On a spring evening in Greeneville, Tennessee, the life of six-year-old Tabitha Lillelid was tragically cut short in a brutal act of violence that also claimed the lives of her parents. On April 6, 1997, Tabitha, her father Vidar, mother Delfina, and two-year-old brother Peter, were carjacked and shot on a deserted rural road. Vidar and Delfina were found deceased at the scene, while Tabitha passed away after being transported to a hospital.
The sole survivor of the horrific attack was her younger brother, Peter, who was shot and left with permanent disabilities.
The family had been returning from a Jehovah's Witnesses convention when they stopped at a rest area along Interstate 81. It was there they encountered a group of six young people from Kentucky who were in the process of traveling to New Orleans. The group, wanting a more reliable vehicle, decided to steal the Lillelid family's van. The encounter escalated from a carjacking to a kidnapping, with the family being forced to drive to a secluded location. On that remote road, the family was lined up and shot in a ditch.
The perpetrators, who ranged in age from 14 to 20, fled in the family's van. They were identified as Natasha Cornett, Edward Dean Mullins, Joseph Risner, Karen Howell, Crystal Sturgill, and Jason Bryant. Two days after the murders, the six were apprehended in Arizona by U.S. Customs officials after being turned away at the Mexican border for not having proper documentation. Inside the stolen van, authorities found some of the murdered girl's toys.
All six suspects were charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, kidnapping, and theft. To avoid the possibility of the death penalty, all six pleaded guilty to the charges against them. In March 1998, each of the defendants received three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders, and an additional 25 years for the attempted murder of Peter Lillelid. Over the years, some of those convicted have sought to have their sentences reconsidered, citing their youth at the time of the crimes.
