Murder of Terry Camper by wife Beatrice Camper and her lover John Murray examined on True Conviction

True Conviction is examining the murder of Terry Camper, who was shot dead by John Murray while working in his taxi in Peekskill, New York, in 2012.

Terry’s wife, Beatrice Camper, was having an affair with John Murray when the pair planned his murder. At the time, Murray was an ex-con who had already killed two people.

On October 3, 2012, a postal worker noticed a car parked on the street facing the wrong direction; on further inspection, they saw the driver appeared motionless in the front seat, so they dialed 911.

The first responders on the scene recognized the driver as the much-loved local cabbie, Terry Camper. Tragically, the medics also noted that the 53-year-old Terry had blood dripping from the side of his head. He had been shot twice in the back of the head.

Beatrice Camper played the role of a bereaved widow who had lost her “soul mate,” however, the Peekskill police would later learn that she had plotted his murder with her lover John Murray.

The police conducted a lengthy process of extensive interviews and forensic analysis which led them to become suspicious of Beatrice and Murray.

Beatrice Camper and John Murray had an illicit affair

The investigators learned that the pair had had numerous telephone conversations while Murray was still serving time for two unrelated murders from 1977. It appears that while Murray waited for his release on parole, he planned the third murder of his life.

Beatrice knew Murray through his family in Queens, and the pair had struck up a relationship while he was still in prison. On Murray’s release, the pair continued their illicit affair and chose when to kill Terry.

When the cops searched Beatrice’s apartment, they found a vast quantity of letters sent to her by Murray from his prison cell. They also learned that she had taken out two life insurance policies on her husband.

Eventually, Beatrice admitted her role in the conspiracy, she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and agreed to testify against her lover.

Beatrice had learned from Terry where he would be on October 3, which allowed Murray to call a taxi to the same area. When Terry turned up, Murray climbed into the back of his cab and shot him in the back of the head.

Murray was found guilty of first-degree murder and was sent to prison for the rest of his life without the possibility of parole. Meanwhile, Beatrice Camper received 15 years to life in prison.

More from True Conviction

Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on True Conviction.

In a particularly unsettling case, teenager Daniel Marsh crept into the home of elderly couple Chip Northup and Claudia Maupin and butchered them to death while in their beds. The self-diagnosed psychopath had chosen them completely at random.

The battered remains of Tracey Schoettlin were found dumped over a bridge in Birmingham, Alabama, and led to the cops fearing they had a serial killer on the loose. But then Tommy Bradley came to the police claiming he had seen visions of her death sent by God.

True Conviction airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.