Ray Belknap and his friend James "Jay" Vance shot themselves on 23 December 1985. Ray died immediately. James survived, severely disfigured. While in constant pain from his injuries he underwent extensive reconstructive surgery, ultimately lapsing into a coma three years later and dying in the hospital.
Belknap and Vance are best known because of the lawsuit their families filed again the band Judas Priest, alleging that subliminal messages were responsible for the pair's suicide attempts. Interested persons can find extensive coverage in newspapers from 1988-1990, when the families lost the lawsuit (although the judge awarded them $40,000 in sanctions from the record company, due to their attempts to withhold the original recordings from the court). The Sacramento Bee article of 31 October 1988 contains a fairly long summary of the background of the two young men, based on court testimony. There is also a Rolling Stone article from December 2015 (the 25th anniversary of the lawsuit's verdict) and a 1992 documentary, "Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance vs. Judas Priest."
Middle name, places from Nevada death index.
Belknap and Vance are best known because of the lawsuit their families filed again the band Judas Priest, alleging that subliminal messages were responsible for the pair's suicide attempts. Interested persons can find extensive coverage in newspapers from 1988-1990, when the families lost the lawsuit (although the judge awarded them $40,000 in sanctions from the record company, due to their attempts to withhold the original recordings from the court). The Sacramento Bee article of 31 October 1988 contains a fairly long summary of the background of the two young men, based on court testimony. There is also a Rolling Stone article from December 2015 (the 25th anniversary of the lawsuit's verdict) and a 1992 documentary, "Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance vs. Judas Priest."
Middle name, places from Nevada death index.
Ray Belknap and his friend James "Jay" Vance shot themselves on 23 December 1985. Ray died immediately. James survived, severely disfigured. While in constant pain from his injuries he underwent extensive reconstructive surgery, ultimately lapsing into a coma three years later and dying in the hospital.
Belknap and Vance are best known because of the lawsuit their families filed again the band Judas Priest, alleging that subliminal messages were responsible for the pair's suicide attempts. Interested persons can find extensive coverage in newspapers from 1988-1990, when the families lost the lawsuit (although the judge awarded them $40,000 in sanctions from the record company, due to their attempts to withhold the original recordings from the court). The Sacramento Bee article of 31 October 1988 contains a fairly long summary of the background of the two young men, based on court testimony. There is also a Rolling Stone article from December 2015 (the 25th anniversary of the lawsuit's verdict) and a 1992 documentary, "Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance vs. Judas Priest."
Middle name, places from Nevada death index.
Belknap and Vance are best known because of the lawsuit their families filed again the band Judas Priest, alleging that subliminal messages were responsible for the pair's suicide attempts. Interested persons can find extensive coverage in newspapers from 1988-1990, when the families lost the lawsuit (although the judge awarded them $40,000 in sanctions from the record company, due to their attempts to withhold the original recordings from the court). The Sacramento Bee article of 31 October 1988 contains a fairly long summary of the background of the two young men, based on court testimony. There is also a Rolling Stone article from December 2015 (the 25th anniversary of the lawsuit's verdict) and a 1992 documentary, "Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance vs. Judas Priest."
Middle name, places from Nevada death index.
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Beloved Son and Brother
Oct. 24, 1967
Raymond E. Belknap
Dec. 23, 1985
Forever to be our Ray Ray
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