Man suspected in family slayings arrested after police standoff in Texas
Crime News
LISA FALKENBERG, Associated Press Writer Thursday, August 30, 2001
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(08-30) 18:24 PDT MANSFIELD, Texas (AP) --
A man suspected in the shooting deaths of his estranged wife and two
children was captured Thursday after apparently falling asleep during an
armed standoff with police, authorities said.
Terry Lee Hankins, 26, was charged with capital murder in the deaths of
Tammy Hankins, her 13-year-old son, Kevin Galley, and their 11-year-old
daughter, Ashley Mason.
Hankins hung his head as two officers led him into the police station.
He shook his head and remained silent when asked for comment.
He was jailed on $1 million bail.
The bodies of the victims were found Wednesday in their mobile home in
Mansfield, south of Fort Worth. Each was shot multiple times and had
been dead several days, police said.
Police Chief Steve Noonkester said officers found a note at the scene,
but he wouldn't comment on what it said.
Police, acting on a tip, went to the apartment in nearby Arlington on
Thursday and contacted Hankins by phone. A 10-year-old girl and a
39-year-old woman -- described by police as relatives of Hankins'
girlfriend -- were inside with him during the standoff. Police said
Hankins had a gun.
"He was pretty adamant that he didn't want to hurt anybody. He expressed
a desire for it all to end peacefully," police Lt. James Hawthorne said.
Hankins apparently fell asleep while police were trying to negotiate
with him, Hawthorne said. The woman and girl then left the apartment and
SWAT team members arrested Hankins without incident.
Neighbors told authorities Hankins was the estranged husband of the
slain woman, father of the slain girl and stepfather of the boy. The
bodies were discovered in the mobile home by the woman's grandmother and
a sister.
Police said Hankins had been at the residence in the past few days and
authorities had answered several disturbance calls there.
Juan Ruiz, a next-door neighbor, said he saw Hankins at the Breezy Oaks
Mobile Home Park recently.
"He waved at me a couple of days ago, then went inside really quickly,
like suspiciously, like he didn't want me seeing him," Ruiz said.
Ruiz said Kevin told him several weeks ago that he was excited his
parents were getting back together, but more recently the family had
become nervous.
"When they'd come in, they came in and didn't talk much," he said.