Ernie L. Hankins, a 75-year-old man from Arlington, Texas, was found dead in his mobile home on October 8, 2000. His death was initially kept a secret by his son, Terry Lee Hankins, who told neighbors that his father was caring for sick relatives. However, the truth came to light when Terry Lee Hankins was arrested for the murder of his estranged wife and two children in September 2001.
Acting on Terry's statement, police discovered Ernie Hankins' body, which had been dead for almost a year.
Terry Lee Hankins, a 26-year-old man, was later charged with capital murder in the deaths of his father, Ernie Hankins, and his half-sister, Pearl Stevenstar. According to court documents, Terry became angry with his sister and beat her to death with a car jack on October 1, 2000. A week later, during an argument with his father, Terry took away a .45-caliber pistol that his father had brandished in anger and fired, killing him.
The investigation into Ernie Hankins' death led to the discovery of another body, that of his half-sister, Pearl Stevenstar, who had been fatally beaten and stuffed into a plastic ice chest hidden in a car at Terry's father's auto repair shop. Terry Hankins was eventually arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death for the murders of his father, half-sister, estranged wife, and two stepchildren. He was executed by lethal injection on June 2, 2009.
The case garnered significant media attention due to the unusual circumstances and the fact that Terry Hankins kept the deaths of his father and sister a secret for over a year. The investigation and subsequent trials highlighted the tragic and violent nature of the crimes committed by Terry Hankins.
Is there anything else you would like to know about this case?
