• The court issues maximum penalties against Uriah Urick
• The crime partner awaits her trial amid ongoing investigations

An American teen was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of killing his girlfriend’s grandmother in Texas.

Uriah Urick, 18, was found guilty of capital murder after shooting 61-year-old Tammy King earlier this year.

It is worth noting that the victim’s granddaughter and Urick’s girlfriend, Tara King, also faces murder charges and her trial is still pending.

During the trial, defense attorney Bill Agnew admitted that Urick was involved in Tammy’s death but attempted to reduce the charge from capital murder to ordinary murder, arguing that the crime was not motivated by money but by “two naive teens influenced by prohibited substances seeking independence.”

Agnew said: “This was not a crime of greed, but a misguided attempt to act like adults.” However, the jury sided with the prosecution and convicted Urick of capital murder.

Tammy’s body was found in her home by her boyfriend, who told police that the house had been “ransacked” and that some guns were missing from her bedroom safe.

Investigations revealed that large sums of money from the victim’s account were transferred to her granddaughter’s account via a payment app, and that Tara attempted two larger transfers which failed.

Police indicated that an “unknown person” had linked the accounts, raising suspicion about Tara and Urick’s involvement.

Investigators also found that Urick suffered from mental disorders, had a history of self-harm, and had been violent toward family members, while Tara was angry at her grandmother for not allowing Urick to stay overnight at their home.

Police tried to reach Urick, but he was not at home, and his mother informed them that he did not want to be contacted.

Later, bank records showed he had received multiple transfers from Tara.

The pair then went on the run, offering money for shelter and attempting to sell the stolen guns.

One woman who interacted with them said Tara admitted to killing her grandmother out of anger and under the influence of prohibited substances at the time.

They were arrested three days after Tammy’s body was discovered in Laredo, Texas, with the assistance of the Gulf Coast Violent Offender Task Force.

Tara’s trial is scheduled for January, and if convicted, she will also face life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.