Teen Faces Life Sentence After Being Found Guilty of Plotting to Rob and Murder His Girlfriend’s Grandmother

A Texas teenager has been convicted of capital murder for orchestrating a plan to rob and kill his girlfriend’s grandmother.

According to the Galveston County Daily News, KVUE, and Click2Houston, a Galveston County jury found 18-year-old Uriah Lee Urick Jr. guilty of capital murder on Friday, Nov. 7, in connection with the February killing of 61-year-old Tammy King.

Under Texas law, a conviction for capital murder carries an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The Plot and the Evidence

During the week-long trial, prosecutors presented text messages and digital evidence showing that Urick and his girlfriend, Tara King, then 17, carefully plotted Tammy King’s robbery and murder.

According to the Daily News, the couple exchanged messages discussing kidnapping and killing Tammy while stealing her money, methamphetamine, and firearms. They also fabricated claims that Tammy had been abusing them.

Prosecutors emphasized messages that showed clear premeditation, including one referencing ammunition that would “shred through skin” and another that read, “We ride at dawn.” Urick allegedly described the killing as “the start of the rest of our lives.”

The Murder and Aftermath

Prosecutors said Tammy King was shot in the head on Feb. 5 at her home in Bacliff, about 30 minutes from Galveston. Her body was later discovered under a pile of blankets during a welfare check.

Investigators determined the teens stole cash from a lockbox or safe, elevating the crime to capital murder. They also found that thousands of dollars had been transferred from Tammy’s bank account to Tara’s Cash App account.

Court documents obtained by KVUE revealed that Urick’s mother told investigators she believed her son was capable of murder, and that Tara “hated” her grandmother for forbidding Urick from staying overnight. Urick’s stepfather also said he thought Urick could kill because of his “violent tendencies.”

Arrests and Testimony

After the killing, Urick and Tara hitchhiked and stayed with several people they met on social media over three days. They were arrested in Laredo, a town on the U.S.–Mexico border, on Feb. 9.

A witness who drove the teens to Laredo told investigators Urick offered him $1,000 and confessed that he couldn’t “get the smell of burning flesh” out of his nose. That witness later helped authorities locate the murder weapons.

Defense and Verdict

Defense attorney Bill Agnew argued that the killing wasn’t premeditated, describing it instead as the reckless act of “two naïve, drug-influenced teenagers chasing independence, not money.” He maintained that prosecutors failed to prove robbery was a motive.

Following the verdict, Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen said, “Justice has been served for Tammy King and her loved ones,” according to KVUE.

Tara King has also been charged with capital murder and is scheduled to stand trial in January 2026.