R. Barri Flowers - The Pickaxe Killers: Karla Faye Tucker & Daniel Garrett (A True Crime Short)

By R. Barri Flowers

Copyright 2013 by R. Barri Flowers atSmashwords. All rights reserved.

Cover Image Copyright 2013 by JeffThrower

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The Sex Slave Murders: The True Story ofSerial Killers Gerald & Charlene Gallego

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State's Evidence (A Beverly Mendoza LegalThriller)

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Justice Served (A Barkley and ParkerMystery)

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SHORT STORY COLLECTION

Edge of Suspense: Thrilling Tales of Mystery& Murder

* * *

PRAISE FOR TRUE CRIME BOOKS BY R. BARRIFLOWERS

"Selected as one of Suspense Magazine's Bestof 2011 books." John Raab, CEO/Publisher on THE SEX SLAVEMURDERS

"A gripping account of the murders committedby husband-and-wife serial killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego....Flowers knows his stuff. Compelling reading." Gary C. King,author of Blood Lust on THE SEX SLAVE MURDERS

"R. Barri Flowers alwaysrelates an engrossing story." Robert Scott, author of The Last Time We Saw Her on THE SEX SLAVEMURDERS

"Striking, well-written tales sparkle inthis ocean of murder. Crimes spanning a century and stretchingacross an ocean are a diverse collection of the macabre." DianeFanning, author of Mommy's Little Girl on MASTERS OF TRUE CRIME

"Exhaustively researched,each storyteller brings their own unique prose to these pages,creating what will soon become a truecrime classic ." Kevin M. Sullivan,author of The Bundy Murders on MASTERS OFTUE CRIME

"This book should be a mandatory purchaseand read for any true-crime buff. It is, indeed, an exceptionalcollection of true-crime stories." Steven A. Egger, Ph.D.,associate professor and chair of Criminology Program at theUniversity of HoustonClear Lake on MASTERS OF TRUE CRIME

"Incredible cases,psychopathic killers, unwitting victims, along with the very bestwriters, make for an exciting, no-holds-barred, soon-to-betrue-crime classic." Dan Zupansky, host of True Murder: The Most Shocking Killers inTrue Crime History on MASTERS OF TRUECRIME

"An indispensable sourcebook for anyoneinterested in American homicide, from law-enforcement professionalsto armchair criminologists.... Consistently fascinating read." Harold Schechter, professor of American Literature and Culture andauthor of The Serial Killer Files on THE DYNAMICS OF MURDER

"V ivid case studiesof murder to complement this well researched criminology text. Mr.Flowers' clear and concise writing style make this important newbook a terrific addition to the classroom and home library." ScottBonn, Ph.D., professor of Criminology and media analyst on THEDYNAMICS OF MURDER

* * *

In memory of the victims of all violentcrimes and the future they lost.

And to Michigan State University's School ofCriminal Justice that gave me my start as a student andcriminologist.

* * *

As the author of the bestselling true crimereference book, MURDERS IN THE UNITED STATES: Crimes, Killers and Victims of the TwentiethCentury , I have researched thousands ofhomicide cases in this country.

One that stands out for its vicious natureand subsequent events is the case of Karla Faye Tucker and DanielGarrett. The two left their mark on violent criminality in America,and fans of true crime will find their story and that of Tucker andGarrett's victims both disturbing and compelling.

Best,

R. Barri Flowers

* * *

TABLEOF CONTENTS

Karla Faye Tucker and Daniel Garrett

In the wee hours of the morning in Houston,Texas, on June 13, 1983, twenty-three-year-old Karla Faye Tuckerand her boyfriend, thirty-seven-year-old Daniel Ryan Garrett, brokeinto the apartment of Jerry Lynn Dean, an acquaintance with whomTucker held a grudge. Both Tucker and Garrett were under theinfluence of alcohol and drugs as they made their way into theresidence. What followed was one of the most horrendous and violentcrimes in modern times. Dean, twenty-seven, and a companion,Deborah Thornton, thirty-two, were the victims of a vicious assaultwith a pickaxe.1 The crime would prove consequential toall four persons involved and galvanize the world itself on mattersof life and death...

* * *

Karla Faye Tucker's road to infamy began inthe state of Texas. Born in Houston on November 18, 1959 to parentsLarry and Carolyn Tucker, she was the youngest of three girls.Kathi Lynne was two years old and Kari Ann was one. Karla's fatherwas a longshoreman, working on the Gulf of Mexico; while her motherwas a stay-at-home mom. A German Shepherd completed what seemedlike the picture perfect familyincluding owning a cottage in thecity of Brazonia, Texas, nearly sixty miles from Houston, wherethey often spent time.

Years later, Karla would look back fondly onthose days of boating, fishing, water skiing, and other familyactivities, before things began to go downhill. Her parents'marriage started to fall apart due to infidelity and trust issues.Karla was ten when her parents divorced. It was during that timethat she learned she was the product of an extramarital affair.

Up until that time, Karla had been littlemore than curious as to why with brunette hair and brown eyes, shedidn't quite measure up to the blonde hair and blue eyes of herolder siblings.

In spite of this, Karla's father stood byher as his daughter, and gained custody of all three girls. ButKarla would forever see herself as different from Kari and Kathiand, as such, not a real Tucker. Given that sentiment, not toosurprisingly, she preferred to be with her mother in thepost-divorce era.

In a 1990 interview with the magazine,Lifeway Church, Karla indicated that all three sisterswanted to live with their mothernoting that their father wasunable to control them or adequately disciplinethem.2

When she was ten, Karla began smokingmarijuana, following in the footsteps of her sisters. By age elevenshe was injecting herself with heroin. In an interview with theChristian Broadcasting Network during the 1990s, Karla discussedpeer pressure and her drug use. " Mysisters were into drugs and they had a friend who was older; theyalways hung around with older people. There was a lot ofdrugs." 3

Most of those Karla and her sisters hung outwith were bikers, many belonging to a local gang known as theBanditos who were known to party hard, including drugs and sexualactivity.