Richard Lee Tabler
Updated: 12/21/2025, 7:31:18 AM Wikipedia source
Richard Lee Tabler (February 5, 1979 – February 13, 2025) was an American spree killer who was responsible for four murders committed in 2004. On Thanksgiving Day of 2004, Tabler and a co-defendant shot and killed two men at a nightclub in Killeen, Texas. Two days later, Tabler also killed two teenage girls who worked as dancers at the same nightclub where he committed the Thanksgiving Day double murder. Tabler was charged for these four murders, and subsequently sentenced to death for two of them, while his accomplice was jailed for life. Tabler, who had since lost his appeals against the death sentence, was executed on February 13, 2025.
Infobox
Born
(1979-02-05)February 5, 1979Tulare County, California, U.S.
Died
February 13, 2025(2025-02-13) (aged 46)Huntsville Unit, Texas, U.S.
Criminal status
Executed by lethal injection
Motive
Revenge (allegedly)
Convictions
mw- California Second degree burglary Assault on a police officer Escape Texas Capital murder (×2) Possession of a prohibited item in a correctional facility
Criminal penalty
California3 yearsTexasDeath (×2)
Victims
4
Date
November 26–28, 2004
Location
Killeen, Texas
Imprisoned at
Allan B. Polunsky Unit (death row)
Tables
· References
Preceded bySteven Lawayne NelsonFebruary 5, 2025
Preceded bySteven Lawayne NelsonFebruary 5, 2025
Executions carried out in Texas
Preceded bySteven Lawayne NelsonFebruary 5, 2025
Executions carried out in Texas
Richard Lee Tabler February 13, 2025
Executions carried out in Texas
Succeeded byMoises MendozaApril 23, 2025
Executions carried out in the United States
Executions carried out in the United States
Executions carried out in Texas
Executions carried out in the United States
Preceded byJames Dennis Ford – FloridaFebruary 13, 2025
Preceded byJames Dennis Ford – FloridaFebruary 13, 2025
Executions carried out in Texas
Preceded byJames Dennis Ford – FloridaFebruary 13, 2025
Executions carried out in Texas
Richard Lee Tabler – Texas February 13, 2025
Executions carried out in Texas
Succeeded byBrad Sigmon – South CarolinaMarch 7, 2025
| Executions carried out in Texas | ||
| Preceded bySteven Lawayne NelsonFebruary 5, 2025 | Richard Lee Tabler February 13, 2025 | Succeeded byMoises MendozaApril 23, 2025 |
| Executions carried out in the United States | ||
| Preceded byJames Dennis Ford – FloridaFebruary 13, 2025 | Richard Lee Tabler – Texas February 13, 2025 | Succeeded byBrad Sigmon – South CarolinaMarch 7, 2025 |
References
- The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/texas-execution-richard-tabler-2025/
- TABLER v. LUMPKIN [2021], U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (United States).
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/to-know-and-love-a-murderer/article_e0897e45-795c-5f84-8f7c-afeaadc20895.html
- "Death Row Information / Richard Lee Tabler"https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/death_row/dr_info/tablerrichard.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_b28a19d0-4986-5b8a-8753-3afd6969ce57.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_5fd13b8c-aa2a-5f10-8158-1e4772cd6820.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/texas/gruesome-plot-leads-to-2-arrests/article_00beb463-2fd1-5313-af07-660912f72a3f.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/killeen-man-charged-in-second-double-homicide/article_4622275d-0ab6-5a6c-9d88-4ef6d9dff0d2.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/i-gave-no-confession-tabler-says/article_596cfbde-db4c-5e14-aed9-baa2c8acf5e7.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_d076b77f-2cf2-51c5-8e99-80bf77d8de6b.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_747e4113-a8ab-515b-88b6-90926cd902de.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/two-killeen-men-indicted-in-teazers-slayings/article_a42dca88-c526-5d37-aa5b-bf5da1c7b0f6.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/two-local-men-arraigned-in-four-teazers-club-slayings/article_87d00227-bbf8-5937-8621-2e27e649a543.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_0ca53dbe-92ac-5fa1-af03-1232e42910cc.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_ee6dc94b-a540-5a92-8eb5-c6a95004fd70.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/texas/motion-to-remove-death-penalty-denied/article_09e959b7-3c8e-5f66-bd55-9cdf08453bfb.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/texas/dates-set-for-pair-of-capital-murder-trials/article_42922595-2691-59ea-b0ae-40636d6ef17a.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/death-penalty-trial-delayed-until-2007-for-killeen-man/article_3d838339-c80b-53f7-a8ac-3a57922112a8.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/jury-selection-for-killeen-murder-trial-to-begin-today/article_677be910-875d-5d3a-8b63-09a4fb16b0f4.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/texas/jury-selection-begins-in-murder-trial/article_962c9ce6-eb59-594e-9519-ca978a958dd5.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/opening-statements-begin-in-tabler-trial/article_3e750840-06e1-517d-8214-120a516a2d59.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/tabler-guilty-of-capital-murder/article_a3280f52-a73c-5142-b668-4397ab9f6341.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/texas/tabler-trial-nearing-the-end/article_be5d9c22-9252-5ac5-858f-3caf90213b5d.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_ce63cf68-8c13-5c62-b659-39f815dd49a2.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/tabler-gets-death-penalty/article_f52fab6b-0303-5821-b6db-763dc874319b.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_17b86829-c1b7-523b-8d3c-540dc557763d.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/second-trial-begins-in-double-slaying/article_1009cefe-62ed-5018-9fbe-c5868fe74ab3.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/murder-trial-postponed-for-ex-soldier/article_a737be1f-b88e-512e-a456-693cbdfb9aa2.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/jury-finds-payne-guilty/article_e28201a5-6b9b-53c9-837b-9039f550719c.html
- Plainview Heraldhttps://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Former-soldier-convicted-of-killing-two-men-8573762.php
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/court-rejects-killers-appeal/article_8f8acb28-90d6-53ba-89c7-7d4f39d849dc.html
- "Inmate Information Details / Timothy Doan Payne"https://inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/viewDetail.action?sid=07420770
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_0b098add-85ef-56d5-93c7-ec5ae031b536.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_35881a3a-e906-5c5e-8ff2-5d812dc9e3cd.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_80da2fbf-f53b-580e-a828-0ec91178c0aa.html
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/news/the_latest/article_0a6162e1-2ce0-5026-b99d-d6941e113431.html
- Austin American Statesmanhttps://www.statesman.com/story/news/2012/10/15/killer-who-called-texas-senator-renews-death-wish/9781999007/
- Austin American Statesmanhttps://www.statesman.com/story/news/2013/09/10/death-row-cellphone-smuggling-figure-seeks-to-end-appeals/10043197007/
- TABLER v. STATE [2009], Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (United States).
- The Dallas Morning Newshttps://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2009/12/17/death-row-inmate-s-appeals-are-rejected/
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/tabler-s-appeals-denied-by-court/article_c0324f37-65fd-519b-b528-18b65043da92.html
- Killeen Daily Heraldhttps://kdhnews.com/news/crime/convicted-killer-s-stay-of-execution-continues/article_f233da24-b38f-5907-ae95-c66c852a4e37.html
- TABLER v. STEPHENS [2014], 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (United States).
- Washington Examinerhttps://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/1513034/inmate-whose-call-prompted-lockdown-loses-appeal/
- Houston Chroniclehttps://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Death-row-inmate-whose-threatening-calls-prompted-5801732.php
- TABLER v. STEPHENS [2015], 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (United States).
- TABLER v. LUMPKIN [2023], 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (United States).
- TABLER v. LUMPKIN [2024], U.S. Supreme Court (United States).
- "Alarm Over Death Row Cell Phone Threats"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alarm-over-death-row-cell-phone-threats/
- "Death Row Wireless Crime Spree Probed"https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6122607&page=1
- Chronhttps://www.chron.com/news/article/Texas-prisons-locked-down-after-inmate-threats-3188830.php
- NBC Newshttps://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27284801
- ABC New Yorkhttps://abc7ny.com/archive/6788923/
- "Inmate Information Details: Richard Lee Tabler"https://inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/viewDetail.action?sid=07420770
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_f4d91d44-3cfc-59fe-aa79-87285476d4ee.html
- Austin American Statemanhttps://www.statesman.com/story/news/2009/11/13/prison-chaplain-admits-smuggling-letters/6678222007/
- Temple Daily Telegramhttps://www.tdtnews.com/archive/article_d330082b-26a1-5003-873c-468d17f3ab1d.html
- Austin American Statemanhttps://www.statesman.com/story/news/2012/09/21/state-senator-reports-another-threat-from-death-row-inmate/9840245007/
- The Dallas Morning Newshttps://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2024/10/17/what-to-know-about-the-death-penalty-and-death-row-in-texas/
- USA TODAYhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/12/richard-tabler-texas-execution/78264400007/
- "Texas executes man for 2004 double killing in a dispute with his strip club manager"https://apnews.com/article/texas-execution-richard-tabler-ed88e415f3f6e786ecc62639f1036ef6
- Malay Mailhttps://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2025/02/13/lethal-jabs-florida-and-texas-to-execute-two-convicted-murderers-today-as-trump-pushes-for-capital-punishment/166518
- The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/florida-execution-james-dennis-ford-texas-richard-lee-tabler-b2698049.html
- USA Todayhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/13/texas-execution-richard-lee-tabler-florida/78533711007/