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Caffey family murders

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Caffey family murders
LocationAlba, Texas, U.S.
DateMarch 1, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-03-01)
Attack type
Familicide (Fratricide & Matricide), mass murder, child murder, arson
Deaths3[a]
Injured1[b]
Perpetrator
  • Erin Caffey (16)
  • Charlie Wilkinson (18)[c]
  • Charles Waid (20)
  • Bobbi Johnson (18)
VerdictAll four pleaded guilty
ConvictionsCapital murder[d]
MotiveRevenge against Erin Caffey's family's after disapproval of her and Charlie Wilkinson's relationship
Sentence
  • Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole[e] (Caffey)
  • Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (Wilkinson and Waid)
  • 40 years in prison[f] (Johnson)

Three members of the Caffey family were murdered in their house in Alba, Texas, on March 1, 2008. Erin Caffey, then 16, organized the murder of her mother Penny Caffey and younger brothers Matthew and Tyler. Her father Terry was the only survivor, after being shot five times. The murders were committed by Erin's then-boyfriend Charlie Wilkinson and his friend Charles Waid, with Waid's girlfriend Bobbi Johnson acting as a getaway driver.[1][2] Erin and Wilkinson planned the murder for a month, after Erin's parents' disapproval of the relationship.[3] The crime gained notoriety for its violent nature, with one of Erin's brothers being stabbed repeatedly and her mother almost decapitated.

Background

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The Caffey family were devout Christians and part of the Miracle Faith Baptist Church, where Erin was in the church choir and Terry was a youth pastor.[4] They lived in Alba, Texas, a rural community with a population of 492 at the time.[5] The Caffey children had been homeschooled for three years, and were taught a Bible-based curriculum. Erin was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, a reason for the homeschooling. They had been re-enrolled at public schools six weeks prior to the murders, with Erin going to Rains High School.[3]

Erin met 18-year-old Charlie Wilkinson while working at fast-food chain Sonic in 2007, with the pair quickly forming a romantic relationship.[5][6] Wilkinson lived with his father and step-mother, seeing his biological mother once or twice a year. Wilkinson had given Erin his grandmother's engagement ring as a promise ring; Penny demanded she give it back after noticing it during a church function.[5] Weeks prior to the murders, Erin was told that she was not allowed to see Wilkinson after Penny discovered his MySpace page, which had references to profanity and sex.[7] Erin and Wilkinson began planning the murders after this incident so they could stay together, reportedly planning the crime for a month.[3] A former boyfriend was also told by Erin that she wanted her family dead.[1]

Murders

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In the morning hours of March 1, 2008, Wilkinson and Waid entered the Caffey family house, while Erin waited outside in a car with Johnson. At around 3:00 a.m., Penny and Terry Caffey woke up to sounds of the bedroom door hitting the dryer in the laundry room, which was next to the bedroom.[7] Penny Caffey was the first to be shot, and was stabbed with a samurai sword leading to near decapitation.[8][9] Matthew was shot in the head; just before being shot, his father Terry heard him screaming "Charlie! Charlie why are you doing this? No Charlie! No please why are you doing this?" Tyler was repeatedly stabbed to death with the sword by Wilkinson and Waid. Terry was shot five times and left to die. Following the crime, the house was lit on fire. Terry, the only survivor, crawled out of the burning house and to a neighbor's house, which took over an hour.[7] He was motivated to live in order to identify Wilkinson to the police.[9] From there, 911 was called and authorities came to the scene.

All four suspects were found in a mobile home owned by Waid, and apprehended on the same day as the killings.[5][10]

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All four defendants were initially charged with three counts of capital murder,[11] with prosecutors stating they did not plan to seek the death penalty for Erin.[12] All defendants had their bonds set at $1.5 million each.[10] Though a minor at the time of the killing, Erin was set to be tried as an adult and held in Hopkins County Jail. On January 2, 2009, she received two life sentences for her role after accepting a plea deal, making her eligible for parole when she is 59 years old.

Wilkinson and Waid were spared the death penalty after accepting a plea agreement, accepting life sentences without the possibility of parole.[13] Johnson, who was named as an accomplice who did not use a weapon, was sentenced to 40 years in prison and may be eligible for parole after serving 20.[12]

Waid has since expressed remorse for the crime.[14] Terry Caffey recalled being suicidal following the incident.[15] He cites God as the reason for being able to reconcile with the event and forgive those involved.[14] After Terry returned to his former property alone for the first time since the crime, he looked to the sky and said, "God why didn’t you take me, why did you take my family, I need an answer now, not next week, not next month, I need an answer today". He then saw a piece of paper stuck to a tree with the words "You’re sovereign; You’re in control", which motivated him to forgive his daughter for the crime. When told prosecutors were seeking the death penalty for Wilkinson and Waid, he proclaimed that Jesus would have "spared their life" and told prosecutors that their deaths would not bring his family back.[15] Caffey now ministers full time and has visited 600 public schools and 800 churches to share his story. He has since remarried and has four children with his wife Karen.[14]

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The crime was featured in American crime drama television series Final Witness in 2012.[16][17] In 2020, the crime was the premise of the sixth episode in Season 13 of Snapped: Killer Couples.[6] In 2016, Erin was interviewed by English journalist Piers Morgan for television documentary series Killer Women with Piers Morgan.[18][19] Terry has written a book on the events, titled Terror by Night: The True Story of the Brutal Texas Murder That Destroyed a Family, Restored One Man’s Faith, and Shocked a Nation.[20] In 2014, the story was featured on the American talk show Dr. Phil, with Terry appearing as a guest.[21]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^
    • Penny Caffey (37)
    • Matthew "Bubba" Caffey (13)
    • Tyler Caffey (8)
  2. ^ Terry Caffey (41)
  3. ^ Some sources say he was 19.
  4. ^ None of the four defendants went to trial, each opting for a plea deal.
  5. ^ Eligible for parole at the age of 59.
  6. ^ Eligible for parole after serving 20 years.

References

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  1. ^ a b Worley, Will (4 May 2016). "Woman who planned the murder of most of her family reveals why she did it". The Independent. Archived from the original on 11 December 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  2. ^ Murray, Rheana (27 June 2012). "Dad whose wife and sons were slaughtered forgives daughter for plotting murders". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Police: Boyfriend wanted to kill girl's parents". NBC News. 3 March 2008. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Emory murders: Lives changed after family was killed". Tyler Morning Telegraph. 24 January 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b c d Colloff, Pamela (June 2009). "Flesh and Blood". Texas Monthly. Archived from the original on 14 July 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b "'I Don't Care — Do What You Gotta Do': Texas Teen Plots The Slaughter Of Her Family With Her Boyfriend". Oxygen. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Rudder, Randy (10 December 2022). "Terry Caffey: A Crime of Passion". The Christian Broadcasting Network. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Shooting, Arson Survivor Whose Family Was Slain Forgives Daughter, Killers For Plotting Murders". ABC News. 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  9. ^ a b O'Neill, Marnie (12 May 2016). "Chilling moment police tell Terry Caffey his daughter had their family killed". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Daughter, 16, charged in murder of mother, brothers". CNN. 3 March 2008. Archived from the original on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  11. ^ Watler, Tracy (2 March 2008). "Four Teenagers Arrested In Connection To Triple Murder Investigation". KLTV. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Girl, 17, Gets 2 Life Terms In Family Slay". CBS News. 3 January 2009. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Two sentenced to life in Caffey family murders". KLTV. 8 November 2008. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Emory murders: The healing journey". Tyler Morning Telegraph. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Terry Caffey". The Forgiveness Project. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  16. ^ "ABC series revisits 2008 East Texas triple homicide". KETR Radio. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  17. ^ "Story of ETX triple murder to premiere on ABC's Final Witness". KLTV. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  18. ^ "Killer Women with Piers Morgan: Angel-faced murderer Erin Caffey creates Twitter storm". International Business Times. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  19. ^ "Killer Women with Piers Morgan". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  20. ^ "Terror by Night". James Pence. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  21. ^ "Tragedy survivor to share story of forgiveness at Hamilton Life Center". KPC News. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
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