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Bacliff Teen Pleads Guilty to Killing Grandmother, Receives Life Sentence

The 18-year-old pleaded out before jury selection to end a case already resulting in her co-defendant’s life term.

Overview

  • Tara King, 18, pleaded guilty to capital murder on Jan. 5, 2026, and received an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole, according to court records.
  • Her plea came before jury selection, short-circuiting a planned trial in Galveston County.
  • Co-defendant Uriah Urick was convicted of capital murder in November 2025 and also received a life sentence.
  • A medical examiner testified that Tammy King, 61, died from a gunshot wound to the head and ruled the death a homicide.
  • Investigators reported the Bacliff home was ransacked with guns missing and the victim’s purse emptied, and authorities believed money was taken from a lockbox or safe before the pair were arrested in Laredo on Feb. 9, 2025.