Bio

Gary Sinegal was born in 1961. He grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, as one of eight children. His father left the family when Gary was just a baby. As a result, Gary and his siblings were raised by their mother, who had a hard time providing for all of them.

From a young age, Gary got into trouble with the law. At the age of 13, he was placed on juvenile probation for stealing cars. This was the beginning of a long history of criminal behavior. By 1978, he was sent to the Texas Youth Commission for theft but returned home in 1980.

As he got older, his offenses became more serious. In 1984, he was convicted of armed robbery. He was sentenced to a long prison term and spent 20 years in prison before being released on parole in 2004. After his release, he struggled to find his place in society.

Gary was known to ride his bicycle around his neighborhood. Friends and family noted that he seemed to have difficulty adjusting to life outside of prison. His criminal record showed a pattern of violence and robbery, which began when he was still a teenager.

Murder Story

On April 21, 2005, in Port Arthur, Texas, Gary Sinegal murdered two elderly women, Margie Gafford and Louise Tamplin. Both women were beaten to death in their homes and their bodies were found stuffed in closets. The police discovered the bodies shortly after the murders. Sinegal had also been connected to the murder of another elderly woman, Dorothy Barrett, who was found in her closet under similar circumstances.

Sinegal attacked a woman named Brenda Choate shortly before his arrest. She managed to fight him off and was able to give a description of her attacker. This helped the police link Sinegal to the murders. He was arrested just three days after the killings of Gafford and Tamplin.

On February 22, 2007, Sinegal pleaded guilty to capital murder for the deaths of Gafford and Tamplin. He received a life sentence, avoiding the death penalty through a plea agreement with prosecutors. Under this agreement, he would serve 40 years before being eligible for parole. During the court proceedings, it was noted that the investigation into Barrett's death would be dropped as part of the deal.

By April 9, 2007, Sinegal was sentenced to life in prison. His case highlighted a pattern of violence against elderly women in the area. Despite the connections to multiple victims, he was formally charged only in the murders of Gafford and Tamplin.