Robert Joseph Pellerin III, a 35-year-old male of Caucasian ethnicity from Temple, Texas, tragically lost his life on March 14, 2018. Pellerin was an employee at O'Reilly Auto Parts, where he was found dead along with 25-year-old Cody Glenn Cornell. Both victims were discovered in the back office of the store, bound with duct tape and shot in the head.
The investigation revealed that Pellerin was shot twice in the head with a shotgun.
The suspect in this double homicide case was identified as Theodore Dwayne Sims, a 47-year-old former employee of both O'Reilly Auto Parts and NAPA Auto Parts. Sims was arrested shortly after the murders and charged with capital murder. He was also indicted on aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an incident at NAPA Auto Parts on the same day as the killings. Sims had been fired from NAPA Auto Parts for stealing cash under $100 and was reported to have purchased the shotgun used in the murders on the day of the killings.
Sims eventually pleaded guilty to capital murder and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He also received a 20-year sentence for the aggravated assault charge. The case drew significant attention due to the brutality of the crime and the senseless loss of two young lives.
The community and the families of the victims were deeply affected by this tragic event, and the case remains a somber reminder of the impact of violence and the importance of workplace safety.
