Robert Anthony Buell


Robert Anthony Buell was an Akron, Ohio Planning Department worker, convicted of the July 17, 1982 murder of 11-year-old Krista Lea Harrison.
Buell was executed by lethal injection on September 24, 2002. His final meal was a single black unpitted olive.

Murder cases

On July 17, 1982, Buell was reportedly seen abducting Krista Harrison in a park in Marshallville, Ohio. Harrison's body was found six days after her kidnapping. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Four other young girls have been thought to have also been victims of Buell: Tina Marie Harmon, age 12, murdered in 1981; Debora Kaye Smith, age 10, murdered in 1983; Marcia King, age 21, murdered in 1980; and Kelly Prosser, age 8, in 1982.
Although strong evidence is present linking Buell to all five cases, Buell was only charged with the murder of Krista Harrison. He has since been linked by DNA evidence to Tina Harmon's murder. Buell was also a serial rapist. In 1984, Buell raped and tortured a woman who was able to escape and notify police, an event that ultimately led to his arrest.
Buell was sentenced to death for Krista Harrison's murder on April 11th, 1984. Eighteen years later, on September 24th, 2002, he was executed by lethal injection, still denying involvement in the Harrison murder.
This case was presented as "Material Evidence" in Forensic Files, season 5, episode 8, made before Buell's execution.