Thomas Bartlett "Bart" Whitaker arranged with two friends to kill his parents and younger brother Kevin. The much-indulged son of a well-to-do family, he resented the fact that his cousins would inherit the family business. And he was tired of waiting for his "share". Knowing that his parents were heavily insured and that their assets were significant, he cold-bloodedly arranged for them to be murdered.

To deflect suspicion away from himself, he instructed his henchmen to make the murders look like an interrupted burglary. He scheduled the murders on the night that the family was having a celebratory dinner at an expensive local restaurant. Believing that their son was soon to graduate from college, the proud parents presented him with a $4,000 watch to express their pride in him. When the family arrived home, all four were shot. The plan was for the parents and Kevin to die and for Bart to be slightly injured.

But Bart's young friend wasn't a professional. He killed Tricia and Kevin Whitaker, but only wounded Kent Whitaker. Mistake #1. And the rifling of the house that was supposed to make it look like a burglary was poorly done, looking like the fake job it was. Mistake #2. When the police started looking suspiciously at Bart Whitaker he bolted for Mexico and hid out there until the man whom he had paid to get him there turned him into the police and collected the reward. Mistake #3. Three strikes and you're out, even with relatives as naive and gullible as the Whitaker/Bartlett family.