Bio

James Tenner was born in 1944 in the United States. He had a regular childhood but faced challenges growing up. His family life is not well documented, but he eventually became involved in various businesses, including running a trucking company. By the 1970s, he had developed a working relationship with Albert Sauls, who would later become one of his victims. Tenner and Sauls worked together in different businesses throughout the years.

In early 1987, Tenner met Shirley Garza at a Dunkin' Donuts. They started dating and even lived together for a short time during the spring. However, by mid-1987, their relationship soured, and Garza moved out. This event severely impacted Tenner, as he believed that Garza's associations with Sauls and other friends were interfering with their relationship.

On the evening of September 2, 1987, Tenner confronted several people, including Garza, Albert Sauls, and Alvin Smith, with a shotgun. His actions stemmed from his belief that they had meddled in his personal life. During this confrontation, he took significant measures against them, which led to tragic outcomes.

On the day after the events unfolded, Tenner was arrested. By 1990, he was sentenced to death for his actions, though this punishment was later commuted to life in prison.

Murder Story

On September 2, 1987, James Tenner committed a series of violent acts that resulted in the deaths of two people and seriously injured another. The incident unfolded in a garage located in Cook County, Illinois. After finishing his work day, Tenner confronted three of his friends—Albert Sauls, his wife, Donna Sauls, and Alvin Smith—in the garage where they were working on a truck. Tenner believed they had interfered with his relationship with his girlfriend, Shirley Garza.

When Alvin Smith attempted to leave, Tenner pointed a shotgun at him and forced him back inside the garage. He ordered all four individuals to lie down on the floor. Tenner then retrieved lengths of rope, instructing Donna Sauls and Shirley Garza to bind the hands and feet of Albert Sauls and Alvin Smith. He also ordered Garza to tie up Donna in a similar manner. With the victims restrained, Tenner took them to the back of the garage where he had prepared ropes with nooses attached to them.

Over the next two and a half hours, Tenner yelled at his victims, accusing them of meddling in his relationship. He then compelled Garza to place nooses around their necks and duct tape over their mouths. Once they were secured, Tenner released Garza and sent her outside, warning her that he would kill her if she did anything he deemed unacceptable.

Tenner then turned his shotgun on Donna Sauls, shooting her in the face and shoulder, causing her to fall and die. He shifted his attention to Alvin Smith, shooting him in the abdomen. Lastly, Tenner attempted to kill Albert Sauls, shooting him twice even though Albert managed to free his hands from the ropes. After the shootings, Tenner fled the scene with Shirley as a hostage.

He drove towards O'Hare Airport while holding Shirley captive. Nearby law enforcement received an alert about his actions, leading to his arrest shortly thereafter. A loaded shotgun was found in the car along with ammunition.

Following the event, Albert Sauls, who had survived the attack despite his injuries, crawled from the garage to seek help. He was eventually rescued after alerting a passerby.

During the trial, evidence included Tenner's own admission of his actions. He was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Donna Sauls and Alvin Smith, as well as charges related to the attempted murder of Albert Sauls and unlawful restraint of all his victims. The state sought the death penalty for Tenner due to the nature of the crimes.

On March 12, 1990, Tenner was sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life in prison amid changes in Illinois' death penalty laws.