S1: E21 – Louisiana Love Triangle, Part 2

Summary

American Homicide: Louisiana Love Triangle, Part 2 Season 1, Episode 21 – Released March 13, 2025

Introduction

In the gripping conclusion of the Louisiana Love Triangle, Part 2, journalist Sloane Glass delves deep into the mysterious and emotionally charged murder case that unfolded in Covington, Louisiana. This episode unravels the complex relationships, hidden motives, and shocking courtroom drama surrounding the tragic death of Thomas Talley.

Overview of the Murder Case

The episode opens with the harrowing account of the murder of Thomas Talley, a man gunned down in his driveway. Sloane Glass sets the scene by describing the immediate aftermath:

“Kendra watched in horror as her husband, Thomas Talley, was shot and killed by his best friend, Tommy Rao” (01:44).

Despite the initial confession from Tommy Rao, investigators sensed there were missing pieces to the story, leading them to scrutinize the victim’s wife, Kendra Talley.

Kendra and Tommy’s Relationship

As the investigation unfolds, it becomes evident that Kendra and Tommy shared a clandestine affair. Kendra initially portrayed herself as a grieving widow, but inconsistencies in her story raised suspicions:

“She kept changing her story and sometimes would answer questions with things she said she read in the newspaper or saw on the news” (10:12).

Detective Doug Arrowood, who worked the case, reveals that:

“Tommy and Kendra were very much in love. They acted like a family and even went Christmas shopping together just before the murder” (11:54).

The Investigation

Detectives uncovered alarming details, including the use of two different guns in the murder, which contradicted Kendra’s account of the events:

“Two guns were used. It didn't make sense. I just felt that that was just such a juxtaposition of all the stuff that had gone on” (06:52).

Further investigation revealed that Kendra had accused her husband of forcing her into sexual relations, a revelation that fueled Tommy’s jealousy and eventual rage.

The Trial

Nearly three years after the murder, the trial of Tommy Rao commenced. Assistant District Attorney Jack Hofstadt recounts Tommy’s courtroom demeanor:

“He looked completely, completely different... He had shaved real well. He looked real pretty” (16:46).

Tommy’s testimony painted a different picture from Kendra’s account, introducing significant doubt and complexity to the case. He admitted to shooting Thomas but claimed it was in defense of Kendra after she alleged her husband's assault.

During cross-examination, the prosecutor sought to highlight the irrationality of Tommy’s actions:

“How much does 45 bullets cost?” (23:13).

Despite the emotional testimony, Tommy maintained his innocence regarding the motive behind the murder.

Verdict and Sentencing

The jury found Tommy Rao guilty of second-degree murder, resulting in a life sentence. Judge’s remarks emphasized the senselessness of the crime:

“You have made your own bed. Now you get to sleep in it. Although it won't be comfortable” (27:17).

Meanwhile, Kendra Talley faced her own legal battle. Three years post-murder, she stood trial for her role in the crime. However, lacking compelling evidence and with Tommy unwilling to testify, prosecutors and defense struck a plea deal.

“In her plea deal, Kendra admitted to one count of possession of meth and one count of manslaughter” (29:25).

Kendra received a relatively lenient sentence of ten years for manslaughter, which she served concurrently with a five-year drug charge. Her brother, Mark Talley, expressed disbelief and frustration over the outcome:

“She shot first through the window of the pickup truck. To me, that's not manslaughter. That's premeditated murder” (32:13).

Aftermath and Reflections

Post-sentencing, Kendra Talley relocated to Arkansas, remarried, and remains silent on the matter. Detective Arrowood disagrees with perceptions of her innocence, believing both Kendra and Tommy were complicit:

“They both decided to go and do this. They wanted to be together and get rid of the obstacle that was in their way” (33:42).

The episode poignantly highlights the impact on Thomas and Kendra’s son, who was merely two years old at the time of his father’s death.

“Lost in all of this is the other victim in this story, Thomas and Kendra's son, who was just two years old when he lost his father” (35:29).

Conclusion

The Louisiana Love Triangle serves as a stark reminder of how intertwined relationships and hidden secrets can culminate in devastating consequences. With Tommy Rao serving a life sentence and Kendra Talley moving forward with her life, the case leaves lingering questions about justice and the true nature of the relationships involved.

As Sloane Glass prepares to explore another enigmatic murder case in the next episode, listeners are left contemplating the fragile boundaries between love, loyalty, and betrayal.

Notable Quotes

• Sloane Glass [01:37]: “There was a lot of alcohol that went on that night and we believe that's what led to the rage which led to the murder.”
• Detective Doug Arrowood [10:44]: “Maybe we would have preferred to see Kendra get 20 years as opposed to 10. But is there a chance that she could have walked out of the courtroom that day?”
• Mark Talley [32:13]: “She shot first through the window of the pickup truck. To me, that's not manslaughter. That's premeditated murder.”
• Sloane Glass [34:35]: “Today, Tommy Rao remains in a Baton Rouge prison serving out his life sentence. Kendra got off much easier.”

Final Thoughts

"Louisiana Love Triangle, Part 2" masterfully intertwines personal testimonies, investigative insights, and courtroom drama to provide a comprehensive look into one of Louisiana's most perplexing murder cases. For those intrigued by the complexities of human relationships and the pursuit of justice, this episode offers a compelling narrative that resonates long after listening.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Sloan Glass]

Between two best friends turned deadly.

[Unknown]

There was a lot of alcohol that went on that night and we believe that's what led to the rage which led to the murder.

[Sloan Glass]

And it all happened in front of the victim's wife.

[Unknown]

This poor woman has just watched her husband be gunned down.

[Sloan Glass]

But even after the shooter's confession, the police believed there was more to this story.

[Unknown]

There were just a lot of pieces that did not make sense and it.

[Sloan Glass]

Put the spotlight on the wife of the victim.

[Unknown]

When we first came across her, she was playing the grieving widow. But the more you look at this, the more you say things aren't adding up.

[Sloan Glass]

We are in Covington, Louisiana today for the conclusion of the Louisiana Love Triangle. I'm Sloan Glass and this is American Homicide. Just a note that this episode contains some graphic content. Please take care while listening.

[Unknown]

There's a saying about law enforcement in general that's very true for dispatchers, where it's a lot of periods of boredom Interspersed with minutes of panic. And that's very true in covington.

[Sloan Glass]

Heather jenkins spent two decades working as a dispatcher for the covington police department.

[Unknown]

You may not do anything for hours, and then you may have, you know, an hour where you don't even have time to take a drink of water. There's often no rhyme or reason, you know, to how that happens.

[Sloan Glass]

Covington is a suburban community that sits just across the causeway from new orleans, and based on some of the calls Heather receives, It seems even further away than that.

[Unknown]

I received a call about a cow loose in the city, and we did have to do a pursuit with that cow, and we did get it back home, and we've had peacocks loose in the city. We had a squirrel loose in a home that actually did a lot of damage.

[Sloan Glass]

Along with loose cows and squirrel break ins, she's responded to her fair share of more serious, including the December 2004 murder of Thomas Talley.

[Unknown]

Mr. Talley had been shot and was laying in the driveway, and his wife.

[Sloan Glass]

The mother to his children, Kendra, witnessed the whole thing.

[Unknown]

Kendra talley was outside yelling for help, yelling, call 911.

[Sloan Glass]

Kendra watched in horror as her husband, Thomas talley, was shot and killed by his best friend, Tommy rao. Can you even imagine?

[Unknown]

Kendra talley was just basically there kind of freaking out. She was a victim of this horrible crime. Her husband had just been shot.

[Sloan Glass]

Kendra was able to identify the shooter as Tommy rao.

[Unknown]

At some point, he did surrender and was taken into custody.

[Sloan Glass]

And that left the question on everyone's mind, why on earth would Thomas's best friend turn on him like that?

[Unknown]

It did not make any sense to me whatsoever. And I don't really. I don't know if anybody really understood what happened in the very beginning.

[Sloan Glass]

Well, according to Kendra, it all had to do with a secret. She told tommy about what her husband did to her.

[Unknown]

At some point, she did say that her husband forced her into having sex.

[Sloan Glass]

And that pushed Tommy rowell over the edge. Because, you see, Tommy had feelings for Kendra and didn't want to see her hurt.

[Unknown]

I think she told Tommy that to try and cause him to be jealous and that she got more jealousy than she expected and couldn't talk him out of it.

[Sloan Glass]

Tommy Rao's jealousy turned into rage. As the sun was about to come up that morning, Tommy drove Kendra back to her home.

[Unknown]

Shots were fired, and Mr. Talley was dead almost immediately.

[Sloan Glass]

Detectives searched Tommy rao's house and found pictures of Kendra and her son, as well as a suicide note that read like one part Confession and another part love letter. I also want my mother to know that I love her with all my heart and Kendra just as much or more. I just hope Kendra can forgive me for what I have done. I also hope Kendra will always know how much I love her and what she means to me. I just can't sit around and watch her being hurt all the time. Love always, Tommy. So was Tommy upset because he shot Thomas, or was he upset that he fell in love with Kendra? And if he couldn't stand to see Kendra hurt all the time, how did killing her husband solve that?

[Unknown]

I don't know. I mean, I can only surmise that he cared about her.

[Sloan Glass]

And if we didn't already have enough questions, the results of Thomas Talley's autopsy presented a few more.

[Unknown]

Two guns were used. It didn't make sense. I just felt that that was just such a juxtaposition of all the stuff that had gone on.

[Sloan Glass]

Tommy Rao was an avid hunter, but did he really use two different guns to shoot Kendra's husband?

[Unknown]

And I just thought, this is not how I feel like this went down. The story that Kendra had told us that morning was not going to be the full story.

[Sloan Glass]

According to Kendra, Tommy locked her in the truck while he went and got two guns out of his house.

[Unknown]

You can't really lock somebody in a truck the way that she said that he did.

[Sloan Glass]

Kendra said when Tommy Rao fired the first shots at Thomas from inside the truck, he pushed her head down and shot through the passenger side window. Tommy then exited the truck and fired two more bullets.

[Unknown]

There were just so many little pieces that didn't make sense, that it didn't mesh. And it had already become pretty clear that this wasn't just a single man that had a grudge against somebody husband.

[Sloan Glass]

Four days after her husband's murder, Detective Doug Arrowood brought Kendra back in for questioning. He wanted to know more about the strange dynamic between her husband Thomas and his best friend, Tommy Rao.

[Unknown]

She claimed the marriage was on the rocks. She didn't love Thomas. He just wasn't great to be with. He was just kind of a house husband and wasn't a party type of guy. No, she was a party girl. And I think he wanted to be the dedicated, calm life at home with his wife and child and started to progress in life as a married couple.

[Sloan Glass]

Kendra then talked herself into trouble.

[Unknown]

She was telling me about how her husband that day had had oral surgery, and in order to help him, she thought the best thing to do was to go to the French Quarter with a boyfriend. That night.

[Sloan Glass]

Yes, you heard that, right? Kendra called Tommy Rao her boyfriend. So Tommy Rao wasn't just her husband's best friend who happened to be obsessed with her. The two were actually having an affair.

[Unknown]

There was this grandeur they put together of there being some sort of love between them. It was just this incredible relationship. If you asked me, it was a bunch of rubbish.

[Sloan Glass]

Knowing Tommy and Kendra were having an affair certainly changed the way detectives viewed the night of the murder.

[Unknown]

So it shows you what kind of a class person she is. And that immediately had my suspicions.

[Sloan Glass]

The detective kept questioning Kendra, hoping to find the truth.

[Unknown]

Most of an interview with a police officer isn't like you see on tv. It's not the good cop, bad cop. That's all TV stuff. The most successful interviews, you sit down, you talk with somebody, and eventually you sort of get them to open up and then you get to the truth.

[Sloan Glass]

But he didn't feel that happening with Kendra. She kept changing her story and sometimes would answer questions with things she said she read in the newspaper or saw on the news.

[Unknown]

It was obvious that she was just not knowing what to say and she was lost for words. Because it's difficult to put a lie on top of a lie because you don't know what lie you've said. If I contradict the other lie, which was a contradiction of that because I made up and I got to cover that one, it just goes on and on. It snowballs. It's a domino effect. It just gets worse and worse. I think even though a couple of times her attorney sort of looked at her in curiosity when I asked her a question, because he was dying to find out the answer to some of these questions too. And they just weren't forthcoming. They weren't believable. At the end of the interview, they said, okay, we've cooperated.

[Jack Hofstadt]

If you need any more, you can.

[Unknown]

Contact us, but we're going to leave now. And I said, you as the attorney may leave, she may not.

[Sloan Glass]

The detectives believed they had enough evidence that just as hours before her husband's funeral, they arrested Kendra and charged her with second degree murder. Instead of grieving her husband's death graveside, she'd be arrested, booked, and behind bars by the afternoon.

[Mark Talley]

And that's what makes the whole thing even more weird.

[Sloan Glass]

That's Thomas's brother, Mark Talley.

[Mark Talley]

And if she did what she did, she's a good actress because I did not see her that way.

[Sloan Glass]

Mark was completely floored that not only was Kendra having an affair, but that she could be involved in his brother's murder.

[Mark Talley]

You know, they did have their problems, but they seemed genuinely happy with each other. I just know she's not going to go just grab a gun and shoot somebody. She has to be persuaded into doing it. That's again my opinion. I just think she got caught up in something that was way over her head.

[Sloan Glass]

Tommy Rao didn't talk after his arrest, but his mother did. She told reporters that Kendra visited Tommy nearly every day and that the two were very much in love. She said the two acted like a family and even went Christmas shopping together just by before the murder.

[Mark Talley]

How they pulled this off is the one thing that amazes me. How could they do this with all the people that they know around, see them around town? How I could. That's one thing I can't understand.

[Sloan Glass]

Kendra's mother also claimed that Kendra wanted out of her marriage and had planned on leaving her husband to be with Tommy.

[Mark Talley]

The behind the scenes stuff that I don't know. I'm sure there was a lot of arguments and disagreements like any other family. But from what I saw, I think Kendra truly loved Thomas. The way I look at it is, and it's not knocking her in any way more of a 14 year old and a 25 year old body, you know, kind of defiant.

[Sloan Glass]

With Kendra's arrest just hours before Thomas funeral, can you imagine how uncomfortable his memorial service had to be?

[Mark Talley]

It was almost like family feud. You had Kendra's family sitting on one side and the other on the other. They actually had to have a security detail. I'm like, come on, this is about Thomas. If you guys are going to fight, I'm going to leave because I'm not going to deal with this.

[Sloan Glass]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Sloan Glass]

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[Jack Hofstadt]

Well, how Tommy looked when he got arrested was December 11th is completely, completely different how he looked when he got the trial. He's 6 foot 2, 200 pounds, and he came hobbling in on the, on the crutches. He had shaved real well. He looked real pretty. Pretty as he could.

[Sloan Glass]

They always seem to do this, come into court with an ailment that seems to say, feel sorry for me. I'm weak. There's no way I could have done this Would jurors believe this feeble man who struggled to get around the courtroom on crutches could be capable of killing his best friend?

[Jack Hofstadt]

Those things stick in your mind. But I do know absolutely that Tommy Rowell killed or shot Mr. Talley. And I do know that it was as cold blooded as you could imagine.

[Sloan Glass]

In Louisiana, there are three categories of murder. First degree, second degree, and manslaughter. Originally, prosecutors charged Tommy Rau with first degree murder, which carried the death penalty, but lowered the charges to second degree, meaning Tommy faced life in prison. But Tommy's lawyer had aimed even lower.

[Jack Hofstadt]

They were going for manslaughter.

[Sloan Glass]

If Tommy Rao was going to convince the jury, he'd finally have to share his version of what happened the night of the murder.

[Jack Hofstadt]

So he pretty much had to testify.

[Sloan Glass]

First, he testified about his relationship with Thomas Talley. He said Thomas was one of his best friends. They barbecued, played darts, lit fireworks and drank beer together.

[Jack Hofstadt]

He was crying and just crying and tears were flowing down his face.

[Sloan Glass]

Tommy said he met Kendra when she was a teenager. Although Tommy was 12 years older than her, he said he eventually developed feelings for her. But Kendra wound up marrying his best friend, Thomas Talley. But about a year before Thomas murder, Kendra and Tommy started having an affair.

[Jack Hofstadt]

Tommy and her had had a long term relationship. I think he met her when she was 16. They had had. Things were going on. She's running around with a husband.

[Sloan Glass]

But the most explosive testimony was about how his and Kendra's evening on Bourbon street ended in murder.

[Jack Hofstadt]

Kendra went off with Tommy Rowell and two other people and went to New Orleans, drank some beer, took some meth and some marijuana. During the night, Thomas Talley kept calling his wife on the phone, trying to find out when she was coming home and where she was. According to Kendra, he had been an asshole. Apparently. 3:00 in the morning, they go to the Waffle House. And at the Waffle House, Kendra said that her husband had raped her.

[Sloan Glass]

And that's when Tommy said he went into a rage and left the restaurant. His version of what happened next is very different than what Kendra told the police.

[Jack Hofstadt]

At this point in time, the stories diverge. His story was that they never went back to his house, that he always carried two guns in his vehicle, one on his side and one on the other side.

[Sloan Glass]

Tommy Rao told the court that he drove to Thomas and Kendra's home and when they arrived, it was Kendra who made the first move. He said that Kendra honked the horn and that made Thomas Talley walk outside. He was barefoot Wearing sweatpants and a T shirt.

[Jack Hofstadt]

He said they got there and that she was sitting on the console right next to him, and she started shooting. He was shocked that Kendra had shot through the window. He had no idea she was in a suit. And when she was shooting through the window, he was immediately getting out the car with his.45 and went and shot Mr. Talley twice. I think we described this as a very good friend. I don't know what he did with his enemies, but he described him as a good friend. They did a lot of stuff together.

[Sloan Glass]

So this is a completely different story than Kendra's. If you remember, Kendra told detectives it was Thomas who fired first from inside the truck.

[Jack Hofstadt]

She says that Tommy pushed her head down and shot through the window glass one everywhere. Then she says that Tommy got out the car and shot her husband two more times.

[Sloan Glass]

That was the only thing both sides agreed on.

[Jack Hofstadt]

Whichever story is true, we know that Tommy shot him in the head twice.

[Sloan Glass]

Tommy Rowell only admitted to firing the final two shots at Thomas. And he said it all stemmed from what Kendra told him about her husband sexually assaulting her.

[Jack Hofstadt]

Yes, he had shot him, but he had shot him because he was basically out of control. But he did it because he was defending the honor of his girlfriend.

[Sloan Glass]

And during cross examination, the prosecutor asked Tommy to show the jury how he shot Thomas Talley.

[Jack Hofstadt]

I had co counsel lay on the floor, and Tommy got off the stand, stood over him, and showed the jury exactly how he shot him in the head.

[Sloan Glass]

So there was Tommy Rao on his crutches, looking all frail, while he reenacted how he killed his best friend.

[Jack Hofstadt]

On cross examination, I always ask questions that got a yes or a no.

[Sloan Glass]

The prosecutor then asked Tommy if he cried while having sex with his best friend's wife. Tommy didn't answer, and I started asking.

[Jack Hofstadt]

Him whether he was crying while he was shooting him. And he was crying when he was getting ready to have a shootout with the police. His tears just went away, and he just had this, like, cold expression on his face. And he kept that throughout the cross examination.

[Sloan Glass]

The prosecutor wanted the jury to know that Tommy Rao resorted to murdering his best friend when there were a million other things he could and should have done if his ultimate goal was to be with Kendra.

[Jack Hofstadt]

The last question I asked him is, how much does 45 bullets cost? And he said, between 12 and $15. I said, that's cheaper than hiring a lawyer, huh? He said, yes, sir.

[Sloan Glass]

In his closing arguments, Tommy's lawyer admitted that, yes, his client did shoot Thomas Talley twice. But he said the real culprit wasn't Tommy Rao. It was Tommy's love for Kendra. He claimed it was a crime of passion because Tommy was obsessed with Kendra and she manipulated Tommy, he said. When a woman knows that a man has been obsessed with her for years and years and she tells him someone violently, repeatedly assaulted her, what did she expect to happen? Foreign We've all heard the success stories of weight loss with GLP1 injections, but let's be real, they can be very expensive and hard to access. That's where Henry Meds comes in. No insurance, no problem. You can save over $1,000 a month. Compared to brand name options, Henry Meds has no hidden fees, just affordable, transparent pricing and a team of caring healthcare providers and compounded GLP1 options with both injections and oral medications. Start your weight loss management [e-mail] today. Results may vary. Not all patients are eligible. Compounded medications are not FDA approved. Consult a healthcare provider to determine if treatment is right for you.

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[Sloan Glass]

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[Jack Hofstadt]

Murder case are the things that stick in your mind because there's always a victim.

[Sloan Glass]

Assistant DA Jack Hofstadt prosecuted the case against Tommy Rao.

[Jack Hofstadt]

Mr. Talley was shot and we had to speak up for him. We had to make sure he got justice. But it was an unusual case. Him shooting twice in head with 45 is uncontested. He admitted that.

[Sloan Glass]

But Tommy's lawyer argued it was a crime of passion and therefore it was manslaughter, not murder in the second degree. And that it was all a result of Kendra Talley telling Tommy that her husband and father of her child had sexually assaulted her. Neither the defense nor the prosecution called Kendra to testify.

[Jack Hofstadt]

They were going for manslaughter and there was no reason I would want to put her on the stand. Why put somebody on the stand that you don't believe what they're saying?

[Sloan Glass]

The case against Tommy Rall went to the jury and 45 minutes later they returned with a verdict. They found him guilty of second degree murder. @ his sentencing, the judge called it the most senseless crime he had come across during his nine years on the bench. He sentenced Tommy Rao to life in prison and told him, you have made your own bed. Now you get to sleep in it. Although it won't be comfortable. Three years later and nearly six years after Thomas Talley was shot, Kendra Talley went on trial for her role in her husband's murder.

[Jack Hofstadt]

She was charged with the principals of the murder. And a principal in Louisiana means that if you're involved in a planning and you're just as involved as a person who actually pulls the trigger, you're. You're guilty. The best example is an armed robbery. You might have one guy playing the armed robbery, another guy at the getaway driver, and the third guy goes into the bank. Well, they're all equally guilty. Even though one guy wanted a bank, one guy sit in a car and one guy sitting in his house.

[Sloan Glass]

And remember when this all began, Kendra was seen as a victim.

[Jack Hofstadt]

I looked at the police report and everything on the police report made no sense at all. I think everybody was suspicious of Kendra once they started looking at it.

[Sloan Glass]

But as the trial kicked off, prosecutors faced an uphill battle because Tommy Rao refused to testify.

[Jack Hofstadt]

Tommy Rao was not going to come down and testify to what he testified at trial. So all we had at that point in time was her story and we weren't going to have Tommy to come down and refute it.

[Sloan Glass]

It was a huge hurdle for prosecutors, but they Plowed forward. On the first day of the trial, both sides presented their opening statements before lunch. Afterwards, the two sets of lawyers informed the judge of something no one in the courtroom had expected. They had struck a plea deal.

[Jack Hofstadt]

I felt at that time, still do. That she was involved in the murder. But it doesn't matter what I think. It matters whether they have evidence. And let's just say that even in this conservative jurisdiction, which we had a 95% conviction rate, probably on jury trials, we could have convicted her. That's not the right thing to do. You can't prosecute somebody because you think they did it. You need evidence.

[Sloan Glass]

Without enough compelling evidence, it seems like neither side wanted to gamble by leaving Kendra's fate up to a jury. So they struck a deal. In her plea deal, Kendra admitted to one count of possession of meth and one count of manslaughter. A manslaughter charge carried up to 40 years in prison.

[Jack Hofstadt]

All the time, you get police reports where you say, yeah, I think they did that. Well, worst thing in the world is for somebody to prosecute somebody because they think they did that. And we didn't go down that road.

[Sloan Glass]

And when it came time for sentencing, the judge gave Kendra just 10 years for manslaughter and five years for the drug charge. Even though she faced far more time in prison, her plea deal with prosecutors capped her sentence at 10 years. Kendra was all smiles when the judge ruled that she could serve both sent sentences concurrently.

[Unknown]

Was the wisest thing she did was to take that plea deal.

[Sloan Glass]

Detective Doug Arrowood worked the case, and.

[Unknown]

She knew that that was probably the best chance to get through this. The quickest way to do the least time, to have to suffer the least from her actions. I wish, knowing what I'd do, that we had not taken the plea deal and gone through it. But it's not up to me. It's up to family. And you also got to think about the son as well, Even though he was an infant at the time. Got to take that all into account. And they were very satisfied with a 10 year sentence. So that's what counts, and that's what we went with. Maybe we would have preferred to see Kendra get 20 years as opposed to 10. But is there that chance that she could have walked out of the courtroom that day? Yeah, they didn't want to see that happen.

[Sloan Glass]

When Kendra took the plea deal, she was just 30 years old. She told her family in the courtroom that she'd still have a life when she's released from prison.

[Mark Talley]

I think the trial Was fair, Although I think Kendra got off somewhat easy.

[Sloan Glass]

The victim's brother, Mark Talley, struggled with Kendra's plea deal. And from what he learned in the courtroom, Kendra shot first.

[Mark Talley]

She shot first through the window of the pickup truck. To me, that's not manslaughter. That's premeditated murder. But I wasn't there, so I don't know. I don't know all the facts. So I think she basically got away with more than she should have. I feel like the universe has a way of handling with, you know, people like that. And to me, if there is punishment, they'll get it at some point or another. I do forgive him and Kendra, but I will never forget it. I just cope with it.

[Sloan Glass]

Kendra became a free woman in 2013 after serving most of her 10 year sentence. She has since remarried and moved to Arkansas. She refused our request for comment.

[Mark Talley]

I still see Kendra as the bubbly, happy, you know, cheerful person. I think she's a good person. You know, I don't think she's evil. Yes, I was shocked that it happened, and especially that Kendra was a part of it. That was probably the hardest part for me. Cause in my mind, she had to be persuaded to do this or be incapacitated. That's just my opinion.

[Sloan Glass]

Detective Arrowood disagrees.

[Unknown]

You got two guns, you got two people. I think they both decided to go and do this. She didn't have to talk him into anything. He didn't have to talk her into anything. They were both intent on the same thing. I think they wanted to be together and they wanted to get rid of the obstacle that was in their way. So let's get rid of the husband.

[Sloan Glass]

But the question is why? Why kill Thomas Talley? Only Kendra and Tommy Ra have the answer to that, and they're both sticking to their respective stories.

[Unknown]

The only thing I regret and I wish I had gotten was a confession from her. If I had a confession from her, that's the slam. Doc, was that in court? And his lights out. Done. You're probably going away for the rest of your lives. I wish I'd have had that.

[Sloan Glass]

Even without a confession from Kendra. He believes Tommy Rao's version of what.

[Unknown]

Happened with the evidence at the scene. My theory was that she shot through the window when he came out to the house and Rao got out, went around and finished him off on the driveway point blank. We knew we had the right theory behind it, but we couldn't make him testify for her trial. As we couldn't make him testify, we couldn't produce him as a witness so we couldn't present what he had presented in court previously.

[Sloan Glass]

Today, Tommy Rao remains in a Baton Rouge prison serving out his life sentence. Kendra got off much easier.

[Unknown]

It's not the result I wanted, but it's next bestseller. It's a tragedy when you have these things that happen, but at the same time, some of these things, they can bring you closer together and it's crazy to worse.

[Sloan Glass]

Lost in all of this is the other victim in this story, Thomas and Kendra's son, who was just two years old when he lost his father.

[Unknown]

She still has a son. I don't know if she sees her son or not. If she does, I hope she can be a positive influence in his life. If it's necessary for her to be a positive influence by being away, then I think she needs to stay away. That's up to her, her family, her son, as I'm sure he's almost old enough to make that decision himself now. So you have to take everything into account. I think justice was served here in the sense of Tommy Rowell. He was sentenced to life and I think he deserved it. I think Kendra did too.

[Sloan Glass]

Next time on American Homicide. After an aspiring preacher winds up dead, the community looks inward to understand who was responsible. What's discovered is a web of crimes. We're back in Louisiana for part one of Bodies on the Bayou. I'm Sloan Glass. That's next week on American Homicide. You can contact the American Homicide team by emailing [e-mail] that's AmericanHomicidePodmail.com American Homicide is hosted and written by me, Sloan Glass and is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Todd Ganz. The series is also written and produced by Todd Ganz with additional writing by Ben Fetterman and Andrea Gunning. Our associate producer is Kristin Melchuri. Our I Heart team is Ally Perry and Jessica Krynchak. Audio editing, mixing and mastering by Nico Aruka. American Homicide's theme song was composed by Oliver Baines of Noiser Music Library, provided by My Music. Follow American Homicide on Apple Podcasts and please rate and review American Homicide. Your five star review goes a long way towards helping others find this show. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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