Person Page - 175

     James was born on 25 December 1873.¹

     Bessie was born on 4 February 1884.¹

     Jeannette was born on 18 May 1888.¹ She married George Cary Tabb on 28 June 1924.¹

     She married William Ernest Tabb III.¹ Rose was born on 28 August 1920. She died in October 1993 at age 73.

     Judy was born at Possum Grape, Jackson County, Arkansas, on 15 May 1946.¹ She married George Garland Tabb in 1972.^2,1 Judy Hancock died on 19 November 2021 at Dade City, Pasco County, Florida, at age 75.¹ She was buried after 19 November 2021 at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Sumter County, Florida.¹

     Jesse was born on 23 January 1924.² He married Loyce Inez Tabb on 8 June 1951.² Jesse died on 1 August 1998 at age 74.² His body was interred in August 1998 at Abilene, Texas.²

     Eleanor June Bailey died. She was buried at Tyler Memorial Park and Cemetery, Tyler, Smith County, Texas.¹ Eleanor was born at Canton, Ohio, on 20 October 1940.² She married Harold Loyd Tabb at Anson, Texas, on 30 August 1960.²

     Michael David Tabb died.¹ He was buried at Tyler Memorial Park and Cemetery, Tyler, Smith County, Texas.¹ Michael was born at Stamford, Jones County, Texas, on 7 July 1961.^2,3 He married Marla Dawn McCown at Beaumont, Texas, on 8 May 1998.² Michael's occupation: Minister. Mike pled guilty in October 2003 to the murder of his wife, Marla. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison. on 12 January 2001.² The Washington Times



August 19, 2002

Minister¹s arrest rocks small Texas community


Author: Hugh Aynesworth, THE WASHINGTON TIMES


Section: NATION

Page: A11

Dateline: TROUP, Texas












Article Text:

The killing of a minister¹s wife earlier this month has shocked the residents of this town of 1,800.



I refuse to believe that fine man did this,² Ossie Barnes said, but if he didn¹t, I guess it¹s even scarier.²


Mrs. Barnes was referring to the Rev. Mike Tabb, 41, charged with murder Wednesday in the brutal slaying of his wife Aug. 5 in the parsonage of Troup¹s First United Methodist Church.


The body of Marla Tabb, 35, was discovered lying in a pool of blood. Her husband said he had been to Tyler, about 15 miles northwest of the town and had returned home to discover his wife dead.


The Tabbs were relatively new in Troup, having moved here from Camp LeJeune, N.C., where Mr. Tabb had served as a chaplain. Mrs. Tabb had little contact with the community because of difficulties² stemming from a recent childbirth.


Initially, authorities believed an intruder was responsible for the killing, police officials said, but that theory faded as crime scene investigators found that there was no forced entry and that jewelry and other valuables were left untouched, though in plain sight.


The bedroom was a shambles, police said, proof that the victim struggled hard for her life. Blood spatters indicated that the killer would have had a considerable amount of blood all over him.


Mr. Tabb has said he had been waiting for friends at a restaurant in Tyler. When the friends did not appear, he drove to his parents¹ home and visited with them most of the afternoon on the day of the killing. The parents told police he had been with them.


Sheriff¹s investigators have been questioning those who knew the Tabbs in North Carolina for potential clues about their relationship but said Friday, We still don¹t have a motive.²


They also don¹t have a weapon. Forensics specialists say Mrs. Tabb was beaten to death by either a baseball bat or a chair leg. A kitchen table leg is missing.


What the police do have, sources close to the investigation say, are elements of Mrs. Tabb¹s blood on Mr. Tabb¹s shoelaces and between the sole and upper leather of his shoes, though they had been cleaned recently. Similarly, blood was found in Mr. Tabb¹s vehicle.


Blood was in the rear of the truck, and there were attempts made to clean it,² Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith said.


The community initially responded to the young minister¹s family - the Tabbs have two young sons - with pity and concern, but the mood changed as the investigation moved forward, and rumors and facts emerged.


Methodists in particular began to discuss a similar situation that occurred in Dallas about 15 years ago.


It¹s pretty natural to remember Peggy Railey,² said Bessie Goree, a Troup housewife. That one just won¹t go away.²


Like Mr. Tabb, the Rev. Walker Railey was an enigmatic young minister. He was the head preacher at Dallas¹ prestigious United Methodist Church when someone attacked his wife, Peggy, and left her for dead in the couple¹s garage.


Mr. Railey was charged with attempted murder, and though he won a not-guilty verdict in Dallas, he was stripped of his robes and ostracized by the community because of sexual misconduct and a less-than-religious lifestyle. Today, he lives in the Los Angeles area.


Sheriff Smith said the killing of Mrs. Tabb was driven by rage.²


The autopsy indicated that the victim died of blunt-force trauma and strangulation.


After briefly answering authorities¹ questions, Mr. Tabb quit talking and hired one of the area¹s top defense lawyers, F.R. Buck² Files Jr.


As he left the Smith County courthouse Wednesday with Mr. Files, the suspect was silent. His parents had bailed him out for $50,000.


I¹d love to visit with you about this case,² Mr. Files told reporters, but this is a pending case and I don¹t comment about pending cases.²






Copyright 2002 News World Communications, Inc.
Record Number: 200208191011300001


A Troup minister who months ago slashed his throat to avoid a court date concerning his wife's murder, pleaded guilty Monday to the slaying and was sentenced to 55 years in prison.

Mike Tabb, 42, showed little emotion as Marla Tabb's sister faced him in court and told him she and her family are "haunted by thoughts and images of what you did to Marla."

"Did she suffer? You mutilated her so badly that we did not have the chance to look at her beautiful face one more time," a teary-eyed Melanie Owen told Tabb during a victim impact statement in court.

"The district attorney's office has pictures of you at a topless bar five days after you murdered Marla, and we won't go into evidence about your hotel visits," Mrs. Owen continued.

At his trial scheduled for next month, prosecutors had planned to show proof Tabb was at the Time Out gentlemen's club a day after his wife's funeral. They said witnesses would have testified about a secret life Tabb tried to keep from her.

In lieu of the trial, Tabb admitted in court Monday morning to strangling and bludgeoning his wife, and state District Judge Cynthia Kent accepted a plea bargain for the 55-year prison term.

Prosecutors and the victim's family speculated Tabb agreed to the punishment, which effectively is two years less than a life sentence, to avoid revelations during a trial about the dark side of his marriage and his secret liaisons.

Tabb's lawyer, F.R. "Buck" Files, said, "some cases should be resolved without a trial and this was one of them.

"Mr. Tabb made the decision that he wanted to spare his parents and Marla's parents the pain of a trial and, more importantly, he never wanted his children to read about such a trial," Files added. "There was never a question whether Mike killed Marla. It was only why. I agree with his decision."

The Tabbs' children, 3-year-old Jonathan and David, 15 months, are happy and living with family in an undisclosed location, relatives said.

Tabb will be eligible for parole in 27-1/2 years. According to Texas prison guidelines, he would be eligible for parole in 30 years if he had received the maximum life sentence.

Mrs. Tabb, 35, was killed last Aug. 5 in the couple's parsonage home in Troup, where they had just moved after Tabb accepted a position as a Methodist Church pastor.

Authorities said he strangled his wife and beat her beyond recognition with a table leg, then left her body in the house with their newborn baby while he disposed of evidence.

Mrs. Owen said she wonders if Jonathan saw "his father beat his mommy to a pulp."

In May, Tabb was free on bond when prosecutors said he set up a plea bargain for a 50-year prison term, then failed to show for court. Instead, he walked from his parents' Tyler home to The University of Texas at Tyler campus, slashed his throat and tossed the knife into a pond on the campus.

With a permanent scar on his neck, Tabb was discharged from a local hospital days later and booked into Smith County Jail.

District Attorney Jack Skeen Jr. called the escapade a poor attempt by Tabb to convince authorities he was the victim of a mugging. Skeen had withdrawn his offer of a plea bargain until recently when he talked to Mrs. Tabb's family about the 55-year term.

"It was very important for our family for Mike to show up, confess that he murdered Marla," Mrs. Owen testified during Monday's hearing. "We didn't want him to proclaim his innocence. We wanted him to stand up before everyone and admit he murdered her."

Later, Mrs. Owen said she was disappointed that Tabb showed no remorse in the courtroom.

"It was difficult to see him, to know what he had done," Mrs. Owen said after Monday's court proceeding. "I had to do this for Marla. I saw no emotion from him, no tears, nothing."

She said her sister never complained of violence toward her during the six-year marriage and Tabb was a welcome member of their family. But, Mrs. Owen said, days before her death, her sister and the defendant had some heated verbal altercations as Mrs. Tabb began to discover his "secret life."

Before that, it appeared Marla Tabb, who grew up singing in church, had found the perfect husband.

"He stayed at our house and just nine days before he killed Marla, it was mom's birthday and we all got together at mom's," Mrs. Owen said, recalling the Tabbs had just moved to Texas after living in North Carolina. "We always liked Mike. We certainly never thought he'd be capable of anything like this."

Mrs. Owen, who lives in the Houston area near her parents, said the family planned for monthly get-togethers and looked forward to their children growing up together.

The victim's father, Gene McCown, described his daughter as "a righteous woman."

"I was proud to be her father," McCown said. "When they slam those prison doors on Mike, evil cannot claim victory here."

Anne Wright covers Smith County government and courts. She can be reached at 903.596.6284. e-mail: news@tylerpaper.com


©Tyler Morning Telegraph 2003.

     Marla was born at Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas, on 25 April 1967.¹ She married Michael David Tabb at Beaumont, Texas, on 8 May 1998.¹ Marla died on 5 August 2002 at Troup, Texas, at age 35. She was buried after 5 August 2002 at Wood Cemetery, San Augustine County, Texas.

     Esther was born at Miller County, Georgia, on 27 November 1882.¹ She married Josh I. Spooner at Colquitt, Miller County, Georgia, on 13 July 1899.¹ She married John Langston Tabb at Colquitt, Miller County, Georgia, on 17 May 1950.¹ Esther died on 4 March 1970 at Americus, Georgia, at age 87.¹ She was buried after 4 March 1970 at Flat Creek Cemetery, Miller County, Georgia.²

     Josh was born at Miller County, Georgia, on 22 November 1876.¹ He married Esther Mock at Colquitt, Miller County, Georgia, on 13 July 1899.¹ Josh died on 9 September 1921 at Florida at age 44.¹

     Calista was born on 9 March 1911.¹ Calista died on 12 September 1914 at age 3.¹

     Joe died. Joe was born. He married Martha Butler at Early County, Georgia, on 27 April 1854.^1,2

     Lizzie was born in 1859.²

     Nancy was born. She married Clayborn (Clabe) Ellison on 22 October 1876. Nancy died on 3 December 1914.

     Grace was divorced from Harry Edward Tabb.¹ Grace was born at Norfolk, Norfolk County, Virginia, in 1879.² She married Harry Edward Tabb before 1899.³ Grace died on 4 September 1943 at Washington, District of Columbia.² Her body was interred in September 1943 at Washington, District of Columbia, at Rock Creek Cemetery.^4,1

     William was born at Alabama on 1 August 1838.² William died on 13 May 1859 at Titus County, Texas, at age 20.¹

     George was born at Alabama in 1842.² George died on 19 September 1862 at Iuka, Mississippi.¹

     Mary was born.

     He married Alice O'Neil.¹ Charles was born at Cobb Switch, Louwdes County, Mississippi, on 14 October 1860.¹ Charles died on 13 November 1933 at Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, at age 73.² He was buried on 15 November 1933 at St. Joseph New Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.

     She married Charles Ross Tabb.¹ Alice was born at Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1870.¹ She died on 30 August 1941 at Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. She was buried on 2 September 1941 at St. Joseph New Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.

     Erwin was born.

     Elizabeth was born.

     Charles was born at Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi, in 1891.¹ Charles died on 1 April 1892 at Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.¹ He was buried after 1 April 1892 at St. Joseph New Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.

     Margaret was born at Ohio in 1906. She died on 27 January 1919. She was buried on 30 January 1919 at St. Joseph New Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.

     Marie was born. He was buried on 28 November 1902 at St. Joseph New Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. He died on 28 November 1902.

     She married Arthur Lang Lawlor Slageter at Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.^1,2 Alice was born at Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1889.³ She died on 12 December 1934 at Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.¹ She was buried after 12 December 1934 at St. Joseph New Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.

     Laura Tabb died at Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.¹ She was a twin to Alice. She had five husbands and lived in Hollywood. Had bit parts in movies. Laura was born at Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, circa 1890.¹

     Irene was born in 1893. She died on 8 June 1950 at Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. She was buried on 10 June 1950 at St. Joseph New Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.

     Helen was born in 1895. She died in 1940 at Ohio.