Much of what we know of Gilmore began, like most murderers, with a series of early life traumas. Gilmore was no different. In 1961 his father was diagnosed with cancer and died the following July. Gary, then 21, was in jail at the time for driving without a license and tried to kill himself when given this news by slitting his wrists.
By 1964 Gilmore had gone off the rails and was involved in a slew of petty thefts, burglaries and robberies. He was granted parole in 1972 but never registered as an offender. He was arrested again for armed robbery and transferred to Marion, IL in 1975. He would be paroled in April 1976 - only to commit his murders a few months later...apparently sentencing guidelines were far more lax than today. (Reminds me of Arthur Shawcross getting out of prison AFTER killing two children - only to commit a dozen more)
Gary Gilmore murdered Max Jensen on July 19, 1976. Jensen was a gas station employee in Orem, UT at the time. The very next evening, he murdered Bennie Bushnell, a hotel manager in Provo, UT. Both were robbed and murdered execution style - even after complying with his wishes.
Gilmore accidentally shot himself when trying to dispose of the .22 caliber weapon and was seen leaving the scene of the second murder. His cousin, Brenda, turned him into police on July 21, 1976.
Gilmore is probably even more famous for his willingness to die, by expediting appeals in Utah. On January 17, 1977, he was killed by firing squad at 8:07am. When asked for any last words, he said, "Let's Do It!" - A phrase that might be commmonly now known as Nike's slogan, "Just Do It." - which was admittedly stolen by the marketing team of Nike in the early 1980's - and is referenced in the new movie, "Air."
This is an original blue ink drawing on archive matting with beautiful gold wood frame. Gold leaf was actually used on the frame and the matting was customized to add to the shadow box. This frame, matting, and glass is worth nearly $550 alone. It is quite stunning in person.
How was this obtained?
About a decade ago a series of collectors were contacted about Gary Gilmore's pieces becoming available and they were not cheap back then. A few of us paid handsomely for these - and for good reason. Gilmore had actually trained to be an artist, and his pieces show this training. When you see a "Gilmore" not only is it recognizable, but the style is unique and very "Americana." Often it is children, people or those who struggled in life - with his work often showing a slightly darker side to life. Subjects are often deep in thought or "lost" when you see them. As for a total number in existence - probably under 30. We have not seen any in the better part of 7-8 years come to the marketplace.
Forensics:
Almost all Gilmore pieces are distinguishable by a cursive "Gary" signature - seen here, character-right (by his foot). Many came in very old, cheap mat boards that were on the brink of mold or could not support the piece. Some of the boards had the names and size written by Gary but these were removed because of the condition of the matting. The matting was disposed of years ago herein.
This is held onto the matting with archive tape - so as to support the piece but also allow it to be removed, without damage, if someone wanted to change the frame. Sealed with wire hangar.
Size: 22.5"Hx19"W as framed. Image is approximately 10"x9.5"