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Terror by Night: The True Story of the Brutal Texas Murder That Destroyed a Family, Restored One Mans Faith, and Shocked a Nation. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. It took me about an hour to crawl the lengths of about four football pitches. Killing her parents, Erin told Charlie, was their best option. But Erin was insistent. Terry L Caffey of Gaines County, Texas was born c. 1956. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? As Emig carried them out to the porch, he noticed that they were spattered with blood. If you live in relative isolation with a disapproving family you might find it difficult to explore life and express yourself. At their sentencing hearings in January, Terry rose to address each of them in the courtroom. Terry Caffey has forgiven his daughter, Erin, who was just 16-years-old when she plotted to murder her family after her parents told her she couldn't see her boyfriend anymore Determined not. In the end, Caffey, Wilkinson, Waid, and Waids girlfriend were all charged with three counts of capital murder. I want people to draw goodness from all this. There was so much blood that Dickerson could not tell where he had been shot. Around one-thirty the next morning, he told Almon, he and a friend had gone to the Caffey home. . The phone records really did it for me, she said. Less than 24 hours after authorities responded, the Caffey home was a smoldering pile and all four suspects were in custody and talking. At his urging, she received a lesser sentence than life without parole; he wanted to make sure that she had something to live for, he said. Caffey, you can go home now, Terry told me when I visited him this spring. Caffey has remarried and lives in Wills Point, Texas with his wife and two stepsons. All of them played instruments, and Erin used to sing so passionately during services that she would sometimes break down in tears, according to Texas Monthly. With the scars still visible on his face, Terry Caffey talks Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015, at his home in Gilmer. And so Terry sat opposite the only other surviving member of his familythe girl who investigators were telling him had wanted him and his wife and sons deadand conversed with her about subjects as mundane as the weather. Teenager Erin Caffey was 16 when she had her mother and two younger brothers killed in their Texas home. He handed the gun to Waid, who fixed the .22 and fired two more shots. I don't care just do what you gotta do, she allegedly said, according to Killer Couples.. TOP 5%. She has since published several books and her writing interests include culture and true crime, on which she has a book due out in 2022. I refuse to grow into a bitter old man. Do you believe her version of events? I asked Terry. The funeral was private. Erin Caffeys brothers eight-year-old Tyler and 13-year-old Matthew played the guitar and the harmonica, respectively. But Caffey said God showed him another way to deal with his grief. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. She was teary at the start of the interview, but otherwise she showed little emotion. I want us to walk away, arm in arm, and never look back," Caffey said. More and more she and her mother were at odds, and Erin once called Charlie in tears to report that Penny had slapped her in the heat of an argument. Erin Caffey was convicted of three counts of capital murder and will not be eligible for parole until she is 59 years old. She asked for something, she got it., At Miracle Faith, people sensed that something was wrong in the Caffey home. Terry has since remarried and is now pursuing ministry full-time. Authorities immediately tracked down Wilkinson and brought him in for questioning. 16 year old Erin Caffey made her first appearance before a Rains County Judge Monday. VISITING PRISON Once a month Terry travels to Gatesville, Texas and visits Erin in prison. When authorities tracked down Wilkinson and brought him in for questioning, they also found Erin in the trailer where he was staying. His father used to joke that he had lost puppy dog syndromehe tried to help whoever was down on his luck; Erin was someone he wanted to rescue. ", "When you hold on to that un-forgiveness or that bitterness, it's like that person still has a part of you," he continued. Case 170: The Caffey Family 34,744 views Mar 27, 2021 734 Dislike Share Save Casefile Presents 54.3K subscribers DESCRIPTION On February 29 2008, intruders stormed the Caffey family home in. Charlie went upstairs and told the boys to come out of Erins room and go to their beds. I made my way through the window and just fell to the ground. Erin Caffey is a young American citizen who was convicted of murder in 2008. Erins desire to have her parents killed did not appear to be motivated by any mistreatment or trauma; her court-mandated psychological evaluation failed to point to any evidence of abuse in the Caffey home. I grabbed the mattress, the cover, anything I could to pull myself up. Wilkinson and Waid then ransacked the house for valuables Wilkinson had allegedly promised Waid $2,000 that was stashed away and set fire to the place with lighter fluid. You can read more about Terrys experience in his book. I consent to the use of following cookies: Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. Just beyond him, sprawled across the living room floor, was Terry Caffey. My first instinct was that one of the kids had had a nightmare; then gunfire erupted. He played for the New England Whalers and the Calgary Cowboys of the World Hockey Association, as well as for the Chicago Black Hawks and the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League between 1969 and 1976. Penny was withdrawn for most of February, and she declined to go on a womens church retreat, saying that she needed to spend more time with her family. A slight, pretty blonde, she was known for her beautiful singing voice, which she showcased in soaring gospel solos at Miracle Faith on Sundays. Now, one year later, Terry is remarried, the adoptive father of two young sons, and working to rebuild his relationship with his 17-year-old daughter, who is currently serving two life sentences in a Texas state penitentiary for her involvement in the crimes. Terry Caffey has maintained a relationship with his daughter, even after the massacre. He has, thus far, chosen to accept the story line she has provided him: She was planning on running away that night, but then she changed her mind. Detective Almon, a plainspoken Navy veteran with a blunt, intense manner, led the interrogation, while Texas Ranger John Vance assisted. The take, along with the contents of Terrys wallet and Pennys purse, amounted to $375 and some change, he said. I wanted them to die. Erin, the daughter of God-fearing. They were perfect. When I visited the subject of his role in Tylers murder, he grew quiet and studied his hands, his eyes slowly filling with tears. "You know that's any daddy's dream to walk their little girl down the aisle and hand them off and them giving you grand babies and that's hard, and that is so hard," he said. To the astonishment of many of his closest friends, he remarried last year. He now travels the country preaching what he has become good at, forgiveness. Youre a tough little girl, Sanders told her. Her father Terry was shot five times and left for dead as the house was torched to the ground. Public DomainThe mugshot of Erin Caffey, taken after she orchestrated the murder of her own family. However, her parents were not in support of their . The only survivors were 16-year-old Erin Caffey and her father, Terry Caffey, who was shot multiple times before the two intruders set the house on fire. Now nineteen, he looked impossibly young for someone who will never step beyond the guard towers and concertina wire again. She did not want to be identified, but did want to talk about the man she married. Terry Caffey was shot five times, escaped a house fire, but his family didn't. His son Bubba had come out of his bedroom to the railing to see what was happening and was shot in the face. The cabin appeared to have been burning for some time; the structure was engulfed in flames, and the metal roof had begun to buckle under its own weight. The Caffeys abruptly pulled their children out of school a month into the academic year, and Penny began teaching them a Bible-based curriculum at home. I spent days out there picking through the ashes. Erin Caffey with her boyfriend, Charlie Wilkinson. When I saw the phone records, I realized that it didnt matter if a single one of the other defendants testified against her. Tanner was in the difficult position of briefing the victim of a crime who also happened to be the parent of the perpetrator. Theyre all gone, Caffey told the sheriffs deputy, his voice breaking. She had wanted to break things off with Charlie for a while, she tearfully confessed, but had not been sure how. A lot of guys flirted with her, and she would just blush and smile and duck her head down and skate inside and tell me, That guy wanted my number! And Id say, Did you tell him that your mom would be answering the phone?. Youre promising yourself to my daughter? Given the complexity that four capital murder cases posed for a small, rural county, the Texas attorney generals office was asked to assist the Rains County district attorney in bringing the four defendants to trial. If at any time she would have said, Well, were not going to do it after all, it never would have happened.. Also, as the family loved music the family joins the church choir. Erin Caffey, 16, and her father Terry Caffey . I was going to lay down and shoot myself right there on the spot where I lost my family. The Caffey family, with Erin on the far right. Furious with her parents, Erin told her aunt that she planned on running away to be with Charlie when she turned seventeen. The officers put Charlie in the back of the squad car, where he stared out the window in silence as they drove through the woods toward Emory in the predawn gloom. And so Erin accepted a plea dealtwo life sentences to be served concurrently, plus an additional 25 yearswhich ensures that with good behavior she will be eligible for parole when she is 59 years old. "I am trying to climb over the bed but that's where the flames are and that's where I found Penny, and when I saw her, it was a terrible scene, her nearly decapitated head. He has since released a book called Terror by Night and is now happily remarried. I honestly believe she was not the mastermind. The most unsettling aspect of Caffeys crime is that it is so utterly inexplicable. Above their driveway hung a polished cedar plank with the inscription: The CaffeysJoshua 24:15. The verse, which Terry had committed to memory, was a reminder that they had chosen a righteous path: If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve . He did not care for Charlie, and he was not happy about how much time the high school senior was spending with his daughter. Ive never come across anyone as dangerous as Erin, said criminal therapist Israel Lewis, who worked with her after her capture. Charlie talked about Erin twenty-four-seven. Though the Caffeys would not allow Charlie to take Erin out alone, the two teenagers still managed to spend much of their time together. I guess what it all boils down to is choices, she said, almost matter-of-factly. The Slaughter Of The Caffey Family Unearthed A Dark Love Affair, Serena Booth: Erin Caffey, Charlie Wilkinson Had Time To Change Their Minds, Terry Caffey's Shock At Learning The Murders Were Erin's Fault. "I found out that Tyler, 8-year-old little Tyler, was hiding upstairs in the closet and the two boys [the killers], Charlie and Charles, took turns stabbing him to death," Caffey said. She asked him to lunch last June, and they never ran out of things to talk about. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? She was too young to have a baby, she said, and as long as her parents were alive, she and Charlie would have to be apart. Inside, Wilkinson fired away with a .22 pistol in Terry and Penny's room. ERIN Caffey is 24, and has been in a high-security prison in Gatesville, Texas, for eight years. "I was very angry," Caffey said of the murders. The only survivors were 16-year-old Erin Caffey and her father, Terry Caffey, who was shot multiple times before the two intruders set the house on fire. In November they each pleaded guilty to three counts of capital murder. Charlie Wilkinson was not the most polished guy to take an interest in Erin. Bubba used to witness to whoever would listen, and Erin cried tears of joy when she sang her Sunday church solosso much so that sometimes she had to stop, mid-verse, to collect herself. Investigators were putting the case together quickly, however. Wilkinson and an accomplice shot Caffey's wife Penny to death and set the family's home on fire. Erin Caffey consequently hatched a murderous plot with Charlie Wilkinson and his friend Charles Waid. They met at a sonic fast food joint where Erin was working as a waitress. Rural family, deeply Christian, homeschooling, parents interfering in 16-year-old daughter's dating life. I found out that Tyler, eight-year-old little Tyler, was hiding upstairs in a closet and the two killers, Charlie and Charles [Waid], took turns stabbing him to death, Caffey said. The Caffey Family. If I was sitting on my jury, I would have stuck the needle in my arm, he told me. With the scars still visible on his face, Terry Caffey talks Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015, at his home in Gilmer. Terry and Penny had wanted to be closer to Miracle Faith, where they were then serving as the churchs youth ministers. Click to reveal. Virginia Daily became hysterical and grabbed Erins face. Charlie had broken into the house and shot Caffey and his family as they slept. She had always taken pride in how she looked, but then she began to slip and she became disrespectful towards Penny. Charlie, who had narrated the nights events with stoic detachment, broke down as he recounted how Waid had then come upstairs and stabbed eight-year-old Tyler. No, sir, Charlie said, shaking his head. Charlie told several friends that he intended to kill her parents. She told the police she had been kidnapped. Still, sometimes he seemed ambivalent about their plan. Charlie told the detective that when he and Waid were satisfied that Erins parents were dead, Waid instructed him to go get the kids because little ones talk. Charlie had balked, and Waid, in return, threatened to leave. Google Universal Analytics long-time unique user tracking identifier. Its not something you can turn a switch on and everythings okay. As they hurried down the gravel road away from the Caffeys home, the teenagers could see that the house was ablaze. Wilkinson even gave her a promise ring that had belonged to his grandmother and was open about his desire to marry her. Erin Caffey was the vocalist of the family until she met Wilkinson. Well, Id read the story countless times before, but I read it again and it was almost like I was there with Job. She informed them that she had been instructed to arrest their granddaughter in connection with the Caffey murders and requested that Erin step out of the car. Her brothers had already reenrolled that fall after Bubba, who was thirteen, told them that he missed his friends, and the Caffeyswho were eager to free up time for Penny to earn some extra incomeagreed to let Erin go back before Christmas. Their detailed accounts of the night were consistent with Charlies. A former special-ed student with a heavy-lidded gaze, Waid showed no remorse, and he casually recounted how he had killed the two boys. "I remember rising up from my hospital bed and just screaming out, 'no it can't be, no it's not Erin, not Erin,'" Caffey said. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Recover your password I dont have a family to go home to. And I remember weeping, just weeping uncontrollably. She gushed innocence, remembered a co-worker (who, like many teenagers interviewed for this story, asked to remain anonymous). But nothing happened. Once inside, Wilkinson made his way to Terry and Pennys room and fired away at the sleeping couple with a .22 pistol. I warmed my supper up, ate a little and went straight to sleep. You could not have paid her to say anything negative about her parents, he said. Sanders and Booth would later reflect on the fact that Erin had not smelled like smoke, and Sanders regretted that she had turned away to give Erin some privacy when her maternal grandmother, Virginia Daily, had come to tell her that her father had, miraculously, survived the attack. Deputy Emig went inside to get Charlie a shirt and his cowboy boots. Dr. Phil continues his exclusive jailhouse interview with Erin Caffey, who is serving two life sentences plus 25 years in prison for her part in the murders of her mother and two younger brothers, and attempted murder of her father, in 2008, when she was 16. Let me see your hands.. Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. WHAT'S POPULAR TODAY. On the night of March 1st, 2008, in a quiet, rural Texan community, Terry Caffeys wife, Penny, and their two young sons, Bubba and Tyler, were brutally murdered by their 16-year-old daughters boyfriend, Charlie Wilkinson, and his friend Charles Waid. The seven-part series, which combines documentary and drama elements, focuses on a different real-life murder each week from the victim's point of view.Each episode includes interviews with the victim's family and friends, real witnesses, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers, as well as . The patriarch, Terry Caffey, lived to tell what he heard that night, and the perpetrators shocked even seasoned investigators, according to Killer Couples on Oxygen. He fell to the floor and did not move again. In time, God has shown me what it means to forgive, Terry said as Charlies eyes shone with tears. Along the way, he had fallen into a creek, where he had almost drowned, but he had kept moving, staggering toward Gastons house as the fire behind him grew more intense. As time went on I began to realise that my grief and anger would destroy me. He was frank about the horror of what he had done and made no excuses for himself. As a juvenile, Erin could not be taken directly to the sheriffs office for questioning, and so she appeared that afternoon before a justice of the peace. At the sheriffs office that afternoon, she played dumb with the officers until they told her they had Waid and Wilkinson in custody, at which point she admitted what she knew. I put my RV right on the spot where my house once stood, and I stayed out there about four months. Most folks around Alba and Emory, the nearby county seat, knew the family; Penny played piano at Miracle Faith Baptist Church, and her husband, Terry, was a home health aide and lay preacher. Vance assisted who fixed the.22 and fired two more shots my first instinct was that one the. Of about four months contents of Terrys wallet and Pennys purse, amounted to $ 375 and some change he... 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