The Tara Breckinridge Case-My Thoughts

[lilmissd]

This case has always bothered me since I first saw it on UM. It happened in 1992. Tara who worked as a waitress at a gentlemans club, and who would often receive very large tips from men. She was attractive and men liked to leave her large tips. One night her boss asked all the employees if someone wanted to leave early, and she volunteered. Which he said was unusual, because she liked to work all the hours she could to make as much money as she could. Anyway, she was escorted out of the bldg. by security to her car, and got on the freeway but never made it home! Her car was found abandoned on the Expressway with the alarm deactivated and her purse containing her wallet was found on the passenger seat. I don't remember if her keys were in the ignition or not. I think her boyfriend Wayne Hecker, was involved in her disapperance. I think he was tipped off somehow that she was getting out of work early, (he was spotted at a bar a couple miles away from the club playing pool with his friends) and I think he waylaid Tara after she left the club, and got her to pull off on the side of the freeway somehow. I think he killed her, and just left her car there so the authorities would think that she was kidnapped or that she vanished on her own. Even when UM interviewed Wayne, I thought he sounded guilty as hell. There was just something about him that was off. I think he was ticked off that Tara wouldn't quit her job, because he didn't like her working there around all kinds of men who give her money and gifts; and I think he was jealous of that. Maybe she was planning on breaking up with him, or met a nice man at the club and was going to dump Wayne. I think someone who new Wayne, a friend or aquaintence perhaps, was there that night and saw men flirting with Tara, and she was most likely flirting back; and he tipped Wayne off that night. And maybe he had a few too many drinks and when he heard what the guy told him, he went off the deep end. Maybe didn't intend on killing her, or it was just in the heat of passion. But I think she is definitely dead somewhere and the police haven't located her body. I don't know if Wayne was ever a suspect or was cleared. But if he was cleared, I think the cops are nuts for doing so, because I think he's guilty as sin! Does anyone else care to comment?

[wiseguy182]

I leaned towards Wayne's guilt, but I don't know. Even if he knew Tara was getting out early, it's still not particularly easy to locate a certain moving car in a big city (I remember it was Texas, but I can't remember which big city). And I think the pool hall was more than a couple miles away, I think I'm going to rewatch this segment now that you mention it.

But if it wasnt' Wayne, one would figure that Tara would have put up a fight and someone would have seen it (again, big city), but apparently no one saw anything, which would make one believe that it was someone Tara knew (Wayne).

[kadrmas15]

Well, I am one that has always believed Wayne either was the one that was responsible for Tara's disapperance and presumed murder or that he was at the very least involved in it in one way or another. Wayne I feel was ticked that Tara wouldnt quit her job at the strip club, she probably had finally told him they were through, Wayne decided no one else was going to have Tara and he lost total control and killed her. Whether or not you could prove that he premeditated and planned her murder is another story.

It is just my opinion that Tara was killed elsewhere, then Wayne or an associate of his parked the car where it was found and then later Wayne pretended to find it, the mace was in there, so it would make you think that Tara wasnt in danger or didnt think she was in danger as she didnt use her mace.

However if it was Wayne that did it, he made a HUGE mistake in not turning on the Emergency flashers when he left the car, had he turned the flashers on, it could have been made to look like Tara's car broke down and she left it there. However, at the same time, it was night and whoever did this probably wouldnt want to turn on the flashers on for fear it would attract attention from a passing motorist or a police officer.

However Wayne never really did deny killing Tara, he just said he "didnt commit a crime." Maybe he doesnt think what he possibly did is a crime? I did get a bad feeling off him, something just wasnt right with him. To be honest, I have never been able to figure out how a loser like him landed someone like Tara to begin with, that has been an unsolved mystery in itself. It sounds like Wayne had a past history of abuse and battery against women according to a woman who has posted here who claims to be a former girlfriend of Wayne's.

Wayne being absent from the pool hall for over an hour at around the same time Tara was leaving the Men's club early, is not good for him as he is unaccounted for during the time Tara left the Men's club and presumably was abducted/murdered. But what Wayne has going for him, was, how would he know that Tara was getting off work early that night? Unless he had someone stalking her.

This is a frustrating case, because he probably either killed her himself or is in some way responsible for her death, but it cannot be proven. I'm sort of surprised though the cops in law and order Texas didnt try to nail him anyway, I have seen people in a lot of places, especially Texas convicted of murder off a lot less than what they had on Wayne.

[wiseguy182]

I checked and this was Houston, which I think was the 4th most populated city, at least in the mid 80's. the pool hall was 15 minutes away. I don't think it's necessarily anything that Tara left early that night, even though it was out of character: perhaps she wasn't feeling well, or had stuff to do.

What we are told is that Tara's car was found about halfway between the club and the pool hall, but what we are not told is where their apartment is, and if that's the direction Tara was heading.

What looks bad for Wayne is that Tara's car was found halfway between the pool hall and the club: if Wayne leaves the hall at the same time she leaves the club, then they would meet right around where Tara's car was found.

but on the other hand, we don't know how Wayne would have acquired the information of Tara leaving early. Had he planned to do something, he would have planned for Tara leaving at 2: her leaving early would have thrown his plans off.

But if Wayne did do this, why would he leave the mace there? That the mace was left there, would make authorities think that she trusted whoever it was (most likely Wayne in this case). Is Wayne stupid enough to draw more attention to himself?

[GaryJ06]

If he did do it, it would have been a huge mistake to leave the mace, you are correct. But if indeed he did not intend to kill her, and then left the mace in a hasty getaway attempt, then it seems more logical that i was a crime of passion not intent.

[wiseguy182]

I should mention that another possible scenario is that someone motioned to Tara that something was wrong with her car, and told her to pull over and she took a ride with him, thinking he was taking her to a service station or something, like what happened in the Alicia Showalter-Reynolds segment.
I wonder if they ever inspected Tara's car to see if something was wrong with it, that could be very significant.

[GaryJ06]

true, never thought of that. Another reason why you should never pull over (if you can avoid it) unless it's in a service station or by a cop

[unsolved88]

Originally Posted by kadrmas15

However Wayne never really did deny killing Tara, he just said he "didnt commit a crime." Maybe he doesnt think what he possibly did is a crime? I did get a bad feeling off him, something just wasnt right with him. To be honest, I have never been able to figure out how a loser like him landed someone like Tara to begin with, that has been an unsolved mystery in itself. It sounds like Wayne had a past history of abuse and battery against women according to a woman who has posted here who claims to be a former girlfriend of Wayne's.

I think that's what struck me as unsettling about him. He never outright said "I never had anything to do with Tara's disappearance." but seemed to imply that if he had done something to her, there wouldn't be enough evidence to charge him with any crime. At least, that was my impression.