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Background

Courtney Dunkin’s paternal grandparents adopted her when she was five years old.

When she was 11, her grandfather passed away. After his death, she started to get a little out of control, and she began to deal with depression. She became well known to police in Grapevine, Texas, a city with a population of around 35,000.

Betty tried counseling, support groups, and the prescription drug Paxil, but nothing worked. Even though Courtney was a handful, no one expected her to become a killer.

Crime

In 1994, 15-year-old Courtney and her 16-year-old friend Jamie Hatfield plotted to kill their ex-boyfriends.

The bizarre plan was for Courtney to drug her 63-year-old grandmother, Betty Dunkin, causing her to pass out.

Courtney then planned to steal her unconscious grandmother’s vehicle and go pick up Hatfield.

Once the duo got together, they planned to end the lives of the ex-boyfriends they were mad at.

The girls put their plan into action on May 26th, 1994. Courtney slipped something in her grannies drink. She sat back and waited for Betty to pass out, but the drugs didn’t seem to have an effect.

Dunkin went to plan B, picked up a gun, and put a bullet in Betty’s head, killing her.

Courtney went to Hatfield’s home in Betty’s car. Courtney told her friend she had killed her grandmother. Hatfield freaked out and no longer wanted to continue with the plan of killing their ex-boyfriends.

Courtney stayed at Hatfield’s home that night. Hatfield’s mother thought the girls were acting weird, so when she drove Courtney home the next day, she went inside to check on Betty and found her dead.

The police were called, and after a prompt investigation, they arrested both teens. They were charged with capital murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Hatfield was convicted of aggravated robbery and served three years of a five-year sentence.

Courtney was convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years to life.

Aftermath

After spending years in prison, Courtney and her supporters would blame the antidepressant drug Paxil for her actions. She was prescribed the drug as a teen. A later FDA study would suggest the drug was harmful to people under 18, as it increased the risk of suicidal ideation.

Despite these claims, Dunkin remains incarcerated in Texas. She is eligible for parole in 2034. She will be 55 years old.