What happened to Anthony Allen Shore?
The Channel 5 series Making a Serial Killer uses gripping detective stories, first-person reports, and interview footage to help viewers understand the actions of serial killers.
One episode is centred around Anthony Allen Shore, a deeply disturbed man who is known to many as the Tourniquet Killer.
In this article, we take a brief look at his case and ask the question: What happened to Anthony Allen Shore?
Who is Anthony Allen Shore?
Anthony Allen Shore was born in Rapid City, South Dakota in 1961 to parents Robert and Deanna Shore who were both in the military.
The family moved frequently before eventually settling down in Houston, Texas.
Shore’s parents divorced in 1976. Both were abusive, according to Shore, who claimed that his father frequently beat him and that his mother molested him when he was 13.
Shore exhibited antisocial behaviour from a young age. According to reports, he killed a neighbour’s cat and molested his female classmates and the younger friends of his sisters.
He married Gina Lynn Worley in 1983 and had two daughters with her. They divorced a decade later.
Shore married again in 1997, this time to Amy Lynch. They divorced after she accused him of abuse. During his murder trial, his daughters testified of the abuse they suffered at the hands of their father.
Who were Anthony Allen Shore’s victims?
Shore’s first-known victim was a 15-year-old schoolgirl named Laurie Tremblay whom he strangled and killed on September 26, 1986. Her body was found behind a Mexican restaurant in Houston.
Another victim was 21-year-old Maria del Carmen Estrada, whom he sexually assaulted on April 16, 1992. The body of this Mexican nanny was found in the back of a Dairy Queen later that day.
In 1993, he sexually assaulted 14-year-old Selma Janske in her home before fleeing the scene.
A year later, he sexually assaulted and strangled a 9-year-old girl named Diana Rebollar. A rope with a bamboo stick attached was found around her neck.
Shore’s last known victim was 16-year-old Dana Sanchez, who was killed on July 6, 1995, after she rejected his sexual advances. Her body was found by police in a Harris County field after Shore made an anonymous phone call to a local news station, telling them of Dana’s whereabouts.
How was Anthony Allen Shore caught?
When Shore was convicted of molesting his daughters in 1998, he was required to give a DNA sample to police. His DNA was matched to that found beneath Maria del Camen Estrada’s fingernails. During the subsequent interrogation, he confessed to the murders of his other victims.
What happened to Anthony Allen Shore?
Shore’s trial began in October 2004 where he was found guilty of capital murder. It didn’t take long for the jury to decide Shore should be given the death penalty.
Shore was sentenced to death on November 15, 2004.
He died at the age of 55 by lethal injection on January 18, 2018.
In his final statement, he said:
“I like to take a moment to say I’m sorry. No amount of words could ever undo what I’ve done. To the family of my victims, I wish I could undo the past. It is what it is. God bless all of you. I will die with a clear conscious. I made my peace. There is no others. I will like to wish a happy birthday to Barbara Carrol. Today is her birthday. I would like to specifically thank those that have helped me, you know who you are. God bless everybody, until we meet again. I’m ready, warden.” (source)
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