5 key details about Richard Messina and Sandra Cover’s murder

Richard Messina and Sandra Cover were killed on July 29, 2007, at their home by Carlos Christopher and Tabitha Messina. The murderers were apprehended in 2007 and given life sentences after being found guilty of double homicide in 2008.

Snapped: Behind Bars season 2 episode 5, which will air on Oxygen on September 29, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. ET, will focus on this double homicide and will also include an interview with one of the convicted killers. The episode is titled Tabitha Messina and the synopsis for the same reads:

"Serving a life sentence for the murders of her father and his girlfriend, Tabitha Messina explains what happened for the first time on camera. She claims she wasn't the mastermind and shifts blame onto her convicted co-conspirator."

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5 important details about Richard Messina and Sandra Cover's murder

1) An altercation took place between Richard Messina and Carlos Christopher right before the murder

Reportedly, Richard Messina and his girlfriend were found dead on July 30, 2007. On July 29, 2007, Carlos, who had gone to Richard’s residence that day to return Tabitha’s phone, had an altercation with Richard after the latter hurled a racial slur at Carlos.

In the closing statements of the trial, Carlos’s attorney, John Pyle, revealed more details about the altercation and said:

"What we had here, in this case, is a windstorm... a perfect tragedy of a windstorm. And those winds joined that tragic night, and this was fueled by one word. We all know this word. Not only is it a word that ridicules persons of color, It tells them they're less than human. Words hurt. And this was one of them."

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2) A horrifying crime scene

The scene of the crime was scarring (Image by Martin Podsiad/Unsplash)

The South Euclid officers found the couple dead in the master bedroom of their home. Richard’s body was discovered in a "twisted position" as per reports by Oxygen, and his face was covered with bedclothes. A mobile phone and a cross were also discovered next to his dead body.

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3) Richard Messina and Sandra Cover were killed in a violent manner

According to Oxygen, Richard had six chop wounds inflicted by a hatchet, and his girlfriend Cover died from blunt force trauma after Tabitha attacked her with a crowbar, as per Christopher's confession. He also revealed that Richard Messina woke up while Cover was being attacked, and Christopher attacked him with an axe and killed him.

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4) Both the killers had a rough childhood

Carlos Christopher, son of a gang leader, was born inside a jail. Reportedly, his father, who was an alleged criminal, would take Carlos along with him on his murderous quests.

David Volek, a detective, revealed more information about Carlos and his father in 2013, saying:

"His father killed many people. His father would take Carlos along with him when he’d do his killings, so Carlos could see it and witness it.”

Tabitha Messina also had a rough childhood and her mother, who was a substance abuser and frequently partied, eventually split up with Richard Messina.

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5) Tabitha Messina’s father Richard Messina did not approve of her relationship with Christopher Carlos

Tabitha's father allegedly disapproved of her daughter's relationship with Carlos Christopher because of Carlos's darker skin tone. Days before he and Sandra were murdered, Tabitha began dating Jason Gaylord since her father was not fond of her previous relationship.

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Watch Snapped: Behind Bars season 2 episode 5 to know more about this case.