Bio

Charles Daniel Tuttle was born on June 26, 1964. He grew up in Texas and had a background as a construction worker. Not much is known about his early family life or childhood. He lived in Smith County, Texas, where he later became known for his involvement in a serious crime.

In the years before his crime, Tuttle was known to have lived with friends and family members, including a period where he stayed with a woman named Catherine Harris. He was friends with her nephew, David Landry, which is how he came to stay at her home. Tuttle's life took a dark turn, leading to the events that would change everything for him and many others.

Murder Story

On February 24, 1995, Charles Daniel Tuttle murdered Catherine Harris in her home in Smith County, Texas. He attacked her with a claw hammer, inflicting multiple blows to her head. After the assault, he hid her body under a pile of clothes and blankets. Tuttle had been staying at Harris's home but was asked to leave because he was not contributing to the bills.

David Landry, who was Catherine’s nephew and a friend of Tuttle, discovered her body. Tuttle fled the scene after stealing credit cards and cash from her purse. He also took Harris's Dodge Dakota truck. Four days later, on February 28, 1995, Tuttle was arrested in Beaumont, Texas, in his father's hospital room. When authorities captured him, they found a loaded .357-revolver, Harris's credit cards, and the truck key in his possession.

During the investigation, police found the claw hammer used in the murder. It was located behind a washer and dryer in Harris's home. DNA evidence from hair fibers linked Tuttle to the crime, confirming his presence at the scene. In November 1997, Tuttle chose to refuse his right to appeal. He was convicted of capital murder on February 17, 1999, and was scheduled for execution.

Tuttle was executed by lethal injection on July 1, 1999. In his final statement, he expressed remorse to the family of Catherine Harris, saying he hoped his actions in dropping his appeals could help their healing process. Tuttle was pronounced dead at 6:28 p.m., about seven minutes after the lethal drugs were administered.