Six-Year Murder Investigation in Johnson City Leads to Arrest
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Six-Year Murder Investigation in Johnson City...
Six-Year Murder Investigation in Johnson City Leads to Arrest
Courtesy: Washington County Detention Center
Dale Keith Larkin
* Please note this is now the correct photo - the wrong photo of another man, named Larkins, was mistakenly posted for a short time.
Johnson City Police officers have arrested one man on charges of first-degree murder, felony murder and insurance fraud.
This morning, officers arrested Dale Keith Larkin, #2 Wayland Court, Johnson City.
The arrest stems from a six-year investigation into the death of Larkin’s wife, Teresa “Teri” Larkin, who was found unresponsive at their home in November of 2003.
The home where the Larkin’s lived together, on Wayland Court, is a high-income neighborhood and, before her death, Teri Larkin was a pharmaceutical sales representative.
According to police, Dale Larkin is unemployed. However, his brother, Dr. Donald Larkin, says that Dale manages a real estate business.
At a press conference held today, police released that information as well as information about life insurance policies taken out by Dale Larkin on Teri Larkin. In the two years before her death, police say that four separate insurance policies, totaling $1 million, were taken out on Teri.
Dale Larkin has since collected most or all of the money from those policies, despite a three-year waiting period and an investigation by the insurance companies.
At the time Teri Larkin was found by her daughter, emergency crews were called to the scene – but police were not called.
Larkin’s body was removed from the home, where she was found in a bathtub. An autopsy was performed soon after, and at that time police were called.
Police say that Dale Larkin was a suspect from the beginning of their investigation – since he admitted to being home at the time. However, since they were not able to conduct a search of the crime scene in time and the first autopsy was inconclusive, no evidence was found.
In March 2009 police say they were able to exhume Teri Larkin’s body from the grave and a second autopsy was performed in Knoxville. The results of that autopsy provided police with more evidence as to how she died.
The autopsy showed she died from suffocation and blunt force trauma was found all over her body. She also had some broken bones. All of this evidence pointed to murder, according to police.
Larkin is currently being held without bond in the Washington County Detention Center and will appear in court tomorrow morning.
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Reader Reactions
Pshepardoasis, I don’t know where you went to school but it obviously didn’t help you much. Dale has certainly duped you. The evidence against him is pretty hard to ignore. There are plenty of people who know him who believe he is guilty. I do not need your permission to state my opinion.
I don’t appreciate the E.Tennessee comments cause I was one but none of the slam’s are important(blogs are mostly a waste of time ) but what is important is that in America a man is Still innocent until proven guilty .I am sure none of us saw what really happen and should leave their speculation to themselves . To Terri’s daughter I am deeply sorry for your loss and pray that God will fill that void in your life as only He can.I to know Dale and he is one of the nicest guys I know and is the same every time you see him .I do not believe he could be capable of this much less do this for money. A couple of things all must know about Dale is he has worked very hard for what he has ;he has been had rental property and help build a large part of his own house .As far as money being a issue he seemed to have done well long before this marriage .
I can tell that most of you went to school in E. Tennessee. Before you make a fool of yourself, hit the “Spell Check” button. You look like an idiot when you cannot even do 3rd Grade vocab. To Teri’s daughter, I would like to say I truly am sorry for what you saw that day. I cannot say I understand, because i do not. I have not lost my mother. I really do feel for you. But to all of you other people who want to say things about Dale and you do not really know him personally, please keep your opinion to yourself. Dale is one of the best people I have ever met. He was there for me when nobody else was. And to “cutiepie19”, like you said, you do not know all the details, so why say anything? I would be fine if someone wants to question me. Though I did not know Dale at the time, I would be glad to be a character witness on his behalf. So before any of you want to call him out when you have no idea, think before you type. ask yourself, “Am I going to look stupid when people read this?“. That is why we have this wonderful thing called “A right to a fair trial”. Please people, think before you say. I know in my heart that Dale is a great human being and I am glad to call him my friend
T., don’t stress this, pshepardoasis does not know what he is talking about, you were there you know, and the truth will come out. We all love you and support you, save your info. for when its important so we can send his sorry you know what to you know where.
To (terisdaughter)
PLEASE be careful what you say on here and to any others. You may (and probably will) be called to testify in this case and the defense attorney may use your statements on here to have your testimony thrown out or to even keep you from testifying to anything you know or did or saw that day!
Ignore these idiots…don’t read these posts. YOU know what the real story is and what happened and how you feel. Save it all for the trial if there is one…..Good luck sweetie and my prayers are with you as you go thru this horrible ordeal all over again with this arrest. I know that you are a very mature girl now and you will handle this right.
Ive observed and reviewed these comments and I can’t seem to understand half of the crap thats being said. Everyone has had their opinion, but in all honesty, (pshepardoasis) I keep reading your comments and they seem to highly aggravate me. I don’t care if you know him, I don’t care if youve grown up with him. I really dont. The police have done their job, and since day one, the evidence has leaded to this man. The man that stood at the alter and said the words that he would love her through sickness and in health. He destoryed that love because he needed money? I remember at science hill I would see him drive off in his little fancy car, everyday. Ya know, he acted like nothing was wrong, ever. I would surely not be out picking new cars, after my effin wife was “murdered” I don’t know all the details and I pray that her daughter is well, and that she is protected by god himself. But the point is, murdering someone because your money hungry is absolutley appauling and out of line.. highly! May god bless her daughter, and show her the way through life, and may her mother watch over her, and I’m sure she is..
Well,(pshepardoasis) Now he doesn’t have a shirt to give, unless you want the DOC shirt. which he will probably want to keep.
pshepardoasis ..your on here trying to say something about alot of comments, tryig to say that no one knows what there talking about and that dale is so nice and these people werent there…I WAS THERE..he is not a nice man, he sent me in to find my own mother in a bath tub..who does that?? all these people are entitled to their own opinions.
hopeful, you dont know what you are talking about. Yes, some murderers do come off as nice people, they even may be bright people, but you have no clue. Were you there collecting evidence? Neither was I, but for you to assume something about someone you dont even know shows how people think. Have you ever heard the saying, “ It takes all kinds”? No ma’am, there just are all kinds. Dale is one of the most wonderful people you will meet. Even after you get on here and talk trash, he would still give you the shirt off of his back.
dale was not concerned about me ever, since the murder i have not spoken to him except to get my stuff and see him in court taking my moms money. my family was not only concerned with the money, they just didnt want him to get it. im glad he is in jail and i could care less about his family..i dont know why everyone is concerned with his daughter?? she has nothing to do with this she is grown and lives with her mom or did. and i was not 8 years old so (union) i did comprehend it all, i was 11 and i will never forget what i saw. i hope he rots in jail and thinks everyday about what he did to my mom and what he took from me and the pain its caused alot of people other than him.
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