The Wolcott family story

When James Gordon Wolcott was only 15 years old, he did something very terrible that shocked a small town in Texas. On August 5, 1967, Wolcott killed his father, mother, and sister in their home in Georgetown, Texas.

Each member of the family was shot several times with a small rifle called a .22 caliber, and they died as a result. The young Wolcott was taken into custody for the murders shortly after they happened. He had been a good student who was involved in activities with the Methodist youth group and worked for peace. However, he admitted to committing the killings, saying that disagreements within the family and his own frustrations led him to do it.
Wolcott's situation was different from others because he became the first young person in Williamson County to be treated as an adult during the trial.

The Wolcott family was famous in their small community of Georgetown, Texas, which had around 5,000 people. The family included Gordon B. Wolcott, who was a professor at Southwestern University, his wife Elizabeth Wolcott, and their 17-year-old daughter.

Their 15-year-old son, James Gordon Wolcott, was a smart student and actively involved in promoting peace. He attended Georgetown High School and had a good reputation.

However, everything changed dramatically on August 5, 1967, when the family was discovered dead in their own house. Shockingly, James Gordon Wolcott turned out to be the one responsible for the crime. He confessed to the murders soon after and was arrested.

The Wolcott family (pic : vocal media)

 

The murders were extremely horrifying, as each family member was shot with a small rifle called a .22 caliber, causing severe injuries.

In 1968, James Gordon Wolcott's trial became a notable event in Williamson County's legal history because it was the first time a young person was treated as an adult in court.

The trial lasted for more than six months, and at the end, the jury made a decision. They found Wolcott not guilty due to insanity. As a result, on February 2, 1968, Wolcott was sent to Rusk State Hospital, where he stayed for the next six years.

 

During the trial, everyone involved, including the defense, prosecution, and court psychiatrists, agreed that Wolcott had paranoid thoughts and false beliefs when he committed the murders. They argued that these mental health issues played a major role in his actions.

The evaluations showed that Wolcott did not feel any guilt for what he had done, and he had even thought about ending his own life multiple times in the months before the killings.

Wolcott's mental instability was also apparent from the fact that he had been sniffing glue, which is often associated with trying to cope with or escape from psychological distress. Because of these circumstances, all the psychiatrists unanimously advised that Wolcott should be sent to a psychiatric hospital. Eventually, this recommendation was followed after the trial's verdict.

Following his acquittal on the grounds of insanity, James Gordon Wolcott was sent to Rusk State Hospital. He stayed there until 1974 when a court, after a brief 15-minute discussion, deemed him mentally stable and released him.

The chief psychiatric social worker at Rusk Hospital, Wilson Nicar, described Wolcott as someone who could be relied upon, trusted, and highly intelligent. Surprisingly, later that same year, Wolcott enrolled as a student at Stephen F. Austin University, showcasing an incredible transformation from being a mental patient to becoming a university student.

Two years after leaving the hospital, Wolcott changed his name and disappeared from public view.

After almost forty years, he resurfaced as Dr. James St. James, a highly accomplished psychology professor. In 1976, under his new identity, he obtained a Ph.D. in psychology and became a faculty member at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.

James St. James:

James Gordon Wolcott, now known as James St. James, has become a highly regarded psychology professor at Millikin University. With three psychology degrees, including a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, he has dedicated over 30 years to teaching at Millikin University.
 

Even after the surprising disclosure of St. James' previous identity, Millikin University remained supportive and commended his efforts to rebuild his life and achieve success in his professional career. The university reaffirmed its dedication to education and expressed its confidence in St. James, expecting him to continue his teaching responsibilities.

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