Richard Messina and Sandra Cover: What You Need to Know Before Snapped: Behind Bars on Oxygen

On July 29, 2007, Richard Messina and his girlfriend Sandra Cover were tragically murdered in their home in Cleveland. The authorities found their bodies in the master bedroom on July 30, 2007.

The upcoming episode of Snapped: Behind Bars, season 2 episode 5, will revisit this double homicide, featuring one of the key suspects, Tabitha Messina. The title of the episode is “Tabitha Messina,”and the synopsis provides insight:

“Now serving a life sentence for the murders of her father and his girlfriend, Tabitha Messina shares her story for the first time on camera. She insists she wasn’t the mastermind behind the crimes and redirects blame toward her convicted co-conspirator.”

Richard Messina and Sandra Cover murdered in their master bedroom

Richard Messina, 45, and his 43-year-old girlfriend Sandra Cover were fatally attacked in the master bedroom of their South Euclid home on July 29, 2007.

According to reports from Oxygen, the couple met their demise through brutal means involving an axe and a crowbar. Sandra Cover was found lifeless next to the bed, while Richard Messina’s body was discovered contorted in a peculiar position.

Richard suffered from at least six chop wounds likely inflicted with a hatchet. His face was covered with bedding, and next to him, a cell phone and a cross were found.

Sandra Cover was similarly murdered with a crowbar, and the autopsy confirmed her death was due to blunt force trauma.

Who were the perpetrators of Richard Messina and Sandra Cover’s murder?

Richard Messina and Sandra Cover were murdered by Tabitha Messina and Carlos Christopher (Image by Maxim Hopman/Unsplash)

The double homicide was orchestrated by Tabitha Messina, Richard’s daughter, along with her ex-boyfriend, Christopher Carlos. After the murder, the victims’ vehicles were reported missing, prompting police to issue alerts for stolen vehicles.

On July 30, 2007, authorities in Avery County apprehended Tabitha and Christopher while they were found sleeping in the stolen cars. During interrogation, Christopher admitted to the murders, claiming that Tabitha attacked Sandra first, which led him to fatally assault Richard.

Prior to the horrific incident, Christopher had gone to Richard’s residence to return Tabitha’s cell phone but ended up in a heated dispute with Richard, who used a racial slur against him. Following this altercation, Richard expressed to the police his desire for Tabitha and Christopher to stay away from his property. Later that same night, Richard and Sandra were brutally murdered.

Tabitha Messina and Carlos Christopher are serving life sentences for the murders of Richard and Sandra (Image by Deleece Cook/Unsplash)

Both Tabitha and Christopher were charged with double homicide, burglary, and additional offenses. Tabitha was sentenced to 60 years in prison with the possibility of parole as of 2008, while Christopher received a life sentence without parole. They are currently serving their sentences at separate facilities.

Tune in to Snapped: Behind Bars season 2, episode 5 to uncover more about the tragic deaths of Richard Messina and Sandra Cover. The episode is scheduled to air on September 29, 2024, at 7:00 PM ET.

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