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Karl was born in Oklahoma City, the thirtieth largest city in the USA and one that traces its history back to 1889. For those folks that don't know, OKC is pretty much bang centre in the middle of the US and if you're born on the wrong side of the tracks its not the most gentle of places to be brought up in.
He was the firstborn and was eventually to be joined by eight siblings, three sisters and five brothers. Karl had an unsettled childhood which was to see him moved from state to state during which time he also had an abusive upbringing. He was to live briefly in New Mexico before eventually settling in East Dallas.
Karl was to be haunted by the hardships he suffered and turned to drinks and drugs to try and find a release from the flashbacks and panic attacks that afflicted him as he reached adulthood. By the time he'd reached his 21st birthday he was close to despair. His situation was considerably worsened by severe financial difficulties compounded by Karl having difficulty in holding down a job.
In December 1991 Karl gathered together all the strength he had and resolved to give up drinking and drugs. His addiction and mental state by then had seen him commit the horrendous crime he was eventually to be sentenced to death for. Day by day he fought harder and harder and was to land a job working in the computer industry which was to provide the stability he needed to try and put his life back on track. His time of mental torment, during which he had contemplated suicide and had also resorted to petty crime to find a way out, seemed at last to be behind him.
However, five years after Karl had committed murder, his past was to catch up with him and he was arrested, put on trial and at the age of 27 sentenced to death.
