Jack Peterson

In the spring of 1939, as Phoenix, Arizona, was establishing itself as a growing capital city, a brutal crime shattered the community’s sense of peace. Jack Peterson, a 35-year-old white male working as a car salesman, was known professionally as E.B. Peterson. On April 29, 1939, his life, along with that of his colleague, was violently cut short in a robbery that escalated to a double murder.

The day began as any other at the dealership where Peterson worked. A 22-year-old man named Robert G. Burgunder, a student at the Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe, presented himself as a potential customer interested in buying a Ford sedan. He told the salesmen he needed to leave for California the next morning. Peterson accompanied Burgunder on a demonstration drive. After the initial test drive, they returned to the dealership and picked up another salesman, 44-year-old Ellis M. Koury, before heading out again. This time, however, the drive had a sinister purpose.

A few miles south of Tempe, near the village of Guadalupe, Burgunder revealed his true intentions. He drew a pistol and announced it was a "stickup." He directed Peterson, who was driving, to a desolate spot on the desert floor. There, he ordered both salesmen out of the car at gunpoint. Burgunder forced Koury to bind Peterson's hands and ankles using Peterson's own belt and necktie. He then made Koury tie his own feet. With both men helpless, Burgunder shot Koury twice in the head. He then turned to Peterson, who was struggling against his bonds, and shot him three times.

After murdering both men, Burgunder robbed them of their belongings and dragged their bodies approximately seventy feet into a dry sand wash to conceal them. He then fled in the stolen Ford sedan. The bodies of Jack Peterson and Ellis Koury were discovered the following day, sparking a widespread investigation and a manhunt for their killer.

The investigation quickly led to Robert Burgunder, who was apprehended and charged with the murders. His trial began in Maricopa County Superior Court on June 26, 1939. The evidence against him was substantial, including his connection to the stolen car, the murder weapon, and the victims' possessions. With little doubt as to who committed the crime, the trial's central question became Burgunder's mental state at the time of the killings. His defense attorneys argued for insanity, presenting testimony from his parents about his unusual behavior, gambling problems, and past experiences in a Washington reformatory.

The prosecution maintained that the murders were a calculated part of a robbery, making it a capital offense. Burgunder himself later stated he had decided to kill the men "because it was his best chance to get away," as he was already on parole for other crimes, including passing bad checks. On July 18, 1939, the jury found Robert Burgunder guilty of the first-degree murder of Jack Peterson and sentenced him to death.

Burgunder appealed his conviction to the Arizona Supreme Court, arguing he had been denied a fair trial. His appeal cited issues with the trial venue, his legal representation, and the handling of evidence regarding his mental state. On June 6, 1940, the state's highest court rejected the appeal and affirmed the death sentence. Shortly before his execution, Burgunder admitted his responsibility for both killings. On August 9, 1940, just over fifteen months after the murders, Robert Burgunder was executed in the gas chamber at the Arizona State Prison in Florence. He was 23 years old. The case is considered closed, having ended with the conviction and execution of the perpetrator.