Texas Man Who Called Cops to Brag About Murders Executed

A 46-year-old man who went on a vicious killing spree in 2004 was just executed in Huntsville, Texas and his final moments were profound.

A Deadly Thanksgiving Night Tabler’s First Murders

Richard Lee Tabler and 18-year-old soldier Timothy Doan Payne set up a deadly trap on Thanksgiving in 2004 against strip club manager Mohamed-Amine Rahmouni.

Tabler and Payne lured him to a parking lot by offering to sell stereo equipment. When Rahmouni arrived with his friend Haitham Frank Zayed, Tabler shot Zayed first, then Rahmouni. Payne filmed a portion of the murders, however, it didn't stop there.

Tabler looted their belongings, bragged about the killings, and even called the sheriff’s office the next night to take credit- threatening to do it again.

The Second Double Murder: Targeting Teenage Dancers

Two days later, Tabler struck again. With a hit list of club employees he planned to kill, he targeted two teenage dancers, 16-year-old Amanda Benefield and 18-year-old Tiffany Loraine Dotson.

Tabler lured the two teenage girls to a lake with promises of drugs before shooting them multiple times. Once again, Tabler reached out to the sheriff’s office to take credit and threaten more violence if Rahmouni’s club wasn’t shut down.

Richard Tabler’s Last Words Before Execution

Most startling of all was Tabler's last few moments of life. He used his time to apologize profusely.

“There is not a day that goes by that I don’t regret my actions,” Tabler said as he was strapped down, waiting for his lethal injection.

He also expressed an immense amount of guilt and regret.

“I had no right to take your loved ones from you, and I ask and pray, hope and pray, that one day you find it in your hearts to forgive me for those actions,” Tabler said. “No amount of my apologies will ever return them to you.”

Convictions and Sentences of Tabler & Payne

Richard Tabler was sentenced to death on April 2, 2007, for the murders of Mohamed-Amine Rahmouni and Haitham Frank Zayed. The charges for the murders of Tiffany Dotson and Amanda Benefield never went to trial.

Timothy Payne was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison on November 15, 2007. He is eligible for parole in 2044 after serving 40 years.