Teenage Couple Convicted of Plotting Grandmother's Murder for Money and Drugs

In a shocking case of betrayal, an 18-year-old Texas teen, Uriah Lee Urick Jr., has been convicted of capital murder for his role in the brutal killing of his girlfriend's grandmother. According to the evidence presented in court, Urick and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Tara King, had been meticulously planning the murder for several weeks.

The prosecution revealed that the teenage couple exchanged text messages discussing their detailed plan to kidnap and kill Tara's 61-year-old grandmother, Tammy King, while also robbing her of money, methamphetamine, and firearms. The pair even went so far as to pretend that Tammy was allegedly abusing them in an attempt to cover their tracks.

Tragically, Tammy was shot in the head on February 5th at her home in Bacliff, about 30 minutes outside of Galveston. Her body was discovered several days later under a pile of blankets during a welfare check. Investigators found that the couple had successfully transferred thousands of dollars from Tammy's bank account to Tara's Cash App account, escalating the crime to capital murder.

After fleeing the scene, Urick and Tara were eventually arrested in Laredo, a town on the U.S.-Mexico border, on February 9th. One witness who drove the couple to Laredo testified that Urick confessed to him, saying he "couldn't get the smell of burning flesh" out of his nose during the trip.

With the overwhelming evidence presented, the jury in Galveston County found Uriah Lee Urick Jr. guilty of capital murder on November 7th. In Texas, a conviction for capital murder carries an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole. Tara King is also facing capital murder charges and is scheduled to stand trial in January 2026.