Lillelid murders

The Lillelid murders refers to a criminal case in Greeneville, Tennessee, United States in 1997. A Norwegian-Honduran-American family of Jehovah's Witnesses were carjacked and then shot; three of the four were killed. Six young people were convicted and sentenced for the crime.

Norwegian Vidar Lillelid (age 34), his American wife Delfina (28), their daughter Tabitha (6) and son Peter (2) were shot on a deserted road in Tennessee on 6 April 1997. Vidar and Delfina were found dead, while Tabitha died after being transported to the hospital. Peter, who was found lying in a ditch, was the only survivor. He had been shot once in the torso and once through the eye. As a result of the shooting, he was left blind in one eye and permanently disabled.

Vidar Lillelid grew up in Bergen, Norway. He moved in 1985 to the US, where he married Delfina Zelaya in 1989. They met through their common involvement in Jehovah's Witnesses. She was born in New Jersey to parents from Honduras.

Six young people—Natasha Wallen Cornett, 18; Edward Dean Mullins, 19; Joseph Lance Risner, 20; Crystal R. Sturgill, 18; Jason Blake Bryant, 14; and Karen R. Howell, 17—were arrested two days after the killings. With teh exception of Bryant, all had attended Betsy Layne High School. They were taken into custody in Arizona after trying to cross the Mexican border in the van which they had stolen from the Lillelid family. All of the perpetrators had difficult childhoods and lived on the edge of the law.

Karen Howell was born on September 25, 1979 in Delaware, Ohio. Her family moved to Kentucky when she was aged three.

Dean Mullins was born in 1978 in Harold, Kentucky.

Crystal Rena Sturgill was born on March 13, 1979 in Harold, Kentucky. She also attended Floyd County Technical School.

Joseph Risner was born on October 13, 1976 in Hazard, Kentucky. After dropping out of high school he attended Mayo Regional Technology Center.

Jason Blake Bryant was born July 18, 1982 in Hellier, Kentucky. He was in 8th grade at Millard High School and had an IQ of 85.

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