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{{Short description|American criminal, rapist and cult leader (1941–2008)}}
{{Other people||Robert Hale (disambiguation){{!}}Robert Hale}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox criminal
| image = File:Bobby Hale.jpg|thumb|
| caption = 1957 Arlington Heights High School Yearbook Photo
| birth_name = Robert Allen Hale
| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|04|07}}
| birth_place = [[Fort Worth]], Texas, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|05|24|1944|04|07}}
| death_place = [[Anchorage, Alaska]], U.S.
| occupation = [[Homesteader]]
| motive =
| other_names = Bobby Hale, Papa Pilgrim
| known_for =
| conviction = {{plainlist|
* [[sexual assault]], [[kidnapping]], and [[incest]]
}}
| penalty = 14 year imprisonment
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Kathleen Connelly|1959|1959|end=Suicide}}
* {{marriage| Kurina Bresler|1974|2008|}}
}}
| children = 18
}}


'''Robert Allan Hale''' (April 7, 1941 – May 26, 2008) — known as '''Bobby Hale''', as well as '''Papa Pilgrim''' and '''Sunstar''' — was an American criminal who mentally, physically, and [[sexual abuse|sexually abused]] his wife and 15 children in the [[Alaska]]n wilderness.
'''Robert Allan Hale''' (April 7, 1941 – May 24, 2008) — known as '''Bobby Hale''', as well as '''Papa Pilgrim''' and '''Sunstar''' — was an American criminal who mentally, physically, and [[sexual abuse|sexually abused]] his wife and 15 children in the [[Alaska]]n wilderness.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Robert Allan Hale was the son of Virginia and [[I. B. Hale]].<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007">{{cite news |last=Douglas Jr. |first=Jack |date=December 9, 2007 |title=The strange story of Papa Pilgrim |url= |newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |location= |page=A10 |access-date= }}</ref> He had a twin brother, Billy, and younger brother, Tommy.<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/> He grew up in [[Fort Worth, Texas]] and attended [[Arlington Heights High School]].<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/>
Robert Allan Hale was the son of Virginia and [[I. B. Hale]].<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007">{{cite news |last=Douglas |first=Jack Jr. |date=December 9, 2007 |title=The strange story of Papa Pilgrim |newspaper=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |page=A10 }}</ref> He had a twin brother, Billy, and younger brother, Tommy.<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/> He grew up in [[Fort Worth, Texas]] and attended [[Arlington Heights High School]].<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/>


As an eighteen-year-old [[Senior (education)|senior]], Hale [[eloped]] in [[Ardmore, Oklahoma]] with 16-year-old Kathleen "K.K." Connally, the daughter of future [[Governor of Texas|Texas governor]] [[John Connally]].<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/><ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959">{{cite news|title=Hale Cleared In Death Of Wife|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SHRPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5wQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5186%2C5438634|date=April 30, 1959|accessdate=May 26, 2013|newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner|agency=AP|location=Ocala, Florida|page=15}}</ref> On March 16, 1959, the couple were married in Ardmore prior to moving into an apartment in [[Tallahassee, Florida]].<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/><ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/><ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959">{{cite news |last=Gillespy |first=James |date=April 30, 1959 |title=Bride's Death Ruled Accidental |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=klEqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YFEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6970%2C3571022 |newspaper=The Dispatch |volume=LXXVII |issue=202 |location=Lexington, Kentucky |agency=UPI |page=16 |access-date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> Hale worked for a boat company earning $75 per week.<ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/><ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/> The couple had been married only 44 days when Kathleen died after a [[20-gauge shotgun]] discharged behind her right ear on April 28, 1959.<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/><ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/> Hale spent that night in [[jail]];<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/> police reported that he was held in "[[protective custody]]" pending the ruling of a [[coroner's jury]].<ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/>
As an 18-year-old [[Senior (education)|senior]], Hale [[eloped]] in [[Ardmore, Oklahoma]] with 16-year-old Kathleen "K.K." Connally who was pregnant, the daughter of future [[Governor of Texas|Texas governor]] [[John Connally]].<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/><ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959">{{cite news|title=Hale Cleared In Death Of Wife|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SHRPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5wQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5186%2C5438634|date=April 30, 1959|access-date=May 26, 2013|newspaper=[[Ocala Star-Banner]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|location=Ocala, Florida|page=15}}</ref> On March 16, 1959, the couple were married in Ardmore prior to moving into an apartment in [[Tallahassee, Florida]].<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/><ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/><ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959">{{cite news |last=Gillespy |first=James |date=April 30, 1959 |title=Bride's Death Ruled Accidental |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=klEqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YFEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6970%2C3571022 |newspaper=[[The Dispatch (Lexington)|The Dispatch]] |volume=LXXVII |issue=202 |location=Lexington, Kentucky |agency=UPI |page=16 |access-date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> Hale worked for a boat company earning $75 per week.<ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/><ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/> The couple had been married only 44 days when Kathleen died after a [[20-gauge shotgun]] discharged behind her right ear on April 28, 1959.<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/><ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/> Hale spent that night in [[jail]];<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/> police reported that he was held in "[[protective custody]]" pending the ruling of a [[coroner's jury]].<ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/>


On April 29, Hale testified that Kathleen had left their apartment after an argument on the evening of April 27 and did not return until noon the following day.<ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/> According to Hale, he spent the night looking for her and returned to find her sitting on a couch holding the gun.<ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/><ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/> He said that his wife was about to commit [[suicide]] and that the gun discharged when he lunged at it.<ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/><ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/> Both fathers testified at the inquest; John Connally stated that his daughter was pregnant and had been despondent over the move to Florida.<ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/> After deliberating for 45 minutes, Hale was cleared of responsibility for Kathleen's death when the jury ruled it to be an accident.<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/><ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/><ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/>
On April 29, Hale testified that Kathleen had left their apartment after an argument on the evening of April 27 and did not return until noon the following day.<ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/> According to Hale, he spent the night looking for her and returned to find her sitting on a couch holding the gun.<ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/><ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/> He said that his wife was about to commit [[suicide]] and that the gun discharged when he lunged at it.<ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/><ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/> Both fathers testified at the inquest; John Connally stated that his daughter was pregnant and had been despondent over the move to Florida.<ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/> After 45 minutes of deliberations, Hale was cleared of responsibility for Kathleen's death when the jury ruled it to be an accident.<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/><ref name="Ocala Star-Banner; April 30, 1959"/><ref name="The Dispatch; April 30, 1959"/>


==Other legal troubles and death==
==Other legal troubles and death==
On August 7, 1962, before living in [[Alaska]], Hale and his twin brother "Billy" Hale were observed by an [[FBI]] agent as they burgled the [[Los Angeles]] apartment of [[Judith Exner]], who claimed to be a mistress of President [[John F. Kennedy]].<ref name="washingtonpost.com">https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2003/09/28/a-bulldozer-runs-through-it/a93f7e3a-eb8f-424e-a6f5-75adc3dcb39d/</ref>
On August 7, 1962, before living in [[Alaska]], Hale and his twin brother "Billy" Hale were observed by an [[FBI]] agent as they burgled the [[Los Angeles]] apartment of [[Judith Exner]], who later claimed to be a mistress of President [[John F. Kennedy]].<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite news|title=A Bulldozer Runs Through It|first=Blaine|last=Harden|date=September 28, 2003|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2003/09/28/a-bulldozer-runs-through-it/a93f7e3a-eb8f-424e-a6f5-75adc3dcb39d/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>


In 1974, Robert Hale (then going by the name "Sunstar") met 16-year-old Kurina Rose Bresler in the California desert. She would later call herself "Country Rose" and bear Hale 15 children.<ref name="boston.com">[http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/12/28/father_of_15_faces_prison_in_incest_case/ Father of 15 faces prison in incest case: 'Papa Pilgrim' gained fame as rebel in Alaska], The Boston Globe, December 28, 2006</ref> Hale had gained notoriety through his family's iconoclastic lifestyle. A self-proclaimed devout [[Christian]], Hale moved his family of 17 to Alaska from [[New Mexico]] in 1998 and kept them isolated from nearly all outside influences, including churches.
In 1974, Robert Hale (then going by the name "Sunstar") met 16-year-old Kurina Rose Bresler in the California desert. She would later call herself "Country Rose" and bear Hale 15 children.<ref name="boston.com">{{cite news|first=Blaine|last=Harden|url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/12/28/father_of_15_faces_prison_in_incest_case/|title=Father of 15 faces prison in incest case: 'Papa Pilgrim' gained fame as rebel in Alaska|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=December 28, 2006}}</ref> Hale had gained notoriety through his family's iconoclastic lifestyle. A self-proclaimed devout [[Christians|Christian]], Hale moved his family of 17 to Alaska from [[New Mexico]] in 1998 and kept them isolated from nearly all outside influences, including churches.


In 2002, Hale launched a legal battle with the [[National Park Service]] over his plan to bulldoze a road to his 410-acre ranch ("Hillbilly Heaven") inside the remote [[Wrangell-St. Elias National Park]], near the small town of [[McCarthy, Alaska]].<ref name="boston.com"/> He lost his case at the US Court of Appeals (9th Cir., San Francisco). He appealed to the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], and the Court refused to hear it.
In 2002, Hale launched a legal battle with the [[National Park Service]] over his plan to bulldoze a road to his 410-acre ranch ("Hillbilly Heaven") inside the remote [[Wrangell-St. Elias National Park]], near the small town of [[McCarthy, Alaska]].<ref name="boston.com"/> He lost his case at the US Court of Appeals (9th Cir., San Francisco). He appealed to the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], and the Court refused to hear it.
Line 19: Line 43:
In 2005, family members told police that Hale had routinely beaten and [[rape]]d his eldest daughter for years. He was incarcerated in September 2007 and died eight months later on May 26, 2008. He was a diabetic and had been in poor health since at least 2006.<ref name="boston.com"/>
In 2005, family members told police that Hale had routinely beaten and [[rape]]d his eldest daughter for years. He was incarcerated in September 2007 and died eight months later on May 26, 2008. He was a diabetic and had been in poor health since at least 2006.<ref name="boston.com"/>


Hale was mentioned in [[Seymour Hersh]]'s 1997 book ''The Dark Side of Camelot''.<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/><ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> In 2013 a book was published by Tom Kizzia titled ''Pilgrim's Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier,'' chronicling Hale's life with a focus on his time in McCarthy. The initial arrival of Hale and the Pilgrim Family in McCarthy was also documented by the humourist and travel-documentarist [[Pete McCarthy]] in ''The Road To McCarthy (2002)''.
Hale was mentioned in [[Seymour Hersh]]'s 1997 book ''[[The Dark Side of Camelot]]''.<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram; December 9, 2007"/><ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> In 2013 a book was published by Tom Kizzia titled ''Pilgrim's Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier,'' chronicling Hale's life with a focus on his time in McCarthy. The initial arrival of Hale and the Pilgrim Family in McCarthy was also documented by the humourist and travel-documentarist [[Pete McCarthy]] in ''The Road To McCarthy'' (2002).


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.adn.com/2008/05/26/2972929/papa-pilgrim-dies-in-jail-unrepentant.html Tom Kizzia, "Papa Pilgrim dies in jail, unrepentant and alone", ''[[Anchorage Daily News]]'', May 26, 2008.]
*[http://www.adn.com/2008/05/26/2972929/papa-pilgrim-dies-in-jail-unrepentant.html Tom Kizzia, "Papa Pilgrim dies in jail, unrepentant and alone"], ''[[Anchorage Daily News]]'', May 26, 2008.
*[http://www.outsideonline.com/1928141/papa-pilgrims-progress-dark-tale-alaskan-frontiersman Mark Kirby, "Papa Pilgrim's Progress: The Dark Tale of an Alaskan Frontiersman", [[Outside Magazine]], November 19, 2008.]
*[http://www.outsideonline.com/1928141/papa-pilgrims-progress-dark-tale-alaskan-frontiersman Mark Kirby, "Papa Pilgrim's Progress: The Dark Tale of an Alaskan Frontiersman"], [[Outside Magazine]], November 19, 2008.
*{{Find a Grave|121593790}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Fort Worth, Texas]]
[[Category:American rapists]]
[[Category:American rapists]]
[[Category:American people who died in prison custody]]
[[Category:American people who died in prison custody]]

Latest revision as of 13:13, 13 November 2024

Robert Allen Hale
1957 Arlington Heights High School Yearbook Photo
Born
Robert Allen Hale

(1941-04-07)April 7, 1941
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
DiedMay 24, 2008(2008-05-24) (aged 64)
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Other namesBobby Hale, Papa Pilgrim
OccupationHomesteader
Spouses
Kathleen Connelly
​
​
(m. 1959; Suicide 1959)​
Kurina Bresler
​
(m. 1974⁠–⁠2008)​
Children18
Conviction(s)
Criminal penalty14 year imprisonment

Robert Allan Hale (April 7, 1941 – May 24, 2008) — known as Bobby Hale, as well as Papa Pilgrim and Sunstar — was an American criminal who mentally, physically, and sexually abused his wife and 15 children in the Alaskan wilderness.

Early life

[edit]

Robert Allan Hale was the son of Virginia and I. B. Hale.[1] He had a twin brother, Billy, and younger brother, Tommy.[1] He grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and attended Arlington Heights High School.[1]

As an 18-year-old senior, Hale eloped in Ardmore, Oklahoma with 16-year-old Kathleen "K.K." Connally who was pregnant, the daughter of future Texas governor John Connally.[1][2] On March 16, 1959, the couple were married in Ardmore prior to moving into an apartment in Tallahassee, Florida.[1][2][3] Hale worked for a boat company earning $75 per week.[2][3] The couple had been married only 44 days when Kathleen died after a 20-gauge shotgun discharged behind her right ear on April 28, 1959.[1][2] Hale spent that night in jail;[1] police reported that he was held in "protective custody" pending the ruling of a coroner's jury.[3]

On April 29, Hale testified that Kathleen had left their apartment after an argument on the evening of April 27 and did not return until noon the following day.[3] According to Hale, he spent the night looking for her and returned to find her sitting on a couch holding the gun.[2][3] He said that his wife was about to commit suicide and that the gun discharged when he lunged at it.[2][3] Both fathers testified at the inquest; John Connally stated that his daughter was pregnant and had been despondent over the move to Florida.[3] After 45 minutes of deliberations, Hale was cleared of responsibility for Kathleen's death when the jury ruled it to be an accident.[1][2][3]

[edit]

On August 7, 1962, before living in Alaska, Hale and his twin brother "Billy" Hale were observed by an FBI agent as they burgled the Los Angeles apartment of Judith Exner, who later claimed to be a mistress of President John F. Kennedy.[4]

In 1974, Robert Hale (then going by the name "Sunstar") met 16-year-old Kurina Rose Bresler in the California desert. She would later call herself "Country Rose" and bear Hale 15 children.[5] Hale had gained notoriety through his family's iconoclastic lifestyle. A self-proclaimed devout Christian, Hale moved his family of 17 to Alaska from New Mexico in 1998 and kept them isolated from nearly all outside influences, including churches.

In 2002, Hale launched a legal battle with the National Park Service over his plan to bulldoze a road to his 410-acre ranch ("Hillbilly Heaven") inside the remote Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, near the small town of McCarthy, Alaska.[5] He lost his case at the US Court of Appeals (9th Cir., San Francisco). He appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Court refused to hear it.

In 2005, family members told police that Hale had routinely beaten and raped his eldest daughter for years. He was incarcerated in September 2007 and died eight months later on May 26, 2008. He was a diabetic and had been in poor health since at least 2006.[5]

Hale was mentioned in Seymour Hersh's 1997 book The Dark Side of Camelot.[1][4] In 2013 a book was published by Tom Kizzia titled Pilgrim's Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier, chronicling Hale's life with a focus on his time in McCarthy. The initial arrival of Hale and the Pilgrim Family in McCarthy was also documented by the humourist and travel-documentarist Pete McCarthy in The Road To McCarthy (2002).

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Douglas, Jack Jr. (December 9, 2007). "The strange story of Papa Pilgrim". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. A10.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Hale Cleared In Death Of Wife". Ocala Star-Banner. Ocala, Florida. Associated Press. April 30, 1959. p. 15. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Gillespy, James (April 30, 1959). "Bride's Death Ruled Accidental". The Dispatch. Vol. LXXVII, no. 202. Lexington, Kentucky. UPI. p. 16. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Harden, Blaine (September 28, 2003). "A Bulldozer Runs Through It". The Washington Post.
  5. ^ a b c Harden, Blaine (December 28, 2006). "Father of 15 faces prison in incest case: 'Papa Pilgrim' gained fame as rebel in Alaska". The Boston Globe.
[edit]
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