Tabitha Messina

Tabitha Messina was always considered to be a liar by her family and it was said by most of her friends too.  As has been said here many times however a liar does not mean murderer, but then again, a majority of murderers are liars.  

On July 29, 2007 fifty year old Richard Messina, Tabitha's father, and his forty-three year old girlfriend of ten years, Sandra Cover were found beaten to death in their home in South Euclid Ohio.  The home had been ransacked and both of the couple's vehicles were gone.  It seems that every finger pointed to Tabitha by everyone, including her family that included siblings.  

The following day nineteen year old Tabitha and her boyfriend, Carlos Christopher were found sleeping in the dead couple's SUV in a North Carolina motel parking lot.  They would be arrested and charged with the murders.

Tabitha would allege that her father had abused her throughout her life but investigators would say that there was never any evidence of this.  There had been however evidence that Tabitha was known to make up stories to people and blame others for acts that she committed.  

Carlos Christopher was convicted by a three judge panel in May of 2008 in connection with the murders.  He would receive two life sentences without the possibility of parole.  The prosecution theory was that the two had gone into the Messina home and attacked the couple with an ax and a crowbar as they slept in their bed.  They then ransacked the home to appear a robbery had been committed and took off with the vehicles.  They would later abandon the Corvette they had taken and the two took refuge in the SUV. They believed that this was a planned crime and that the two had willingly acted upon their desires.

It appears that neither Carlos Christopher or Tabitha Messina, despite her plea of guilty would truly admit the crime and say what had happened.  In October of 2008 Tabitha would plead guilty to two counts of aggravated murder and one count of robbery.  She would be sentenced to sixty years to life but still proclaimed her innocence.  At her sentencing family members expressed their belief in her guilt and all but disowned her. Many had advocated for the death penalty for both Christopher and Messina.  

In 2009 Christopher's conviction and sentence were upheld on appeal.  He has no scheduled parole or release date.  For Tabitha she will be eligible for parole when she is eighty years old but there is no guarantee she will ever get out.

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