Murder: True Crime Stories - BEST OF 2025: The Pickaxe Murders 1

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

Merry Christmas! As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited to bring you even more fascinating cases and gripping investigations. More importantly, we'd like to thank you for listening, and making 2025 an unforgettable year, your support and curiosity keep us coming back week after week. Please enjoy Carter's Best of 2025 selection, The Pickaxe Murders, and be sure to tune in next week for a special episode. In 1983, 27-year-old Jerry Dean was newly single and looking for a little fun. When he met 32-year-old Deborah Thornton at a pool party that summer, she seemed to have the same idea. But what should’ve been a simple one-night stand ended in a brutal double murder. If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Murder True Crime Stories to never miss a case! For Ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Murder True Crime Stories is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of…, Killer Minds, Crime House Daily and Crimes and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is Crime House. We've all held a grudge at one point or another. Whether it's a minor spat or a years-long feud, sometimes it's just hard to let things go. Most of the time the people involved can find a way to avoid one another, or at least be civil when they have to interact. But not everyone is willing to put their differences aside and move on. And occasionally, even the pettiest disagreements can snowball into something awful. In 1983, a lasting grudge between 27-year-old Jerry Lynn Dean and 23-year-old Carla Faye Tucker reached a chilling conclusion.

Instead of talking things through, Jerry and Carla turned to violence to solve their problems. By the time the dust settled, one of the most savage murders in Texas history had been committed. People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. but you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon and we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy, and this is Murder True Crime Stories,

a crime house original. Every Tuesday, I'll explore the story of a notorious murder or murders. I'll be bringing awareness to stories that need to be heard with a focus on those who are impacted. And for more, true crime stories that all, happened this week in history check out Crime House the show each episode covers multiple cases unified by the same theme so every week you get something a little different at crime house we want to express our gratitude to you our community

for making this possible please support us by rating reviewing and following murder true crime stories wherever you get your podcasts your feedback truly matters And for ad-free and early access to murder true crime stories, plus exciting crime house bonus content, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts. This is the first of two episodes on the murders of 27-year-old Jerry Lind Dean and 32-year-old Deborah Thornton, who were killed in 1983 after a one-night stand.

Today, I'll introduce you to Jerry and Deborah and explain how their unplanned fling turned into a savage double murder. I'll discuss the initial investigation and explain how detectives followed a trail of violence all the way to a likely suspect. Next time, I'll take you along as detectives narrow in on someone with a vendetta against Jerry and discuss a spiritual transformation on death row that shocked the nation. All that and more coming up. Get you and your crew to the big shows with Go Transit.

Go connects to all the main concert venues like TD Coliseum in Hamilton and Scotia Bank Arena in Toronto. And Go makes it affordable with special e-ticket fairs. A one-day weekend pass offers unlimited travel across the network on any weekend day or holiday for just $10. and a weekday group pass offers the same weekday travel flexibility from $30 for two people and up to $60 for five. Buy yours at go-transit.com slash tickets. In 1974, Houston, Texas emerged as the winner of an oil crisis that had wreaked havoc on the United States. Suddenly, the city was a hot spot of economic activity as it produced tens of thousands of barrels of petroleum a day. day. With the oil industry booming, Houston was thriving, and a lot of people wanted in on the action.

Over the next few years, the area saw immense growth, and by 1980, the population skyrocketed to 1.6 million. One of the people who made their way to the region was Jerry Lynn Dean. While there isn't much information out there about Jerry, we know he was born on May 1,000. 31st, 1956 in Smith County, Texas, about 200 miles north of Houston. He was the youngest of three boys, and they all spent time serving in different branches of the United States military. Eventually, Jerry moved down to the Houston area and found work as a mechanic and technician. By the early 80s, he was installing burglary alarms for a security company. When he wasn't working, Jerry spent is free time obsessing over motorcycles. Riding them, fixing them, even building them,

Jerry loved it all. According to reports, Jerry was involved in the local biker scene and may have been a member of one of the city's motorcycle clubs. But bikes weren't the only thing Jerry fell in love with in H-town. Again, the timeline is vague, but at some point after settling down in the city, Jerry met a woman named Sean Jackson. We don't know her age or what she did for work, but she seemed to have a thing for bikers. And Jerry, with his long brown hair and handlebar mustache, was exactly her type. By 1981, Sean and 25-year-old Jerry were hot and heavy and very much together. But things weren't all sunshine and rainbows between them. Jerry was very jealous and possessive of Sean. He wanted to know where she was at all times.

If she refused to tell him or he thought she was lying, he'd get abusive. But his violence didn't just extend to Sean. It also affected someone she spent a lot of time with, her roommate and best friend, 21-year-old Carla Faye Tucker. From the moment they met, Jerry hated Carla, and she felt the same way about him. Apparently, Carla didn't think Jerry deserved to be with her best friend. In her eyes, he was a spineless nobody. But Jerry thought Carla was the one who was pathetic. Soon, Jerry and Carla were at each other's throats, tossing around insults and looking to stir the pot.

and Jerry knew exactly how to push Carla's buttons. One day in 1981 or 1982, he decided to fix up his beloved Harley-Davidson in the middle of Carla and Sean's living room. Carla came home from work to find the place littered with bike parts and repair equipment. She watched in horror as oil leaked onto the carpet. After that, she chased Jerry out. of the apartment. But Jerry's little stunt wasn't enough for Sean to consider leaving him.

Their relationship was undeniably toxic, and whenever Jerry acted out, Sean only looked for ways to appease him. And by 1983, she was ready to show Jerry he was the most important person in her life. That February, Sean and 27-year-old Jerry got married. But even tying the knots wasn't enough to quell Jerry's anger. If Jerry thought getting hitched meant he wouldn't have to see Carla anymore, he was sorely mistaken. Although he and Sean were married, it seems like Sean continued living with Carla, which meant it just wasn't possible for Jerry to avoid her altogether.

And soon the tension between him and Carla. trickled into his marriage with Sean, especially when she and Carla decided to go follow their favorite rock bands around the country, leaving Jerry alone. In Jerry's mind, Sean wasn't the ringleader of these adventures, Carla was, and she wanted to steal Sean away from him. Jerry continued to stew on it, and eventually he came to a decision. It was time to teach him. It was time to teach Carla a lesson. Jerry wanted to hit Carla where it hurt. One way to do that was to destroy her memories.

One day that spring, Jerry went over to Sean and Carla's place and found Carla's photo collection. He took a knife and scratched out the images, including a photo of Carla and her dead mother. supposedly the only one she had of them together. It devastated Carla. But she wasn't ready to fight back just yet because it seemed like Jerry might not be in her life for that much longer. Every so often, Sean would come to Carla after a fight with Jerry

and say she was finally going to leave him. Only she never did. It was a vicious sight. that always ended with Sean going back to Jerry. But one afternoon that May, not long after Jerry destroyed Carla's pictures, something snapped inside Sean. That month, after another fight,

Sean stole Jerry's debit card and went on a shopping spree with Carla. When Jerry realized Sean had spent $460 of his money, he was livid. He flew off the handle and hit Sean, breaking her nose and busting her lip. It was the final straw for her. After only five months of marriage, she'd had enough of Jerry. She left him, this time for good.

As for Jerry, well, he thought Carla convinced Sean to take his debit card and go shopping, which meant she was the real reason. behind his split from Sean, and he wasn't about to let her get away with it. Soon, Jerry came up with a plan, and this time he did want to hurt her, whatever it took to make Carla think twice about messing with Jerry Lynn Dean again. His idea was to have someone shoot a flare gun into Carla's face. This way, she'd have to live the the rest of her life with a scarred and disfigured face. Rumors began to circulate through the biker community that some people were thinking about

doing it for him. Still, tensions between the trio continued to rise. By June, they were all looking to take the edge off through drugs and alcohol. And no one needed to blow off steam more than Sean, who was still struggling to put her rocky marriage behind her. And Carla knew just how to get Sean's mind off of Jerry. On the weekend of June 11, 1983, Carla hosted a birthday party,

presumably at their house for her sister, Carrie. But this wasn't just a small get-together. It was a three-day bender. And they weren't the only ones letting their hair down that weekend. Jerry went to a party of his own. drunk and looking to forget about Sean he met a married woman looking for a little fun but what started out as a way to drown out his problems

quickly turned into something much more dangerous throughout the first half of 1980s. Throughout the first half of 1980s, 83, 27-year-old mechanic and biker Jerry Lynn Dean was in a tumultuous and abusive relationship with his wife, Sean. Things continued to unravel, and in early June, Sean broke things off with Jerry after he left her battered and bruised. They didn't officially get divorced, but they definitely weren't together anymore. And it wasn't long before they were both looking to forget about their toxic relationship and cut loose. Sean headed to a party with her roommate and best friend 23-year-old Carla Faye Tucker. Meanwhile, Jerry attended a different party that same day, June 12th. As he made his way through the crowd, Jerry spotted a gorgeous blonde woman. He approached her and introduced himself.

He learned her name was Deborah Ruth Thornton. Unlike Jerry, 32-year-old Deborah wasn't a Texas native. She was born in Columbus, Ohio in May 51, to parents William Gerald List and Harriet Bailey. And sadly, Deborah's childhood was anything but happy. In 1959, when she was eight, William was convicted of molesting several young boys. With William behind bars for something so awful, Harriet decided to divorce him. Before long, she met and fell in love with a Korean war vet named Homer Carlson. Homer seemed like a pretty good father figure and adopted Deborah and her brother as his own.

She even took his last name. But the world was a cruel place. Deborah only enjoyed a few years of stability before her mother passed away. way in 1963. Deborah was 12. For a little while, she remained in her adoptive father's care. But soon, she got curious about her biological dad, William. By then, he was paroled and had moved to the Houston area.

It's not clear who reached out first, but eventually, Deborah reconnected with William. She was pleasantly surprised to learn he'd really turned his life. life around. After landing in Houston, William had created a successful trailer manufacturing company. It was doing so well, William was making millions. He used the money to build himself a huge mansion. When Debra found out how William was living, she told her brother Ron. After thinking it over, they decided to follow their dad to Houston.

and he seemed pretty receptive to being reunited with his children. Before long, Deborah and Ron were both working for William and carving out their own lives in the city. Deborah started to make friends and meet people. Soon she was dating a man named Louis Davis III. In 1970, when she was 18, they got married and had a son together. But just when it seemed like things were looking like, up for Deborah, her family's past came back to haunt her.

Rumors swirled about her father. People around town whispered that William was picking up teenage boys and taking them back to his mansion to sexually abuse them. It's not clear if there was any truth to these allegations, but the thought alone was upsetting enough for Deborah and Ron to cut William out of their lives again. Sadly, life didn't get any easier for Deborah after that. The rest of the 1970s ebbed and flowed. Although she was able to find work as a bookkeeper for a mortgage company, her personal life was going up in flames.

Sometime in the late 1970s, she and Lewis divorced. However, Deborah wasn't on her own for long before she, met someone else. In May 1981, 30-year-old Deborah married a man named Richard Thornton, but it wasn't the healthiest relationship. Richard and Deborah were constantly fighting, and in the summer of 1983, things got especially heated. On June 12th, they had an explosive argument, and Richard asked Deborah to leave for the day. She agreed to go. But Deborah wasn't one to sit around and mope.

If Richard wanted her out, well, she'd just go ahead and have fun without him. It's not clear who is hosting the party or how Deborah knew them, but somehow she ended up at the same cool party as 27-year-old Jerry Lynn Dean. Jerry and Deborah clicked instantly. They flirted throughout the afternoon and into the evening. We don't know what they talked about exactly. Maybe they aired out their frustrations about their partners, or maybe they kept the conversation light.

Whatever they bonded over, the sparks between them were definitely flying. As people trickled out and the party came to an end, Jerry asked Deborah if she wanted to come back to his place. She said yes. neither of them had any idea what the night had in store the following morning june thirteenth was a monday and jerry had an early shift usually he gave his friend and co-worker twenty-six-year-old gregory scott travers a ride to work that day gregory waited in front of his house for jerry to show up but by six forty a m a.m., Jerry wasn't there, which was unusual. Jerry knew they had to be at work by seven, and he was normally on time. But by 6.50, Jerry was still nowhere to be found, and Gregory was getting

nervous. Jerry's place was just a two-minute walk away, so Gregory decided to go over there and check on his friend. As soon as he approached Jerry's apartment building, Gregory could tell something was wrong. Jerry's Chevy El Camino was usually parked out front, but today it seemed to be missing. It was strange, but Gregory assumed Jerry had a simple explanation. He continued on into the building and knocked on Jerry's front door. Oddly enough, it creaked open. It had been left unlocked. Gregory slowly stepped inside and called out to Jerry over the blaring rock and roll music that was playing on the radio. He got no response. As he made his way into the living room, Gregory noticed Jerry's Harley Davidson was also missing. The last time he'd been here,

various parts had been scattered around the room. Now, a lot of All Gregory saw was an empty wooden stand where the bike used to be. Again, it was odd. But surely, Jerry had a reason for moving the bike. If only Gregory could talk to Jerry and find out what was going on. He continued on, shouting Jerry's name over and over as he walked to the main bedroom. Gregory peeked inside, but again, it was empty. Next, Gregory tried the spare bedroom

And that's when he let out A sigh of relief Jerry was in bed, sleeping But the closer Gregory looked The more confused he became Instead of lying with his head on the pillow Jerry was turned around With his upper body dangling over the foot of the bed

and that wasn't the only strange thing about him. When Gregory got a better look, he saw Jerry was covered in blood. He wasn't moving, and he wasn't alone. Lying next to Jerry was a woman Gregory had never seen before. Later, he'd learned she was Deborah Ruth Thornton. Gregory's eyes went wide with horror as he took. took in her lifeless body and the strange objects sticking out of her chest.

That's when Gregory realized it was a pickaxe, lodged directly into her heart. It's one of Britain's most notorious crimes, the killing of a wealthy family. at White House Farm, but I got a tip that the story of this famous case might be all wrong. I know there's going to be a twist, won't there, a massive twist. At every level of the criminal justice system, there's been a cover-up in this case. I'm Heidi Blake. Blood Relatives is a new series from In the Dark and the New Yorker. Find it now in the In the Dark podcast feed. AM on June 13, 1983, Gregory Scott Travers made a horrific discovery. His friend and co-worker,

27-year-old Jerry Lind Dean, had been brutally murdered alongside 32-year-old Deborah Ruth Thornton. After the horror subsided, Gregory ran back to his apartment and called the police. Houston law enforcement rushed to Jerry's apartment. Like Gregory, they, they, They were shocked by the bloodbath in his spare bedroom. But something else stuck out to them. Jerry's apartment was a total mess. Police couldn't figure out if this was always how Jerry lived, or if whoever had killed him and Deborah had ransacked the place.

Beyond that, the only thing they knew for certain was what had killed them. The pickaxe was removed from Deborah's body and placed aside as evidence. Then she and Jerry were transported to the coroner for autopsy. As detectives searched the crime scene for more evidence, they started thinking maybe this was a robbery gone wrong. Besides the state of the apartment, Jerry and Deborah's wallets were nowhere to be found.

Plus, Gregory had explained that both Jerry's car and motor, motorcycle were missing. Officers wondered if one or maybe two people had barged inside to rob Jerry. Then when Jerry realized what they were doing, he tried to fight back, and he and Deborah were killed in the process. But the more detectives looked around, the less certain they were. Given how brutal the murders were, this seemed more personal than a simple burglary, and the autopsy report only furthered those suspicions. Along with blunt force trauma to the head, Jerry had been stabbed a staggering 28 times. Deborah also had trauma to the head and several puncture wounds.

It's possible she was already dead when she was struck with the pickaxe. Clearly, this was a case of overkill. To investigators, it seemed like the murderer was trying to send a message. The only question was, what were they trying to say? Over the next few days, detectives continued to scour the crime scene for evidence, but nothing they found led them any closer to a suspect or suspects. which meant it was time to look at the victim's personal lives. They decided to start with Deborah's husband,

33-year-old Richard Thornton. Detectives theorized that when Richard found out Deborah was cheating on him, he flew into a blind rage, killing Deborah and Jerry. But when they brought Richard into the station for questioning, he was an open book. He admitted that he and Deborah were having their own. ups and downs, and that they'd gotten into a bad fight right before Deborah went to the pool party. He said he had no idea who Jerry was, or that Deborah had even been unfaithful.

As for where he was on the night of June 12th, Richard told detectives he was at home with their kids, his daughter and Deborah's son from her previous marriage. Investigators dug into a story and confirmed his alibi. With that, Richard was eliminated as a suspect. But while Richard may not have been a jealous husband, there was someone else in Deborah's life with a questionable past, her estranged father, William, List. Detectives looked into William and learned he was a registered sex offender. More than that, they found out he was in hot water for another crime. He was currently being investigated by the IRS for tax evasion,

and his daughter Deborah was supposed to testify against him. To detectives, it was a clear motive for William to have killed Deborah. Maybe he didn't actually murder her, but he was certainly rich enough to hire someone to do it for him. William was brought in for questioning and denied having any involvement in Deborah and Jerry's murders. But considering the situation, detectives weren't ready to cross William's name off the suspects list. So for the next several weeks, they kept tabs on him. Of course, they weren't only looking into Deborah's history.

detectives knew the killer or killers could have been someone Jerry knew. After all, Jerry was involved with the Houston motorcycle scene. Maybe he got into a fight with another biker. That would explain why his Harley was missing. But as detectives began questioning Jerry's friends and associates, they noticed a common thread. Everyone they spoke to said Jerry did have one. enemy, and it wasn't a fellow biker. It was his ex-wife's best friend, 23-year-old Carla Faye Tucker. With each passing day, Carla's name continued to pop up, and always in the same context that she and

Jerry hated each other. Police learned about all the bad blood between them, from the oil stains Jerry left on her carpet to the scratched out photographs. They also found out that once, Carla had even punched Jerry in the face and broken his glasses. It was so bad, Jerry had to go to the hospital to get shards removed from his eye. As the evidence against Carla continued to pile up, investigators couldn't deny it. She wasn't above hurting Jerry. But now the question was, could she be capable of murder?

Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy, and this is Murder True Crime Stories. Come back next week for part two of our series on Jerry Lynn Dean and Deborah Ruth Thornton. Murder True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media at Crime House, on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review, and follow Murder True Crime Stories

wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference. And for ad-free and early access to Murder True Crime Stories, plus exciting Crime House bonus content, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts. We'll be back next Tuesday. Murder True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter Roy, and is a crime house original powered by Pave Studios.

This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories team. Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benadon, Natalie Pertsowski, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Joe Gera, Beth Johnson, and Russell Nash. Thank you for listening. Looking for your next crime house, listen, don't miss Clues with Morgan Absher and Kalin Moore. Every Wednesday, Morgan and Kalin take you deep into the world of the most notorious crimes ever. Clue by clue. It's like hanging out with your smart, true crime-obsessed friends. Listen to Clues on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you

listen to podcasts.