Tara Correa-McMullen
Tara Correa-McMullen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Shalvah McMullen May 24, 1989 Westminster, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | October 21, 2005 (aged 16) Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Murder by gunshot wounds |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California |
| Other names | Tara Correa |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2004–2005 |
Tara Correa-McMullen (born Shalvah McMullen; May 24, 1989 – October 21, 2005) was an American actress. She played gang member Graciela Reyes on the CBS drama series Judging Amy. On October 21, 2005, she was shot dead – by a real gang member – in front of her apartment complex in Inglewood, California.
Early life
[edit]Tara Correa-McMullen was born in Westminster, Vermont, to mother Mary Devra Correa and father Thomas McMullen.[1] In 1996, she, her mother, and her older sister Abigail moved to Southern California, and later settled in Venice, an affluent neighborhood of Los Angeles. Correa-McMullen attended Claremont Middle School and later Venice High School, where she sang in the school's choir.[2]
Career
[edit]Correa-McMullen's only film role was in the 2005 film Rebound, when her mother, who was working for a casting company at the time, recommended her daughter for the role. Correa-McMullen had no acting experience prior to landing the role.[2] She later won a part as a recurring character on the CBS drama series Judging Amy as Graciela Reyes, a young gang member and appeared in seven episodes, which aired in first run from October 2004 to April 2005, during the series' final season. Correa-McMullen also had a small role on one episode of Nickelodeon television series Zoey 101 in 2005.
Murder and funeral
[edit]In early 2005, 16-year-old Correa-McMullen moved into her own apartment in Inglewood, California, and began dating a gang member, Christopher Avery, ten years her senior.[3] On the evening of October 21, 2005, she was shot to death by gang member Damien Watts.[4] At the time of her death, Correa-McMullen was outside her apartment complex and was trying to run inside for safety. Two other people were also shot in the incident, but survived.[5] She is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.[6]
Aftermath
[edit]Damien Watts was charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder on March 1, 2006.[5] On January 23, 2009, he was convicted of Correa-McMullen's murder, the murder of another person chosen at random the day before he killed Correa-McMullen, and six counts of attempted murder over his two day shooting spree (at three locations), with special circumstance for allegations of gang murder and multiple murders; none of the multiple shooting victims were involved in gang activity, but Watts's stated intent was "to shoot up rival gang territory".[7] Watts was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences without parole on February 27, 2009.[7] Watts' accomplice in the shooting spree, Joseph Wayne Jones, was also sentenced to life without parole.[8]
In popular culture
[edit]Correa-McMullen's murder was featured in "A Rising Star Shot Down", the premiere episode of the 2024 season of the true crime documentary series Death by Fame, on the Canadian Investigation Discovery.[3][9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Tara Correa-McMullen Obituary". Los Angeles Times. October 28, 2005. Retrieved January 16, 2014 – via Legacy.com.
- ^ a b Covarrubias, Amanda; Pierson, David (October 29, 2005). "Slain Young Actress Is Mourned". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Roy, Samadrita (January 23, 2024). Dave, Madhur (ed.). "Death by Fame on ID: What happened to Tara Correa-McMullen?". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ Grad, Shelby (January 23, 2009). "Gang member convicted of murdering 'Judging Amy' actress". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "Alleged Gang Member Charged in Shooting Death of Teen Actress". Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. March 1, 2006. Archived from the original on October 20, 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (October 31, 2005). "Judging Amy Teen Actress Killed in L.A." People. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "Actress Killer Gets Five Consecutive Life Sentences". KNBC. Los Angeles. July 17, 2009 [February 27, 2009]. Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ "PEOPLE v. JONES NO. B236850". leagle.com. March 29, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ "ID Death by Fame | Available with: Investigation Discovery". CTV Television Network. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
Season Primiere 1. A Rising Star Shot Down
External links
[edit]
- 1989 births
- 2005 deaths
- 2005 murders in the United States
- People from Westminster (town), Vermont
- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses from Los Angeles
- Actresses from Vermont
- American child actresses
- American film actresses
- American television actresses
- People from Venice, Los Angeles
- Murder in California
- People murdered in California
- Deaths by firearm in California
- Child murder in the United States
- Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)