Tammy Eveans was always seen by her husband as a devoted
mother. Yet he knew she was a habitual
liar and that she had faked a suicide attempt on her honeymoon and after arrest
fabricated rape stories, or more properly, a single rape story that she offered
in three radically different versions.
“At different times during their marriage, defendant gave
three different versions of being raped when she was younger. First, she
claimed before they were married, she had been raped by her boyfriend. Later
she claimed she had been grabbed as she was getting into her car, dragged to an
apartment, and raped by a man who looked vaguely familiar. Later her story was
the same as the second version, except this time the rapist was a black man.” [1-4-96; Illinois v.
T. Eveans]
It was the supposed emotional trauma from supposed rape that
became Tammy’s exculpatory claim she used to explain what she asserted was the
accidental death of her 3-year-old son in 1989. Tammy delivered the story to
her sister, Mary Corbett (26), telling her “she was napping with her son when
she had a nightmare about being raped, thought she was defending herself
against the rapist and awoke to find her son dead beside her.” [2-4-93, SLPD]
It was of the third of her children to die in her care, the
previous deaths, in 1987 and 1988, were not treated as homicide cases. The
first, that of Robert, 56-days-old, was seen as an accident, the baby having
died from a skull fracture due to “a fall.” The second, that of Amy,
16-days-old, was attributed to the non-explanation pseudo-diagnosis that was
current at the time, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), meaning in reality,
simply this: “nobody has any idea how the baby died.”
It was only after the 1989 death by smothering of 3-year-old
Richard Eavens, Jr. and subsequent murder conviction that she admitted to the
two earlier killings. Testimony made it clear that her motive was to exact
revenge on her husband, a painter, who worked long hours to support his young
family. Tammy resented not getting more attention.
Tammy, in explaining the death of her daughter, employed
another “dream story” to explain odd circumstances surrounding baby Amy’s
death, claiming he had gotten up unusually early because “she was having a
dream in which Amy’s name had replaced Robert’s on his tombstone.” [2-2-93,
SLPD]
It was during a visit to his wife in the county jail that
the father learned that his wife had murdered all three of his children.
“Richard Eveans quoted his wife as saying that after she killed Amy, she
laughed real loud, like a witch, and she couldn’t understand why.” [2-2-93,
SLPD]
Tammy, according to testimony, told Richard “that she knew
what she was doing when she killed each child and that she could have stopped
herself.” She added the chilling detail that “she had looked into their son’s
eyes while she held her hand over his mouth . . . telling him “His eyes were
saying, ‘Help me mommy.’” [9-22-90, SLPD]
In 1993 trial testimony one witness, Gina Eveans, disclosed
that at the hospital in 1987 about a week before baby Robert died, “she heard
Corbett say as she stood over his crib, “Don’t worry, baby, I got even.”
[2-3-93, SLPD]
At the same trial for the two newly discovered murders the
daughter of Richard Eavans told of a harrowing story of what she had
witnessed and heard. The girl, 12 at the time of the trial, said she was
afraid to tell anyone because she feared Tammy “would get her.”
The girl told of how when she was “was staying with her
father and Corbett on two separate occasions she saw Corbett hold her hand over
their mouths of Robert and Amy. Authorities have requested that the girl remain
unidentified. Both babies had reacted by kicking and struggling. . . . When
Corbett put her had over Robert’s mouth, she said. “This is for you Ricky
[Richard Eveans Sr.].” The girl told her father that moments before Tammy
smothered the 3-year-old that she said something like “You’re going to die,” or
“I hope you die.” [9-22-90, SLPD]
In
1990 Tammy Corbett, in a plea agreement, was sentenced to 20
years in prison without parole for the murder of Richard, Jr., a
sentence Richard Eveans found unreasonable in
its mildness. “She killed all three my kids,” he explained. Justice was
served when in 1993, she was sentenced to life in prison without parole
for the murders of Robert and Amy. The verdict was guilty but mentally
ill, and it was this mitigating factor that saved her from the death
sentence the prosecutor had sought.
[by Robert St. Estephe, Jan. 9, 2017]
***
Sources:
[Charles Bosworth, Jr., “Sentence Upsets Father; Long Term
Sought In Children’s Deaths,: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Mo.), Sep. 22, 1990, p.
1]
[Charles Bosworth, Jr., “Mother Slew for Attention,
Prosecutor Says,” St. Louis Post Dispatch (Mo.), Feb. 2, 1993, p. 4A]
[Charles Bosworth, Jr., “Corbett’s Stepdaughter Testifies Of
Foreshadowing Of 2 Deaths,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Mo.), Feb. 3, 1993, p;. 8A]
[01/04/96;
People State Illinois V. Tammy L. Eveans, Appellate Court Of Illinois,
Fourth District, January 4, 1996; The People Of The State Of
Illinois, Plaintiff-Appellee, V. Tammy L. Eveans, A/K/A Tammy L. Corbett,
Defendant-Appellant.]
***
FULL TEXT: A 12-year old girl fought back tears Tuesday as
she described watching Tammy Corbett hold her hand over the mouths of her two
mouths of her two infants in frightening incidents well before the mysterious
deaths of of both babies.
The girl, Corbett’s stepdaughter, also told Circuit Judge
Joseph P. Koval of Macoupin County that she heard Corbrett say something like
“Die, Ricky” or “You’re going to die” in “a mean voice” on the day that she
has admitted smothering her other child, Richard Eveans Jr., on his third
birthday in July 1989.
Corbett, 27, of Brighton, is being tried before Koval
without a jury on two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of her
56-day-old son, Robert Eveans, in September 1987, and her 16-day-old daughter,
Amy, in September 1988.
She already is serving 20 years after pleading guilty but
mentally ill for smothering Richard Eveans Jr. Corbett agreed that she held her
hand over the boy’s mouth until he died.
State’s Attorney Vince Moreth said Monday that Corbett was
so addicted to attention that she killed her children to get sympathy.
Moreth and Corbett also was trying to get back at her
then-husband, Richard Eveans Sr., for spending too much time on his painting
business.
Moreth was expected to rest his case this morning: he said
he would seek the death penalty if Corbett is convicted.
Richard Eveans Sr., testified Monday that Corbett admitted
to him that she killed all three of her children.
One of Corbett’s attorneys, Michael Burton of St. Louis,
said the defense would show that Corbett’s mental condition prevented her from
forming the intent to commit murder.
Burton and defense attorney Arthur S. Margulis of Clayton
said they had yet to decide whether Corbett would testify.
Richard Eveans’ daughter from a previous marriage testified
Tuesday that she was staying with her father and Corbett on two separate
occasions she saw Corbett hold her hand over their mouths of Robert and Amy.
Authorities have requested that the girl remain unidentified.
Both babies had reacted by kicking and struggling, the girl
testified as she wiped away her tears.
When Corbett put her had over Robert’s mouth, she said.
“This is for you Ricky [Richard Eveans Sr.],” the girl testified.
The girl did not explain the remark.
The girl testified that she asked Corbett what she was doing
to Robert, and she said she was trying to get him to be quiet.
The girl she said she was afraid to tell anyone what
happened until Corbett had been arrested. The girl said she hid after she saw
what Corbett did to Amy “because I was afraid she was going to get me.”
Under cross-examination by Burton, the girl said she still
loved Corbett and had sent letters and cards to her in jail.
Gina Eveans, who is married to Richard Eveans’ brother,
testified Tuesday that Corbett had several times that she would get even with
Richard Eveans for spending too much time away from home.
Gina Eveans said that she went to the hospital when Robert
was admitted, about a week before he died, and heard Corbett say as she stood
over his crib, “Don’t worry, baby, I got even.”
[Charles Bosworth, Jr., “Corbett’s Stepdaughter Testifies Of
Foreshadowing Of 2 Deaths,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Mo.), Feb. 3, 1993, p;.
8A]
***
CHRONOLOGY
Oct. 2, 1965 – Tammy Corbett born. Grew up in South St.
Louis.
1986 – Married Richard Eavens; having met in 1985 through
friends.
Jul. 19, 1986 – Richard
Eveans Jr., born.
July 31, 1987 – Robert Eveans
born.
Sep. (date?), 1987 – Robert Eveans stops breathing and is sent to
hospital.
Sep. 25, 1987 – Robert Eveans (7 weeks old; 56
days), murdered; dies due to a skull fracture resulting in meningitis.
Aug. 16, 1988 – Amy Cecille Eveans, born.
Sep. 1, 1988 – Amy Cecile Eveans (16 days old), was
murdered. It was ruled that her death was caused by Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome.
Jul. 19, 1989 – Richard Eveans Jr. 3-year-old son,
smothered on his birthday, pronounced dead at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Alton.
Aug. 10, 1989 – Corbett is arrested for the murder of her
son Richard Eveans Jr.
Date? 1989/90 – In Jersey County Jail in Jerseyville, Tammy
admits to the two previous killings.
Nov. 1989 – “Lynn Chism, an acquaintance of defendant, had a
phone conversation with defendant in November 1989, while defendant was being
held in jail. Chism told defendant she had "no doubt" defendant had
killed Robert and Amy. Defendant started crying and said, "It was my
hands. It wasn't me, it was my hands." However, when Chism yelled at
defendant, "You killed Robbie," defendant answered, "No,
Ricky." Defendant then said she "had nothing to do with killing
Amy."” [01/04/96;
People State Illinois V. Tammy L. Eveans]
Sep. 24, 1990 –
Found guilty; 20-year sentence at the Dwight Correctional Center for murder of
Richard Jr. (3).
Sep. 1990 –
divorce; Tammy resumes using maiden name, Corbett.
April 1990 – “Richard visited defendant in the county jail.
She admitted placing her hand over Robert's mouth and suffocating him, and
placing her hand over Amy's mouth and suffocating her. Defendant said she
laughed when she did this and could not understand why Richard had not awakened
when she was killing Amy.” [01/04/96; People State Illinois V. Tammy L. Eveans]
Summer 1990 – Charles Enneian met defendant while a fellow inmate
at the Jersey County jail. In a telephone conversation with her in the summer
of 1990, she told him "when Amy and Robbie died, they both kicked their
legs real hard like a little baby would kick their legs trying to swim in the
water." Defendant also recounted a rape when she was younger by a white
man who dragged her from her car to an apartment. [01/04/96; People State Illinois V. Tammy L.
Eveans]
Apr.1991 – While in prison Corbett is charged with the murders of her other two children
Feb. 2, 1993 – stepdaughter’s (12; age 9? At time of events) harrowing testimony.
Feb. 5, 1993 – TC was found guilty but mentally ill for murders of Robert and Amy.
Feb. 10, 1993 – TC sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Apr. 19, 1995 – appeal hearing; question of whether admission of husband’s testimony was proper.
Jan. 4, 1996 – Primary murder convictions upheld on appeal.
***
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[5195-1/5/21]
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