Next In Line To Die: Texas Spree Killer Richard Tabler Shot Strippers & Manager

There is no doubt that Richard Tabler shot and killed four people within two days in Killeen, Texas. But is he ultimately responsible for those deaths?

According to court documents, Tabler's defense attempted to have his death conviction overturned, at least in part due to his mental illness. The State did not find his arguments very compelling though.

Who Is Richard Tabler?

Richard Tabler was born in California in 1979. During his court case, it was revealed that he had a troubled childhood and was neglected by both of his parents. He did poorly in school and was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 12.

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Tabler's "priors" to the spree murders include burglary, escape and assault of a police officer, parole violation, and a habit of making threats to law enforcement and fellow inmates.

Two Days, Four Murders, One Videotape

Before November 26, 2004, Tabler borrowed a gun, a camcorder, and a pickup truck. The night that next day, Thanksgiving day, Tabler and an accomplice lured Mohamed-Amine Rahmouni, a strip club owner, into meeting them with the promise of cheap stereo equipment.

Tabler had previously been fired from that strip club and disputed with Rahmouni. When Rahmouni and another man drove up to Tabler's location, Tabler shot and killed them both while his accomplice videotaped the murders.

Tabler then stole items from Rahmouni's vehicle and showed the video to another friend before destroying it. He also called the Bell County Sheriff's Department to brag about the murders and to say he would do it again- which he did.

Don't Tell Anyone

On November 28th, lured two dancers from the strip club to a lake with the promise of drugs. The girls were only 16 and 18 years old. Their names had been on a list of 11 people Tabler planned to kill so that no one could implicate him in Rahmouni's death.

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After shooting the women and leaving them by the lake, Tabler once again called the Sheriff's Office, stating that if the club were not shut down, more people would die.

Getting Caught And Convicted

Tabler was picked up by police on an unrelated felony charge- but while in custody, confessed to the murders. He would later recant his conviction and plead not guilty to the crimes.

When the prosecution revealed that the death penalty was on the table, Tabler's defense attempted to have that option quashed based on "diminished responsibility," that is, that Tabler was not mentally well enough to be fully culpable for the murders. The judge rejected the attempt.

Tabler was tried and convicted for the murder of the two men and received the death penalty. He was never tried for the murders of the two women.

While in prison, Tabler has gotten into more trouble- for make threats to politicians via letter and through the use of a smuggled phone.

According to the TDCJ website, Tabler is scheduled to be executed on 02/13/2025, just a little over a week after the execution of Steve Nelson, a man who murdered a preacher in his own church.