 288C2G2E:?8 724E@CD F?56C D64E:@? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^=2H];FDE:2]4@>^4@56D^>:DD@FC:^a_`b^E:E=6\IIIG:::^492AE6C\ded^D64E:@?\ded]_ba^Qmded]_bak^2m @7 E96 |:DD@FC: #6G:D65 $E2EFE6D[ DF49 2D AC:@C G:@=6?E @776?D6D[ H@F=5 ?@E 36 4@?D:56C65 7@C A2C@=6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 3:==]k^Am
kAm}66=J’D 3:== 4@>A=6>6?ED 2 ?F>36C @7 @E96C 3:==D >@G:?8 E9C@F89 E96 |:DD@FC: v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J E9:D J62C 2:>65 2E 4C:>:?2= ;FDE:46 C67@C>[ 2?5 >@C6 DA64:7:42==J[ C65F4:?8 |:DD@FC:’D AC:D@? A@AF=2E:@?] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 |:DD@FC: s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@CC64E:@?D H63D:E6[ E96 DE2E6 92D E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@4]>@]8@G^>65:2\46?E6C^?6HDC@@>^;FDE:46\C6:?G6DE>6?E\6I64FE:G6\@G6CD:89E\4@F?4:=Qm6:89E9\9:896DEk^2m AC:D@? A@AF=2E:@? :? E96 4@F?ECJ[ 2?5 :E’D 2? 6IA6?D:G6 AC@3=6> 3@E9 #6AF3=:42?D 2?5 s6>@4C2ED 92G6 G@H65 E@ >:E:82E6]k^Am
kAm#6A] r@5J $>:E9[ #\r2CE9286[ :D DA@?D@C:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]9@FD6]>@]8@G^q:==]2DAIn3:==lwq``bU2>AjJ62Cla_`hU2>Aj4@56l#Qm2 3:==k^2m E92E H@F=5 6=:>:?2E6 >2?52E@CJ\>:?:>F> D6?E6?4:?8 8F:56=:?6D 7@C ?@?G:@=6?E @776?56CD 2?5 :?DE625 EFC? 5:D4C6E:@? @G6C E@ 2 ;F586] xE’D 2=C625J A2DD65 @FE @7 E96 D2>6 w@FD6 4@>>:EE66 E92E 962C5 }66=J’D 3:== 2?5 :D ?@H 2H2:E:?8 :ED EFC? :? $6?2E6] #6A] %@> w2??682?[ #\$E] r92C=6D[ 92D 2=D@ AFE 7@CE9[ 7@C E96 E9:C5 J62C :? 2 C@H[ 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]9@FD6]>@]8@G^4@>>:EE66D]2DAIn42E68@CJl2==U2>Aj4@>>:EE66la_ehU2>AjJ62Cla_`hU2>Aj4@56l#U2>Aj4=FDE6ClECF6QmAC@A@D2=k^2m E@ 8C2?E 2 A2C@=6 962C:?8 7@C ?@?G:@=6?E AC:D@?6CD @G6C E96 286 @7 ed]k^Am
kAm|6>36CD @7 E96 4@>>:EE66 @G6CH96=>:?8=J =2F565 E96 DA:C:E 2?5 :?E6?E:@? 369:?5 }66=J’D 3:==[ 3FE D@>6 925 4@?46C?D 23@FE 9@H :E 4@F=5 C6\EC2F>2E:K6 G:4E:>D 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D 4@>A6==65 E@ E6DE:7J 2E 2 A2C@=6 962C:?8 E96J H6C6 2DDFC65 H@F=5 ?6G6C 92AA6?]k^Am
kAm“x 24<?@H=6586 E96 9F>2?:E2C:2? >6?E2=:EJ @7 WE9:D 3:==X[” #6A] {2?6 #@36CED[ #\y@A=:?[ D2:5] “qFE 7:CDE 2?5 7@C6>@DE[ >J 4@?46C? H:== 2=H2JD 36 7@C E96 G:4E:>D] x H2?E E@ >2<6 52C? DFC6 H6 5@?’E 5@ C6A62E65 52>286 E@ E96> :? 2? 677@CE E@ 36 <:?5 E@ D@>6@?6 6=D6 H9@ >256 2 >:DE2<6]”k^Am
kAms2CC6== |@@C6[ 2 7@C>6C vC66?6 r@F?EJ AC@D64FE@C 2?5 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 E96 |:DD@FC: ~77:46 @7 !C@D64FE:@? $6CG:46D[ H2D E96 @?=J H:E?6DD E@ E6DE:7J 282:?DE E96 3:==]k^Am
kAm“pD 2 AC@D64FE@C x 2> 492C865 H:E9 >2<:?8 DFC6 2== E9C66 =68D W@7 E96 ;FDE:46 DJDE6>X 2C6 FA96=5i H92E :D ;FDE 7@C 5676?52?E[ H92E :D ;FDE 7@C G:4E:> 2?5 H92E :D ;FDE 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ[” |@@C6 D2:5] w6 2C8F65 E92E 2D HC:EE6?[ E96 3:== 5@6D ?@E FA9@=5 E96 =2DE EH@ “=68D” @7 ;FDE:46 3642FD6 E96 288C2G2E:?8 724E@CD 6I4=F5:?8 2? @776?56C 7C@> E2<:?8 25G2?E286 @7 E96 A2C@=6 962C:?8 @AE:@? 2C6 E@@ =6?:6?E]k^Am
kAm“!6@A=6 H9@ 4@>>:E 7:CDE\568C66 DE2EFE@CJ D@5@>J @C C2A6 @7 49:=5C6? F?56C `a 2C6 D6?E6?465 E@ =:76 H:E9@FE A2C@=6[ 3FE E96 H2J E9:D 3:== :D HC:EE6?[ :E H@F=5 2==@H E9@D6 A6@A=6 E@ 36 6=:8:3=6 7@C A2C@=6]” |@@C6 D2:5] “x 5@?’E 36=:6G6 @FC D@4:6EJ @C E96 DE2E6 @7 |:DD@FC: :D E@ E92E A@:?E]”k^Am
kAm|6>36CD @7 E96 4@>>:EE66 D92C65 D@>6 @7 |@@C6’D H@CC:6D] “x’> 4@?46C?65 E92E E9:D H:== EFC? :?E@ C6=:67 7@C G:@=6?E @776?56CD[ DF49 2D E9@D6 4@?G:4E65 @7 AC6>65:E2E65 >FC56C[” #6A] (:=6J !C:46[ s\$E] {@F:D[ D2:5]k^Am
kAm“x 962C J@FC 4@?46C?D[ 3FE x ECFDE E96 6J6D 2?5 62CD @7 E96 A2C@=6 3@2C5[” }66=J C6DA@?565]k^Am
kAm#6A] !9:= r9C:DE@72?6==:[ #\$E]!6E6CD[ 2=D@ D2:5 96’5 =:<6 E@ D66 E96 3:==’D C6249 ?2CC@H65[ E@ :?4=F56 >@C6 DA64:7:4 =2?8F286 23@FE H92E <:?5 @7 @776?56CD H@F=5 36 8C2?E65 2 A2C@=6 962C:?8] w6 4:E65 w2??682?’D 3:==[ E96 @?6 862C65 E@H2C5 C6=:67 7@C ?@?G:@=6?E 86C:2EC:4 AC:D@?6CD[ 2D 2 8@@5 6I2>A=6 @7 9@H }66=J’D 3:== 4@F=5 36 2>6?565]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmk6>m$FA6CG:D:?8 65:E@C :D |2C< w@CG:E[ k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i9@CG:E>o>:DD@FC:]65FQm9@CG:E>o>:DD@FC:]65Fk^2m]k^6>mk^DA2?mk^Am