5 chilling details about Tammy Jo Parker's brutal death

The murders of Tammy Jo Parker and Bryan Capnerhurst in 2012 shattered the quiet suburb of Columbia, South Carolina, exposing a life of gambling, debt, and deception behind the Parker family’s polished façade.

Brett Parker, a husband and father, claimed his business partner shot Tammy Jo during a dispute, forcing him to act in self-defense. But investigators who were looking into the case discovered a darker truth.

Brett was a seasoned bookie drowning in debt, and prosecutors argued the killings were a calculated plan to protect his secret world. Dateline revisits the case in Mystery at Ascot Estates, re-airing Saturday, September 20, 2025.

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Tammy Jo Parker's brutal murder: 5 details explored

1. A suburban home with hidden secrets

On the surface, Tammy Jo and Brett Parker lived a middle-class life in Columbia, South Carolina. They lived with their two children in a comfortable home in the upscale Ascot Estates neighborhood. Tammy Jo Parker was known as a devoted wife and mother, while Brett worked in medical sales.

But beneath this lay a dark secret. Brett Parker was running an illegal sports gambling operation out of his home, and he owed large sums of money. Among those demanding repayment was his longtime friend and business associate, Bryan Capnerhurst, as per CBS.

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2. A tragedy in April 2012

On the afternoon of April 13, 2012, Columbia police responded to a chilling scene inside the Parker residence. Tammy Jo had been shot at close range, and nearby, Capnerhurst lay dead near Parker’s safe.

According to Brett Parker’s account, Capnerhurst had entered the home angry and armed, demanding repayment of a gambling debt. He claimed that Capnerhurst turned his fury on Tammy Jo Parker, shooting her before forcing Brett Parker to open a safe. According to CBS, Parker said he then seized the opportunity to grab a hidden revolver and shoot Capnerhurst in self-defense.

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3. Suspicions about the timeline of the tragedy

The case of Tammy Jo Parker is explored on Dateline (Image via Getty)

While the story sounded convincing, when authorities focused on the timeline, discrepancies arose. Capnerhurst had arrived at the home just 11 minutes before Parker called 911 to report the shooting. Prosecutors argued this short span of time made Parker’s narrative implausible.

Moreover, Tammy Jo’s close-range gunshot wounds suggested an intimate killing, while Capnerhurst’s positioning near the safe appeared staged. The mounting evidence pointed to Parker not as a victim, but as the orchestrator of both killings.

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4. The trial of Brett Parker

In May 2013, Brett Parker stood trial for two counts of murder. Over three weeks, jurors heard conflicting portrayals of the man at the center of the case. Parker testified in his own defense, claiming he had been forced into a corner by Capnerhurst’s aggression and had acted in self-defense, as reported by CBS.

But prosecutors challenged this defense by highlighting a crucial legal barrier, South Carolina’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which requires that a person not be engaged in unlawful activity. Since Parker was operating an illegal gambling business from his home, the law did not apply.

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5. Parker was sentenced for killing Tammy Jo Parker

Prosecutors used forensic evidence, the tight timeline, and Parker’s financial motives to argue that he had killed his wife deliberately and executed Capnerhurst to cover his tracks.

On May 28, 2013, the jury delivered its verdict after only three hours of deliberation. Parker was found guilty on both counts of murder. Judge DeAndrea Benjamin sentenced him to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

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Oxygen's Dateline: Mystery at Ascot Estates explores in detail Tammy Jo Parker's murder and the trial and sentencing of Brett Parker for the same.