GALVESTON, Texas (Court TV) — An 18-year-old is standing trial in Texas on charges that he murdered and robbed his girlfriend’s grandmother.
Uriah Urick and Tara King are charged with the murder of Tammy King. (Galveston County Sheriff’s Office)
Uriah Lee Urick Jr, 18, is charged with capital murder and credit card abuse for the murder of Tammy King on Feb. 5, 2025.
Investigators testified that King was found shot to death in her home, which appeared to have been ransacked. The victim’s purse had been emptied, gun safes were open, and her body was covered with numerous sheets that appeared to have been placed over her post-mortem.
King’s boyfriend testified that before her death, King had been arguing with her granddaughter, Tara King, about skipping school as well as her relationship with Urick, whom she found to be too loud.
Both Tara and Urick were arrested together in Laredo, Texas, on Feb. 9.
A third suspect, Travis Hodge, 36, was arrested after investigators say he drove the couple to Laredo to evade law enforcement. When Hodge was arrested, he was in possession of methamphetamine and a gun believed to be the murder weapon in Tammy’s death.
Hodge took the stand at Urick’s trial and testified that he met the defendant after a drug deal and sold him methamphetamine on multiple occasions. A few days before Feb. 7, Hodge said that Urick reached out asking for a place to stay with guns. He admitted that the weapons he was found with had been given to him by the defendant. Instagram messages shown to the jury between Hodge, Urick and Tara in the days before Tammy’s death include:
Urick: “DON’T WANT TO KILL HER”
Tara: “I’VE ALWAYS HATED HER”
Urick: “DO I KILL HER NEXT TIME IF THERE IS A NEXT TIME?”
On the day before the murder, both defendants appeared to be under the influence of drugs and discussed methamphetamine in their messages; investigators said the messages reveal arguments and emotional manipulation.
Detectives who testified said the messages also included references to violence, including stabbing and beating.
Hodge pleaded guilty to the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance; he is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 16, 2026. He faces 99 years to life in prison.
Tara was found competent to stand trial in August; her trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 5, 2026.
Follow more coverage of Uriah Urick’s case on CourtTV.com.
