Tommy Lynn Sells
June 28, 1964 - April 3, 2014
Sells Background
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Had 6 siblings, all from different dads
Had a twin sister who died at 18 months from meningitis
Insurance agent claimed to be his father as insurance scam
At age 5 was sent to live with his aunt, Bonnie
Nina his mother was never around so bonnie offered to adopt him
Nina furious at the offer took him back to an unsafe environment
At age 8, Clark Willis started using him for sexual reasons
He spoiled Sells in return for sexual favors
Nina beat her son with hangers and belts
He drank alcohol at age 7. He smoked at age 10. He crawled into
bed naked with his grandma at age 13, and he was forced to
undergo a mental examination when he tried to rape Nina.
• He was kicked out of his house by at 14.
Sells Crimes And Sentences
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January 1988 - After murdering the Dardeen family Sells was arrested for stealing a car, but took off before going to court.
January 1988 - Lawrence, Massachusetts - Melissa Trembly, 11, was raped and murdered.
Between January - December 1988 - An unknown woman and her three-year-old son that he met in Salt Lake City, Utah. He killed the pair
and disposed of their bodies in the Snake River in Idaho.
December 1988 - Tucson, Arizona - Killed Ken Lauten over a bad drug deal.
April 1989 - Roseburg, Oregon - Killed an unnamed woman that was in her twenties.
May 9, 1989 - Roseburg, Oregon - Killed a female hitchhiker.
May 9, 1989 - Roseburg, Oregon - Arrested for stealing from his employer. He spent 15 days in jail.
August 16, 1989 - North Little Rock, Arkansas - Arrested on theft charges.
October 18, 1989 - Oakland, California - Charged with public drunkenness and put into detox.
November 1989 - Carson City, Nevada - Charged with public drunkenness.
December 1989 - Phoenix, Arizona - Hospitalized for a heroin overdose.
January 7, 1990 - Salt Lake City, Nevada - Held for cocaine possession, but released after it was determined that it was not drugs.
January 12, 1990 - Rawlings, Wyoming - Arrested for auto theft. Sent to prison and was released in January 1991.
December 1991 - Marianna, Florida - Bludgeoned to death Teresa Hall, 28, and her five-year-old daughter.
March and April 1992 - Charleston, South Carolina - Arrested for public drunkeness.
May 13, 1992 - Charleston, West Virginia - Imprisoned for raping, beating and stabbing a 20-year-old woman who survived the attack.
Sentenced to two 10-year prison terms. He was released in May 1977.
October 13, 1977 - Lawrenceville, Illinois - Attacked Julie Rea Harper and stabbed to death 10-year-old Joel Kirkpatrick.
October 1977 - Springfield, Missouri - Kidnapped, raped and strangled to death 13-year-old Stephanie Mahaney.
October 1998 - Del Rio, Texas - Married a woman with three children. Separated for two weeks in February 1999 and again in late March
1999.
March 30, 1999 - Del Rio, Texas - Raped and murdered Debbie Harris, 28 and eight-year-old Ambria Harris.
April 18, 1999 - San Antonio, Texas - Raped and strangled nine-year-old Mary Perez.
May 13, 1999 - Lexington, Kentucky - Raped and murdered 13-year-old Haley McHone, then sold her bicycle for $20.
Mid-May to June 24, 1999 - Madison, Wisconsin - Jailed for drunk
July 3, 1999 - Kingfisher, Oklahoma - Shot to death 14-year-old Bobbie Lynn Wofford.
December 31, 1999 - Sells final murder - 13-year-old Kaylene Harris and attempted murder of 10-year-old Krystal Surles.
Sells Latest Attack
Krystal Surles was just 10 years old when Sells tried to murder her while she was sleeping over at her
friend Katy Harris' house in Del Rio, Texas.
Asleep on the top bunk, Surles awoke in the middle of the night to Sells killing her friend.
Though it happened years ago, Surles told ABC News in an interview that it was a night that will remain
burned in her memory.
"He had a hand on her mouth and the knife on her neck, and she's looking at me, at the bunk bed,"
Surles told ABC News at the time. "He just cut her throat, and she fell to the ground."
Frozen with fear, Surles said Sells then walked towards the door, about to shut off the light, when he
looked around the room one last time.
"That's the first time he noticed me," she said. "He didn't hesitate at all. I mean, just shut the door,
came right back towards me with the knife."
"The only thing that he said is, 'Move your hands and he reached over the top bunk and cut my neck."
Sells severed Surles' windpipe and grazed her ceratoid artery. She played dead on the floor in a pool of
blood until she thought Sells had gone, then she ran for help at a neighbor's house.
Surles later identified Sells as her attacker and as the man who had brutally killed her friend, which
finally put an end to his killing spree. He was later found guilty.
The End of Sells
• Tommy was then sentenced to the death
penalty and was executed on April 3rd 2014
Eugenic Theory
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I believe that this is the only theory that really fits Sells to the best of the abilities. He had an
awful up brining. His he had several siblings none of which had the same father. He beaten
and abused. His mom sent him to his aunts house. There his life seemed to be turning around
she treated him well even offered to adopt him. But as soon as Nina, Sells mom, was aware
of this she immediately retrieved tommy. Back home now there was a man named Clark
Willis, who showed much interest in Tommy which seemed to be good he was spoiled in
every way, until Clark began using him for sexual favors.
This was just the beginning of Tommy’s issues. By age 13 he tried to get into bed naked with
his grandma. It is obvious there is more going on with Tommy then just his judgment. He was
affected by the family he was put in and there behaviors. I believe that if tommy would have
been raised differently he would not have turned out this horrible.
Cultural References
• Tommy did not exactly copycat or make any
cultural references to anyone or anything else.
He was smart about his killings he did them all
over the country making it difficult for police
to link all his killings to one person.