Tommy Lynn Sells

Tommy Lynn Sells killed several people before authorities finally caught up with him. Eventually, he would confess to killing 13 people in numerous states across the country, over an extended period of time.

Authorities label Sells as an unconventional murderer who doesn't fit the mold of a typical serial killer because his crimes fit no particular modus operandi. He has admitted to killing men, women, and children. Because he had no modus operandi, Sells was able to elude authorities for a long period of time. He appears to have been a killer of opportunity who drifted between different cities and states, using a variety of weapons to kill his victims.

Sells is reluctant to discuss information regarding his childhood. It is known that he was born on June 28, 1964, in Oakland, California. As a child, the family moved around frequently, and Sells was bounced from relative to relative, receiving an 8th-grade education. An admitted heavy drug and alcohol abuser, Sells often found work as a carnival worker, handyman, and day laborer.

Among the most horrific of his crimes was the 1987 slaying of an Illinois family. For 13 years, authorities had no leads or suspects. Sells admitted to befriending the husband, whom he met at a truck stop and invited home. The man's wife, who was 8 months pregnant at the time, and 3-year-old son were beaten to death with a baseball bat; in the process, the woman gave birth to a daughter, who was also killed. The husband was later found in a nearby field, having been shot in the head and sexually mutilated.

Prior to December 1999, Sells was careful to leave no evidence and no witnesses. However, he now sits on death row in Texas, charged with capital murder and attempted capital murder of two young girls in Del Rio, Texas. Once again, Sells had befriended the parents of one of the victims, whom he'd met at church. He knew from the father that there would not be a male at home on the night of the crime. One girl died almost instantly after he slashed her throat, and the other girl, who was also slashed but survived the ordeal, watched in horror as her friend was killed. She pretended to be dead until Sells left and she was able to run to a neighbor's house for help. Although her vocal cords had been severed with 12-inch boning knife, it didn't stop her from helping police to create a composite sketch of the suspect, which led authorities to Sells's capture. Within a few days, he was arrested at the home he shared with his wife and her four children. Once arrested, he quickly confessed to authorities about everyone he had killed.

Authorities from across the country want to question Sells concerning many unsolved homicide cases he has confessed to. It is also possible that he will stand trial and face capital murder charges for the 1999 sexual assault and murder of a 9-year-old San Antonio, Texas, girl, who disappeared during a local celebration, and whose body was discovered about a week later.

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