Lillelid murders
Encyclopedia
The Lillelid murders refers to a criminal case in Greeneville
, Tennessee
, United States
in 1997. A Norwegian-Honduran-American family of Jehovah's Witnesses
were carjacked
and then shot; three of the four were killed. Six young people were convicted and sentenced for the crime.
Norwegian Vidar Lillelid (age 34), his American wife Delfina (28), their daughter Tabitha (6) and son Peter (2) were shot on a deserted road in Tennessee on 6 April 1997. Vidar and Delfina were found dead, while Tabitha died after being transported to the hospital. Peter, who was found lying in a ditch, was the only survivor. He had been shot once in the torso and once through the eye. As a result of the shooting, he was left blind in one eye and permanently disabled.
, Norway. He moved in 1985 to the USA, where he married Delfina Zelaya in 1989. They met through their common involvement in Jehovah's Witnesses. She was born in New Jersey, USA by parents from Honduras
.
after trying to cross the Mexican
border in the van which they had stolen from the Lillelid family. All of the perpetrators had difficult childhoods and lived on the edge of the law. In addition to that references were made by prosecutors at trial to rumors that they were involved with occultism and Satanism
, however no evidence was presented and this omission was cited in Ms. Cornett's unsuccessful 2002 appeal of her conviction.
Witnesses observed the youths in conversation with the Lillelid family at a rest area picnic spot. From there, they forced the family to drive them away from the rest area and to a more remote location. After the family had been shot and left for dead, the six abandoned their original vehicle and left in the Lillelid's van.
Their trial was completed in March 1998. The six youths were sentenced to prison for life with no chance for parole. The judge applied the same aggravating circumstances for all. However, it was not exactly decided which of them had the main blame for the killings. Per court testimony it was established that the youngest, Jason Bryant, had fired shots, but the judge opined another undetermined member of the group might also have done so.
. Citing Randi's pledge to raise Peter in the faith and teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses
as the deciding factor, local Judge Fred McDonald awarded her custody of Peter on July 1st, 1997.
Peter has since been raised in Sweden by his Aunt Randi Heier and her family.
As of 2007 at the age of about twelve years, he still had trouble walking because of the injuries.
Greeneville, Tennessee
Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 15,198 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Greene County. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene. It is the only town with this spelling in the United States, although there...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1997. A Norwegian-Honduran-American family of Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
were carjacked
Carjacking
Carjacking is a form of hijacking, where the crime is of stealing a motor vehicle and so also armed assault when the vehicle is occupied. Historically, such as in the rash of semi-trailer truck hijackings during the 1960s, the general term hijacking was used for that type of vehicle abduction,...
and then shot; three of the four were killed. Six young people were convicted and sentenced for the crime.
Norwegian Vidar Lillelid (age 34), his American wife Delfina (28), their daughter Tabitha (6) and son Peter (2) were shot on a deserted road in Tennessee on 6 April 1997. Vidar and Delfina were found dead, while Tabitha died after being transported to the hospital. Peter, who was found lying in a ditch, was the only survivor. He had been shot once in the torso and once through the eye. As a result of the shooting, he was left blind in one eye and permanently disabled.
Family history
Vidar Lillelid grew up in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway. He moved in 1985 to the USA, where he married Delfina Zelaya in 1989. They met through their common involvement in Jehovah's Witnesses. She was born in New Jersey, USA by parents from Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
.
Details of the crime
Six young people—Natasha Wallen Cornett, 18; Edward Dean Mullins, 19; Joseph Lance Risner, 20; Crystal R. Sturgill, 18; Jason Blake Bryant, 14; and Karen R. Howell, 17—were arrested two days after the killings. The six individuals were taken into custody in ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
after trying to cross the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
border in the van which they had stolen from the Lillelid family. All of the perpetrators had difficult childhoods and lived on the edge of the law. In addition to that references were made by prosecutors at trial to rumors that they were involved with occultism and Satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
, however no evidence was presented and this omission was cited in Ms. Cornett's unsuccessful 2002 appeal of her conviction.
Witnesses observed the youths in conversation with the Lillelid family at a rest area picnic spot. From there, they forced the family to drive them away from the rest area and to a more remote location. After the family had been shot and left for dead, the six abandoned their original vehicle and left in the Lillelid's van.
Their trial was completed in March 1998. The six youths were sentenced to prison for life with no chance for parole. The judge applied the same aggravating circumstances for all. However, it was not exactly decided which of them had the main blame for the killings. Per court testimony it was established that the youngest, Jason Bryant, had fired shots, but the judge opined another undetermined member of the group might also have done so.
Aftermath of the victim family
Soon after Peter Lillelid's medical condition stabilized at the end of April 1997, a custody battle began between his maternal grandmother Lydia Selaya of Miami, Florida, USA and his father's sister Randi Heier of SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Citing Randi's pledge to raise Peter in the faith and teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
as the deciding factor, local Judge Fred McDonald awarded her custody of Peter on July 1st, 1997.
Peter has since been raised in Sweden by his Aunt Randi Heier and her family.
As of 2007 at the age of about twelve years, he still had trouble walking because of the injuries.
Related News Articles
- The Lillelid Murders: Ten Years Later, WBIR.com, 2007
- Lillelid Murderer Mullins' Sentence Review Is Heard, The Greeneville Sun, 2002
- Lillelid Murder Defendant Risner Seeks Reversal Of His Sentences, The Greeneville Sun, 2002
- Natasha Cornett Tells Why She Is Seeking A 'Fair Trial', The Greeneville Sun, 2001
- Peter Lillelid Is 'A Happy Little Boy' 3 Years After Murders Of His Family, The Greeneville Sun, 2000
External links
- Six, a documentary about the murders