John Frederick Thanos (March 28, 1949 – May 17, 1994)[1] was an American spree killer who was convicted in 1992 of the murders of three teenagers: Gregory Taylor, Billy Winebrenner, and Melody Pistorio.

Steven was described as a mentally ill WW2 veteran who severely abused John Thanos and even drugged his wife.

Thanos was released from prison in April 1986, however, he returned only a month later after he committed an armed robbery at a convenience store.

On April 15, 1990, Thanos was accidentally released early due to a mistake by a prison official who was later fired.

Thanos would later reveal in a videotaped confession that he embarked on a crime spree because he was worried his parole was going to be revoked.

That same night, he robbed a cab driver at gunpoint and forced him into the trunk of the vehicle, threatening to kill him if he refused to comply with his demands.

Holding him at gunpoint while in his car, Thanos ordered Taylor to drive to a wooded area along a deserted logging road, where he intended to tie him to a tree.

The two made a deal in which Thanos could return to the gas station and pay $60 to get the watch back.

Enraged, Thanos took out his gun and robbed the gas station at gunpoint, demanding Winebrenner fill his bag with cash.

I don't believe I could satisfy my thirst yet in this matter unless I was to be able to dig these brats' bones up out of their graves right now and beat them into powder and urinate on them and then stir it into a murky yellowish elixir and serve it up to their loved ones" during his sentencing hearing for the murder of Winebrenner and Pistorio.

Thanos agreed to a proposal by a lawyer of another prisoner sentenced to death to have his execution videotaped and his EEG data recorded, in an attempt to raise evidence that execution by gas chamber is cruel and unusual, as defined by the 8th Amendment, and thus unconstitutional.

The legislature of Maryland responded by making lethal injection the primary means of execution in January 1994.