The Erin Caffey Case: Sixteen-Year-Old Plots and Murders Three Family Members with Boyfriend

After Erin Caffey's parents told her she couldn't be with her boyfriend anymore, she decided to get back at them.

Her revenge was terrifying—she had her family brutally murdered while they were sleeping.

Two men broke into the Caffey family's home in Alba, Texas, on March 1, 2008.

These men went on a horrifying killing spree, leaving two young children and their mother dead.

The only ones who survived were 16-year-old Erin Caffey and her father, Terry Caffey.

Her father was shot multiple times before the intruders set the house on fire.

When the police revealed that Erin Caffey was the one who planned the whole thing, the nation was shocked.

The Caffey family

The Tragic Motive: Erin Caffey’s Revenge Against Her Family

The whole incident began about five months before the murders when Erin Caffey started dating 18-year-old Charlie Wilkinson.

The pair met while Caffey worked part-time as a waitress at a Sonic fast-food restaurant.

Soon, their relationship became very serious, and they were always together.

Wilkinson even gave her a promise ring that had belonged to his grandmother and talked openly about wanting to marry her.

However, Erin's parents became worried about the relationship.

Terry Caffey said that he had concerns about Wilkinson from the beginning.

“There were just things about him that didn’t sit right with me,” he later said. 

Meanwhile, the Caffey family was deeply involved in their local church, which matched their passion for music.

Erin Caffey’s brothers—eight-year-old Tyler played the guitar, and 13-year-old Matthew played the harmonica.

Their mother, Penny Caffey, played the piano at church, while Erin Caffey was the family’s vocalist—until she met Wilkinson.

After meeting Wilkinson, the church-going teen started to struggle in school.

Her parents decided to search online to learn more about this troubling boyfriend. 

What they found convinced them they needed to keep him away from their daughter.

Erin Caffey

Wilkinson’s MySpace page was filled with sexual references and mentions of drinking alcohol.

In February 2008, Erin's parents insisted she end the relationship.

That same month, Erin Caffey began discussing killing her parents in front of her friends.

She believed that killing her parents was the only way she could be with Wilkinson.

Erin Caffey then planned a murder scheme with Charlie Wilkinson and his friend Charles Waid.

Accounts vary on who was the mastermind behind the plot.

Wilkinson claimed he had suggested running away with Caffey, but she insisted on the murders instead. 

Caffey, on the other hand, said it was Wilkinson’s idea and that he had anger issues.

Charles  Wilkinson

March 1, 2008: The Brutal Murders That Shook Alba, Texas

On the day of the massacre, Wilkinson and Waid drove up to the Caffey home.

Outside, Erin Caffey and Waid’s girlfriend waited in the car.

Before entering the property, Wilkinson warned Caffey that he needed to kill her brothers to ensure there were no witnesses. 

"I don’t care," she reportedly said, "just do what you gotta do."

Once inside, Wilkinson went to Terry and Penny’s room and fired a .22 pistol at the sleeping couple.

After being shot multiple times himself, Terry Caffey lay beside his dying wife, unable to move or speak.

Wilkinson’s gun then jammed, then Waid took out a samurai-style sword and used it on Penny, almost decapitating her.

The pair then went upstairs to where Tyler and Matthew were hiding.

Terry heard his son Matthew cry out, “No, Charlie. No. Why are you doing this?”

The helpless father drifted out of consciousness as Tyler was shot in the face and Matthew was brutally killed.

The pair took turns using the sword on Matthew, leading to his death.

Wilkinson and Waid then looted the house for valuables, as Wilkinson had promised Waid $2,000 for his help.

Finally, they poured lighter fluid on the furniture and set the house on fire.

Charles Waid

Terry Caffey miraculously regained consciousness as the fire spread and crawled out of a window.

It took him an hour to crawl to his nearest neighbor’s house, who then called the authorities.

Terry was rushed into emergency surgery and thankfully he survived the attack.

Once he was stable, he told the sheriff’s deputies that it was Charlie Wilkinson who attacked him. 

Authorities quickly tracked down Wilkinson and brought him in for questioning.

Then, they found Erin Caffey in the trailer where Wilkinson was living, and she seemed to be in shock.

She told the police she had been kidnapped.

After a thorough investigation by detectives, all four suspects were brought in for questioning by the police

It didn’t take long for Erin Caffey’s kidnapping story to fall apart. 

Wilkinson and Waid both told police that the murders were Erin Caffey’s idea.

But Caffey insisted that she had nothing to do with her family’s murder.

Caffey, Wilkinson, Waid,

Aftermath and Justice: Sentences and Reactions Following the Murders

In the end, Caffey, Wilkinson, Waid, and Waid’s girlfriend were all charged with three counts of capital murder.

Wilkinson and Waid were given life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Caffey was also sentenced to life, but she will be eligible to apply for parole after 40 years.

Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty for Wilkinson and Waid. 

However, Terry Caffey intervened and requested otherwise.

Despite everything he had been through, he still believed in the forgiveness his faith had taught him.

Terry Caffey has maintained a relationship with his daughter, even after the massacre. 

It reportedly wasn’t easy for him at first, and Erin Caffey still denies her role in the planning of the murder.

She insists to her father that she tried to run away from Wilkinson the night of the murder, but was forced to wait in the car.

Her father believes her.

You can watch a video of her interview with Piers Morgan below, where she still maintains her innocence after 8 years in prison.

In another case, a 19-year-old boy was ambushed and murdered after being lured for sex by two sisters. 

Click here to read more about this shocking case.