The Tammy Holman case is a Missouri murder-for-love plot in which Tammy Holman, a Festus woman, was charged in the November 21, 2000, shooting death of her husband Larry Holman by his best friend Charlie Miller; she entered an Alford plea to conspiracy to commit murder, received a seven-year sentence, and was released in 2009.1Oxygen. Missouri Man Murders Best Friend, Lusts After Wife Who Spurns Him
The Shooting at La Roche Industries
Larry Holman was found dead in his vehicle on the grounds of La Roche Industries, a chemical plant in Festus, Missouri, on November 21, 2000, the last day of deer hunting season.1Oxygen. Missouri Man Murders Best Friend, Lusts After Wife Who Spurns Him He had been shot in the back of the head with a .243 caliber round, a high-velocity bullet commonly used for deer. The plant property had a known problem with trespassing hunters, and investigators initially treated the death as a possible hunting accident.2Missourinet. Hunting Death Becomes Murder Probe
The shooter was Charlie Miller, Larry’s best friend. After the killing, Miller called Tammy and told her to “set one less plate at the dinner table.”1Oxygen. Missouri Man Murders Best Friend, Lusts After Wife Who Spurns Him
An Earlier Failed Attempt
November 21 was Miller’s second try. Earlier, he had attempted to shoot Larry during a hunting trip in Mexico, Missouri, and missed. According to investigators, Tammy had given Miller written directions to the remote hunting grounds. When Miller failed, she was reportedly furious and refused to speak with him for a time afterward.
How the Accident Theory Collapsed
For roughly two months, the case stayed classified as an accident. It turned after Tammy’s sister, Kim Duncan, went to police. Duncan said she suspected Miller was involved and reported that he had been making frequent comments about Tammy, whom she believed he was “obsessed and infatuated” with.3Missourinet. Deer Hunter Murder Beginning in Cape Girardeau
Police seized Miller’s hunting rifle, and ballistics testing confirmed it was the weapon that killed Larry. Confronted with the evidence, Miller confessed. He also implicated Tammy, telling investigators the two had been having an affair, that she had planned the murder, and that she had promised to marry him once Larry was dead. After the killing, Tammy had not pursued a relationship with Miller at all. She went silent, changed her phone number, and rekindled a relationship with a high school boyfriend named Tim Smith.1Oxygen. Missouri Man Murders Best Friend, Lusts After Wife Who Spurns Him
The Alleged Motive
Prosecutors said Tammy had encouraged Miller’s romantic interest in her and led him to believe that if he killed Larry, the two of them could build a life together. Assistant prosecutor Troy Cardona said Miller told investigators Tammy had promised “she would show me how much she loved me.”1Oxygen. Missouri Man Murders Best Friend, Lusts After Wife Who Spurns Him Prosecutors said Tammy told Miller she feared losing custody of her children and did not want to go through a divorce.
Money was part of the picture as well. Tammy reportedly believed she stood to inherit a one-million-dollar insurance policy on Larry’s life, though that policy was an employer protection policy rather than a personal life insurance payout. She did collect $150,000 in life insurance proceeds after his death.
Charges, Pleas, and Sentences
Both Tammy Holman and Charlie Miller were initially charged with first-degree murder in Jefferson County, Missouri.2Missourinet. Hunting Death Becomes Murder Probe
Miller, 49 at the time of the proceedings, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.1Oxygen. Missouri Man Murders Best Friend, Lusts After Wife Who Spurns Him His plea included an agreement to testify against Tammy.
Tammy, 35 at the time of her plea, accepted an Alford plea to conspiracy to commit murder. An Alford plea lets a defendant accept the sentence without formally admitting guilt. She was sentenced to seven years. Her attorney, Scott Rosenblum, argued the murder was the product of Miller’s “deranged mind” and that he had acted without any encouragement from Tammy. Prosecutors countered with phone records that they said contradicted her denial of involvement. Tammy Holman has continued to maintain her innocence.1Oxygen. Missouri Man Murders Best Friend, Lusts After Wife Who Spurns Him
After Her Release
Tammy Holman was released from prison in 2009 after serving her seven-year sentence.1Oxygen. Missouri Man Murders Best Friend, Lusts After Wife Who Spurns Him She returned to Festus with the goal of reconnecting with her children, though reports indicate that effort did not go as she had hoped. No further public information is available about her life after her return to Festus.