Tracy Burleson Case: Murder, Motive, and Sentences

The Tracy Burleson case is a Houston murder-for-hire prosecution in which a Baptist pastor was convicted of capital murder in 2011 for paying his own son to shoot his wife, Pauletta Burleson, so he could collect on a life insurance policy and marry his mistress. Burleson was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His son, William Fuller, pleaded guilty to murder and received 20 years for cooperating, and the mistress, Tyonne Palmer, was convicted of murder and tampering with evidence and sentenced to seven years.

Who Tracy Burleson Was

Burleson served as pastor of First New Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. His 56-year-old wife, Pauletta, was known to the congregation as the church’s “first lady.”¹ William Fuller, Tracy’s son from a previous relationship, lived in the household and later described home life as “hell,” saying he had once been stabbed trying to break up fights between his father and Pauletta.²

Tracy began an affair with Tyonne Palmer, a woman who also served as a caretaker for Fuller. Fuller introduced Palmer to his father at the church, and Tracy used him to deliver a love note that started the relationship.³ Tracy eventually proposed to Palmer while still married. Investigators later found Palmer was sexually involved with both Tracy and his son, a triangle that prosecutors would put at the center of the case.¹

The Murder of Pauletta Burleson

On the evening of May 18, 2010, Pauletta Burleson was shot in the back of the head outside the couple’s Houston home.⁴ Tracy called 911 just after 10 p.m., telling authorities he had found her body in the driveway after stepping out to buy snacks following an argument.³

Prosecutors later established that the killing was an execution-style shooting carried out by Fuller at his father’s direction. The plan called for Tracy to provoke an argument with Pauletta so Fuller could shoot her from behind. After the shooting, Palmer picked Fuller up and the two disposed of the murder weapon by throwing it off a bridge into a waterway. Investigators later recovered the firearm, and ballistics confirmed it was the gun used to kill Pauletta.³

How the Case Came Apart

Tracy’s alibi collapsed quickly. He said he had been at a convenience store when Pauletta was killed, but investigators determined the store was closed at the time. Prosecutors said he repeatedly lied to police about his whereabouts.⁵ Cell phone records placed both Tracy and Fuller at the home during the murder.³

Palmer, interviewed early, claimed she had been with Fuller the night of the shooting. The break came days later when an anonymous informant tipped police to Fuller’s involvement. Investigators wiretapped conversations in which Fuller described the murder, and arrest warrants followed for Fuller, Tracy Burleson, and Palmer.³

The Motive

Prosecutors argued two overlapping motives. Tracy stood to collect on a roughly $60,000 life insurance policy on Pauletta and promised Fuller $3,000 from the proceeds for carrying out the killing.⁶ He also wanted to marry Palmer but feared that a divorce followed by a quick remarriage would cost him the respect of his congregation. According to testimony, Tracy and Palmer concluded it would be “easier for Paulette to die instead of going through a divorce.”³

Fuller testified his father had been pressuring him to kill Pauletta for years, promising insurance money and a place to live in exchange.² Assistant District Attorney Kari Allen told jurors that Tracy and Palmer had convinced Fuller the only way the three of them could “have a happy family” was with Pauletta out of the picture, with Tracy sweetening the deal by offering insurance money.⁵

The Three Defendants and Their Sentences

William Fuller

Fuller originally faced capital murder. He agreed to cooperate, and on October 19, 2011, his charge was reduced to murder and he pleaded guilty.⁷ On November 11, 2011, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, down from a possible 99, in exchange for testifying against his father and Palmer.⁸ He told the jury both his father and Palmer had manipulated him into committing the murder.

Tracy Burleson

Burleson’s capital murder trial took place in the 185th State District Court in Harris County before Judge Susan Brown.⁹ The weeklong trial began in late September 2011. Burleson took the stand and told the jury, “I did not kill my wife,” and denied ever paying his son to do it.¹ He admitted the affair with Palmer but maintained his innocence.

Defense attorney Laine Lindsey argued the state’s case rested entirely on the triggerman’s word and that no independent evidence proved Burleson had hired his son. Prosecutors pointed to Burleson’s inconsistent statements, the cell phone evidence, and the affairs. In closing, Allen told jurors Burleson was “guilty of capital murder as surely as if he had pulled the trigger himself.”¹⁰ On October 3, 2011, the jury convicted him of capital murder and sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole.⁴

Tyonne Palmer

Palmer was also originally charged with capital murder. Her trial began five days after Burleson’s conviction, in the same court and before the same judge.⁹ Prosecutors presented evidence that Palmer had purchased the murder weapon, helped plan the crime, and then picked Fuller up and helped dispose of the gun.¹¹

After roughly eight hours of deliberation over two days, the jury on October 13, 2011, found Palmer guilty of the lesser offense of murder along with tampering with evidence.¹² She was sentenced that afternoon to seven years in prison on the murder count and 10 years of probation on the tampering count.¹³ The result was far lighter than prosecutors had sought. Assistant District Attorney Caroline Dozier said she could understand how jurors reached their conclusion, noting that witnesses had spoken positively about Palmer and that jurors likely had some sympathy for her.¹⁴

Where They Are Now

Tracy Burleson is serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole. No post-conviction appeals in his case have been publicly reported. William Fuller, sentenced to 20 years in November 2011, remains in the Texas prison system. Palmer served her seven-year prison term and, as of 2022, was out on probation and under community supervision for the tampering conviction.¹⁵

1
CBS News. Texas Pastor Tracy Burleson in Murder Trial: I Did Not Kill My Wife
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ABC7. William Fuller Testifies in Tracy Burleson Murder Trial
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Oxygen. Tyonne Palmer and Texas Pastor Wife Paulette Burleson Murder
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CBS News. Tracy Burleson, Texas Pastor Convicted in Wife’s Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison
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6abc. Prosecution Closing Arguments in Tracy Burleson Trial
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Houston Chronicle. Trial Starts for Pastor in Murder-for-Hire Case
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Houston Chronicle. Triggerman in Love Triangle Murder Pleads Guilty
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ABC11. William Fuller Sentenced to 20 Years in Murder
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Houston Chronicle. Outburst Results in Brief Mistrial
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Houston Chronicle. Houston Pastor Gets Life for Wife’s Shooting
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ABC7 News. Tyonne Palmer Convicted in Paulette Burleson Murder
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6abc. Tyonne Palmer Found Guilty in Paulette Burleson Murder
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Click2Houston. Pastor’s Mistress Sentenced for Murder
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Houston Chronicle. Pastor’s Mistress Sentenced to 7 Years in His Wife’s Death
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The Cinemaholic. Paulette Burleson Murder: Where Are Tracy Burleson, William Fuller, and Tyonne Palmer Now