*Please be aware that the details shared in this post will be disturbing. I have aimed to, as always, share the details as sensitive as I can without taking the facts away from the case. If you would like to discuss this post with me or any of the cases that I have covered in this blog, please email me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com*
At the beginning of 2013, 17 year old Tara Rose Willenborg from Clarksville, Indiana (USA) was busy thinking about life, exploring dreams, being a typical teenager and enjoying her close relationship with her boyfriend of six months, Josh. Josh was 21 but adored her and did his best to support her as they decided to move in together. The young couple were having fun, taking on adult responsibilities and thinking about their future. There was so many experiences to share, so many moments to be had and so many places they wanted to see together. Everyone who knew them personally would always describe them as a young loved-up couple, they would refer to themselves as 'Fiance/Fiancee' and had plans to get married. Josh was saving up some of the money he earned from his job to buy Tara a ring. They were just a young, sweet, good looking couple who were working hard to make ends meet and thinking about what they wanted to do with their lives together.
Because money was tight and they had only just moved in together at the Cambridge Square Apartments, their living situation was quite modest. Some of the neighbours looked a bit on the dodgy side and some of the apartments had seen better days. For Tara and Josh they made the best with what they had and for them it was really just a stepping stone to save money and eventually move on to somewhere better. Tara came from a loving family, along with her brothers Todd, Derek and sister Colleen, the four of them could have been models if they had chosen that path, they also had their own talents. The family shared a great sense of humour and would always be teasing each other, they also had a dedication to their Christian faith.
As well as her fun and bubbly personality, Tara was well known for her cupcakes, she just loved to bake and delighted in the endless compliments that she would receive from friends and family about how great they were. People would tell her that she would make a fortune if she turned her baking skills into a business, she was interested in making this a reality and was looking at ways to go about it. So Tara had the world at her feet and there was lots of things that she had planned and wanted to carry on planning, but it wasn't to be because someone she thought was a harmless neighbour, turned out to be a hideous monster hidden in sheep's clothing.
Young Tara and Josh had no idea who their neighbours really were, they were just people they would exchange pleasantries with. Unbeknown to the pair, the often dishevelled looking guy who was their neighbour, the guy called 'Richard' was actually a convicted sex offender who had spend the majority of his life behind bars for a series of horrific sexual assaults on women. Richard Hooten was 49 years old and his path of crime began in his early 20's, this is when he later said that his first sexual assault occurred. So this lovely young couple had a ticking time-bomb living near them and nobody knew. Richard looked creepy but he had a girlfriend so that could've possibly softened his image up a bit but that was all a facade, he was just waiting for the next victim.
Richard had noticed Tara and Josh but didn't have long, full-on conversations with them. There was a quick exchange of words when Richard had bought some alcohol from Josh but that was about it. Josh could sense that Richard found Tara attractive but he was used to that, Tara was a beautiful girl and people were going to take a shine to her so he didn't think that deeply about it.
On the 2nd of March (2013), Josh had gone to do his night shift as usual, leaving Tara at home just to relax. It was just days before her 18th birthday and that was going to be a huge milestone for her. Richard Hooten and his girlfriend, who Tara was used to seeing come and go, were out for the evening. Richard had a few drinks but was ready to go back home, his girlfriend and her family decided they were going to stay out for a little bit longer. When Richard approached his apartment he spotted Tara sitting alone on a stoop just outside her apartment. He watched her for a little while and could see that nobody else was around, he knew Josh worked night shifts. He would later reveal the disturbing and chilling fact that he knew he was going to sexually assault Tara when he saw her sitting there that night.
He walked over to Tara and they exchanged polite conversation, he probably seemed harmless, a bit pathetic, probably mentioned that he was waiting for his girlfriend to come home. One wonders if Tara being young and looking at this guy as a bit creepy but possibly more like a Dad type of figure. She maybe thought about the fact that he had a girlfriend, maybe gave off the impression that he couldn't be that bad or dangerous if a woman had chosen to live with him? Tara also knew his girlfriend would be returning home at any time so maybe thought that no harm could come to her. It's reminded me of the false sense of security that some victims in the past have felt when they've met someone (who unknown to them at the time was a dangerous and psychotic killer) who has shown them family pictures or wears a wedding ring in an attempt to appear harmless and to gain trust.
I've made the mistake myself in the past and I cringe at the memory, but an old man had fallen outside of my apartment block (this happened years ago). He'd just gotten out of a cab and was holding a translucent bag with all of his belongings in, money, clothes etc and he had fallen, there was blood on his face and he looked like he was in shock. Myself being young at the time and my boyfriend being at a university class, I decided to invite this guy into the kitchen for a cup of tea and to call him another cab. It sounds ridiculous now but my first instinct was to help this man. He had so much cash falling out of his pockets and I had to help him put everything into his bag. I remember thinking at the time that this guy was so lucky that he fell outside of my apartment and not some other place because someone could've possibly robbed him. Anyway, I made him some sweet tea for the shock and I kept the kitchen door open whilst we talked and I called him a cab to take him to his correct address. The guy got into the cab safely and that was it. When I told my boyfriend, friends and relatives about what happened, everyone looked at me horrified and told me I was nuts. My boyfriend at the time was frantic that something bad could've happened to me. I look back now and it is a cringeworthy moment but we all make mistakes.
So Tara and Richard were talking and either she invited him into her apartment or he asked to join her. Either way, he was pretending to be nice and once inside the apartment, Tara put on the TV whilst they continued to chat. When the pair were on the sofa Richard suddenly turned from Mr nice guy to disgusting predator. Tara made it clear that she wasn't interested and asked him to leave, from that moment on, things turned very ugly. Richard grabbed Tara and dragged her to the bedroom where he ripped off her clothing and assaulted her in the worst ways that you do not want to imagine. Obviously I know the horrific details but out of respect for Tara and her family I have to be careful how I describe what happened. It was brutal, it was sick and it was pure evil! The absolute hell he put that poor child through, 17 is no age and it wouldn't be acceptable at any age. He was a disgusting, evil monster and during the horrific torture and assault, he strangled Tara. The details of her death haunt me, as I'm sure they have done with anyone who has worked on this case or researched it. It just fills you will anger and disgust. To add further depravity this creature took a candle and assaulted Tara with it after he strangled her.
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Richard Hooten claims that he tried to revive Tara when he'd realised that she was deceased. He then tried to cover his tracks by grabbing one of her Subway aprons and tying it around her neck to make it look like she had taken her own life. He then fled the scene and went back to his apartment, where his girlfriend now was. This monster knew that Josh would return from work to find Tara and he was already putting an act on like everything was normal. Josh was horrified and devastated when he found Tara, he tried everything he could for her and contacted authorities. He told them that he had a feeling that Richard had something to do with her death. Other neighbours had mentioned their concerns about Richard who had mysteriously vanished from his apartment. The police went looking for him and they finally found him a mile away from the apartments and arrested him on the spot. They knew he had a long list of previous crimes and outstanding warrants. He had also failed to register as a sex offender.
With the evidence stacked up against him and his previous convictions Richard admitted what he had done because he claimed that he wanted to give Tara's family closure. In front of reporters he gave a sort of press conference where he unemotionally stated what he had done, answered their questions and admitted that he had been involved in numerous sexual assaults in the past for which he spent time in prison. He'd spent most of his life in prison and claimed that he had been committing sexual deviancy for as far back as he could remember. There were no tears shed and no remorse, he stated that he wished that he hadn't have murdered Tara but there was no actual feeling to it, it was like the guy had no soul. He was asked numerous times if he had committed murder before and he said that he hadn't. He admitted to sexual assaults and violence but that Tara was the first time he had actually murdered a victim.
When asked about his thoughts on the death penalty he accepted it and agreed to any form of punishment that was going to be handed out. As he admitted his guilt in Tara's horrific assault and murder, he spared her family the ordeal of a trial and as part of a deal he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 70 years was also added on to his sentence. He is currently 62 years old (as of 2026) and is incarcerated at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle, Indiana.
Tara's funeral took place on the 6th of March 2013 just a few days shy of what would have been her 18th birthday. It's so difficult to imagine what Josh and her family must have been going through. It was just so unfair for such a horrific thing to have happened to a beautiful young girl who had her whole life and dreams in front of her.
Tara's family have done such an incredible job over the years to raise money for charities and have been dedicated to keeping Tara's memory alive. Sadly Tara's brother Todd Jr passed away in May of 2022 at the age of 29. Colleen and Derek have done a wonderful job over the years keeping the spirit of both their beloved sister and brother alive, it must be so difficult to have both your sister and brother gone. They are so strong and very much an inspiration.
Please check out Tara's Garden which is a charity which was set up by Tara's loved ones to honour her legacy: Tara's Garden
RIP Tara and Todd, you will never be forgotten x
Further Reading & Sources
- Richard Hooten: Article | Wave News
- Tara Rose Willenborg | Obituary
- Richard Hooten: Article | The Courier
- Tara Rose Willenborg | Find A Grave
- Richard Hooten: Article | USA Today
- Richard Hooten: Article | NY Daily News
- Richard Hooten: Confession Press Conference | News And Tribune (Video)
- Richard Hooten: News Report (Video) | WLKY News Louisville
I know this was another difficult case to get through but I appreciate you, as always, for being here and for all your support over the years with my content. Don't forget you can request any cases you would like me to cover (jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com) and come and say hello on my Socials
Take care....until next time x
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