I know you guys all have different opinions as to weather or not Tim McClure killed his mother. My question is what do you think the motive for Terri McClure most likely was?

Robbery

Tim looks bad in this case. First, he was looking for his mother's purse, which no one else knew was missing or had any reason to look for. Second, he drove around looking for Terri, passing by the crime scene several times, yet didn't want to enter that parking lot because he "felt something was keeping him from there". If memory serves me correctly, Tim's polygraph results were inconclusive, but his new wife failed hers. Could she have had a motive for killing Terri? Perhaps wanting her mother-in-law dead so she and Tim could live extravagantly, or she and Terri maybe didn't get along and wanted to rid herself of the "burden".

I agree that robbery is the most likely motive because there is no other logical motive. However, I really don't think it was a robbery based on the facts of the case.

For years I thought Tim was 100% guilty. Now I'm not sure (he's still weird AF) but the crime scene doesn't look like a robbery and there are a lot of troubling things about Tim's story which make me question everything.

- If we believe the UM reenactment is accurate, Terri was sleeping in her car, on the passenger side, with a pillow under her head, with the window down. That alone is really weird. Who sleeps on the passenger side with a window down in the middle of the night in a casino parking lot especially when she wasn't all that far from home?

- If it was robbery, it seems a little excessive. You are going to murder a little old lady over the contents of her purse? Unless you knew she had a large amount of money, why do this? Yes, I know it happens like with the Gretchen Burford case, but it doesn't make sense in this case. The scene doesn't look like a robbery -- it looks like she was executed while sleeping. So did someone just cap her in the head and then take her purse?

- I can write off almost all of Tim's odd behavior (the credit card call, the lie detector, skipping the lot she was found in because of the "holy spirit", looking for the purse on the road, etc.) but the biggest "WTF?" issue for me is the fact that on his WEDDING NIGHT he gambled on his own for hours. Yes, I get it's Reno and people gamble. But on your wedding night you are going to gamble alone for hours? That begs the question: what exactly was Tim really up to that night?

- In that entire segment, Tim seems obsessed with clearing himself and really doesn't seem too concerned about finding justice for his mom. He says he loved her, but the whole segment is all "whoa is me" and not "please find out who killed my mom."

If Tim did it, I don't have a good motive. Maybe for the insurance, maybe for the total inheritance, or maybe she didn't like his new wife and that pissed him off --she might have talked crap about his wife and Tim just snapped. I don't have a good answer for this, so if I had to pick a motive I'd say robbery.

However, there is a lot of weirdness to this case and at one point they had enough evidence to arrest Tim and charge him with murder. I would love to know what that was but I'm convinced we'll never know for sure.

I found the post below in the comments of the unsolved.com site. I will preface this by saying take this with a big grain of salt -- but if there is truth to it, I do think it may give credence to the motive of Tim having it out with his mom:

"I did Terri’s hair the day of the wedding, I owned an operated the beauty salon, downstairs in the Nugget Casino..She told me she was going to her son’s wedding at Lake Tahoe, mainly to keep peace in the Family…..she wasn’t happy with her sons choice in women, especially his wife to be…..She said she better go he’s probably going to need money, an laughed, but, she said he just might be surprised…some changes were coming……I wished her well and told her to be careful on the road to Tahoe………..Later, I did the woman’s hair who did the re-enactment of the case……..I thought about the son right away and perhaps I should have come forward….I think she was killed at Lake Tahoe and then brought to the Carson Casino, because someone would have heard the shots…motels are located all across the back of the Parking lot……..Rest in peace Terri….I only knew you briefly…but a lot can be told while getting your hair done………"

Also interesting that the whole premise of this story even being featured on U.M was that Tim wanted his alibi substantiated for the night of his mother's murder. Nothing at all mentions lets go after her killer. He's as guilty as sin.

Also interesting that the whole premise of this story even being featured on U.M was that Tim wanted his alibi substantiated for the night of his mother's murder. Nothing at all mentions lets go after her killer. He's as guilty as sin.

On the unedited segment, he does mention someone coming forward who saw what happened to his mother. On the Lifetime reruns, they edited this part out.

I don't think Tim would kill his mother for money. Maybe if she was trying to wreck his marriage or if she was going to tell a secret. I think UM wanted to make Tim look guilty. They may have left some things out.

I found the post below in the comments of the unsolved.com site. I will preface this by saying take this with a big grain of salt -- but if there is truth to it, I do think it may give credence to the motive of Tim having it out with his mom:

Interesting.

All of the above. Cash/inheritance was just the icing on the cake. I always had the impression that Tim was a man who likely felt emasculated by his overbearing mother. Getting rid of her could have been a conscious/subconscious desire that grew until it had to be gratified. Maybe his mom pushed him to the boiling point (on his wedding day of all occasions) and he couldn't hold it back anymore?

Everything points to him, his behavior was remarkably odd (that wardrobe!), and he was ultimately arrested for her murder. Why the DA dismissed the case with prejudice is inexplicable to me, considering that his now ex-wife and family members all agree that he did the dirty deed, and could probably assist law enforcement.

As for two hours spent gambling alone, that seems like par for the course. I've been to Reno once. Gambling is an addiction. I easily lost interest within minutes, but the hardcore gamblers get lost in the "flow state" and stare at machines for hours until they're busted broke.

It’s amazing there are no other threads about this case.

It’s amazing there are no other threads about this case.

Normally, sarcasm flies way over my head, but I laughed heartily at this.

According to UM, because the DA dropped the case, Tim can not be arrested again. He might as well just go on TV and say he did it and laugh maniacally. Both Tim and his wife failed the test.

According to UM, because the DA dropped the case, Tim can not be arrested again. He might as well just go on TV and say he did it and laugh maniacally. Both Tim and his wife failed the test.

Yeah.. That means alot.

His sister could sue him in civil court for emotional damages and send him to the poorhouse. The feds could come after him for civil rights violations.

If he did it.. He shouldn't push his luck.

Yeah.. That means alot.

His sister could sue him in civil court for emotional damages and send him to the poorhouse. The feds could come after him for civil rights violations.

If he did it.. He shouldn't push his luck.

Kind of interesting point that you bring up. If his family believed he did it and got away with it, why no sue him in a civil court kind of like what the Goldman's did with OJ?

I do think Tim McClure killed her, and I think it was more of a "guy has major mommy issues" reason than over her life insurance or anything.

Kind of interesting point that you bring up. If his family believed he did it and got away with it, why no sue him in a civil court kind of like what the Goldman's did with OJ?

Well, I'd guess, since the life insurance was a whopping $10k.. He would have gotten $5k of that. There's the old expression about blood from a turnip. I just don't particularly see this guy in a high paying job. Perhaps I'm wrong?

I'm sure they could, and.. PROBABLY could win.. The court costs for them would be far more than they'd ever collect.

The little bastard wins the Powerball.. Bet the lawsuit comes fast and furious, tho.

Well, I'd guess, since the life insurance was a whopping $10k.. He would have gotten $5k of that. There's the old expression about blood from a turnip. I just don't particularly see this guy in a high paying job. Perhaps I'm wrong?

Terri's obituary listed more than two children. Tim and his sister were the only siblings to receive the life insurance. One of the other siblings, if they genuinely thought he killed her and got away with it, would probably want to go to some type of court of law to get it on the record. The UM segment says that Tim's family believed him to be innocent.

Tim is bizarre, in a Don Dixon type of way. That alone doesn't make him guilty, because I personally don't think Dixon was guilty anymore. Tim is weird, but my question is what is the motive? All of the people interviewed said he loved his mother and had a good relationship. Why kill her for $5000? To me the whole thing was probably just a classic robbery. Maybe a random one. There are things in the segment that can be explained I think, and Tim just doesn't strike me as a smart guy who could get away with murder.

He's 6'5", had that long mane of hair at the time. I just don't see how he blends in a crowd. Or how he isn't a guy you notice, or remember. I'm 6'2", if I see a guy who is 6'5" I notice him because most people are not taller than me.

That being said, could no club or casino for sure confirm that he was out partying that night? That does bother me a bit I'll admit.