Murder for Greed: Caren Koslow’s Death

In Fort Worth, Texas on March 12, 1992, intruders would attack Caren Koslow and her husband Jack Koslow in their Rivercrest home. Caren Koslow would die from having her throat slashed, while her husband Jack Koslow would survive as he could escape the house.

Crime

Originally, in this crime, the local authorities were looking to Jack Koslow as the main suspect. However, the local authorities then discovered two other people Brian Dennis Salter and Jeffrey Dillingham were the ones responsible for the attacks on the Koslows. Salter and Dillingham would ultimately attack the Koslows, but then they would slash the throat of Caren Koslow as well. 

After they attacked the Koslow’s, they would go on to steal a wristwatch that was worth nearly $1,600 and then $200 in cash that they found in a wallet. 

However, the daughter and stepdaughter of Caren and Jack Koslow, Kristi Anne Koslow would end up plotting with Salter and Dillingham to murder her parents, so she can get her inheritance money right now. 

Kristi would provide the duo with all alarm codes, so they can sneak in and around the Koslow residence. 

Kristi would promise the duo that she will give them $1 million, if they were successful in their attack. 

Confessions by Assailants

Brian Salter was Kristi’s boyfriend at the time. Kristi asked her boyfriend, Brian Slater along with their friend, Jeffrey Dillingham who were both 19 years old at the time of the murders. The boys would go on to tell authorities that they broke in Jack and Caren’s bedroom and attacked the couple with a knife and a metal bar. 

Dillingham would state that he beat the couple unconscious, while Salter had cut their throats. 

Both Salter and Dillingham were convicted of the crime. Dillingham was given the death sentence, while Salter was in a plea deal, where he received life in prison. 

Salter would testify in court that Kristi was the mastermind behind these murders. That Kristi was the one who supplied the duo with maps of her home and even given them the alarm codes to help them sneak in and around the residence as well. 

Salter would even go as far to say that him and Kristi would shop for the dream cars that they planned to purchase one her parents would be deceased. Kristi was eyeing the BMW convertible and Salter was eyeing a Toyota Land Cruiser. 

The jurors would be being hearing the testimony on whether Kristi should either be given a life sentence or be given the death sentence. 

Kristi was 17 at the time of the attack on her parents, and she ultimately the fifth woman ever to be on the Texas death row list. The last woman that was executed in the Texas state was back in 1863 when the death penalty was hanging. This woman murdered a horse trader to receive the death penalty. 

However, the state prosecutors would call no witnesses, when they entered the punishment phase during the trial. 

The defense team would put on the Tarrant County Jail Supervisor, Norma Sue Cook would describe Kristi as one of her best inmates. She would further go on to state that Kristi was one of the most considerate and respectful inmates she has ever had custody of. 

Legal Consequences

Salter would ultimately be given a life sentence due to accepting a plea agreement. While in 1994, Kristi would be convicted of the murder and receive a life sentence as well. 

Dillingham would refuse to enter in a plea agreement, and he received the death penalty. 

Dillingham would be sent to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in August of 1993 at the tender age of 20. Dillingham started out in the Ellis Unit, but then was transferred out of the Allan B. Polunsky Unit, which was once known as the Terrell Unit then in 1999. 

Dillingham would then be moved to the Huntsville Unit, where his execution took place. Dillingham was 27 at the time of his execution. Dillingham was executed on November 1, 2000, by lethal injection. 

Kristi Koslow is in the Hobby Unit as of 2018. Salter is in the Alfred Hughes Unit as of 2018. 

Background

During the time of the murder, Jack Koslow worked as a helicopter pilot. He was 48 years old. While his wife, Caren Koslow was a part of the petroleum businesspeople. Caren was 40 years old. And the daughter, Kristi Koslow was 17 years old. 

Many of the media outlets would describe the Koslow’s as a periphery of the social world in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Dillingham was born on March 6, 1973. Dillingham worked at a local video store. At the time of the crime, Salter and Dillingham were both 19-years-old. 

Salter and Kristi were boyfriend and girlfriend, as well.