Innocent Victims
Scott Whisnant
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1985 · Fayetteville, North Carolina
The Eastburn family murders
The story behind Innocent Victims
Kathryn Eastburn and her daughters Kara and Erin were killed in North Carolina in 1985; another daughter survived. Timothy Hennis was first convicted, then acquitted at a retrial. Later DNA evidence led to a military prosecution and another conviction, making the case unusual for its sequence of civilian and military trials.
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The Story
When1985
WhereFayetteville, North Carolina
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Innocent Victims (1996)
tubitv.com
A dramatized interpretation; compare it with the reporting.
4: The Third Time's the Charm: The Trials of Tim Hennis
Southern Fried True Crime
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Jim Fisher True Crime
Jim Fisher True Crime: The Timothy Hennis Triple-Murder Case
A crime writer looks back at the investigation and successive proceedings in the Eastburn family case.
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Books
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Books
1 itemsScott Whisnant
Innocent Victims
A nonfiction account of this case. See the linked edition for publication details and available formats.
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
tubitv.com
Innocent Victims (1996)
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
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TV & documentaries
1 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
IMDb · TV episode
Unusual Suspects — Mother's Day Murders (2012)
IMDb episode reference connected to the The Eastburn family murders case. Listed release: 2012. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
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Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
Innocent Victims : The True Story of the Eastburn Family Murders
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
tubitv.com
Innocent Victims (1996)
Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.
Fiction / DramatizationAccess Varies · Check Source
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
14 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Southern Fried True Crime
4: The Third Time's the Charm: The Trials of Tim Hennis
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released November 8, 2017. About 67 minutes.
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Our True Crime Podcast
248. Innocent Victims: Eastburn Murders
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released February 21, 2024. About 54 minutes.
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Crack House Chronicles
Ep. 248 The Eastburn Family Murders
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released January 27, 2025. About 69 minutes.
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That Chapter Podcast
Ep.101 - The Eastburn Family Murders
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released November 20, 2024. About 49 minutes.
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This Feels Criminal: A True Crime Podcast (Formerly Killer Queens)
Eastburn Family Murders
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released July 3, 2021. About 70 minutes.
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True Crime Guys
#167 The Eastburn Family Murders
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released March 16, 2022. About 75 minutes.
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Show 8 more podcasts
Crime and Coffee Couple - True Crime Podcast
The Eastburn family murders | Ep 185
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released March 16, 2025. About 74 minutes.
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The Murder Book: A True Crime Podcast
Episode 52 The Eastburn Murders and the Tim Hennis Case Part I
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released June 7, 2021. About 71 minutes.
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Murder with Mayo
Tim Hennis
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released May 4, 2021. About 42 minutes.
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The Murder Book: A True Crime Podcast
Episode 57 The Eastburn Family Murders and the Tim Hennis Part IV
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released June 30, 2021. About 121 minutes.
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The Murder Book: A True Crime Podcast
Episode 58 The Eastburn Murders and the Tim Hennis Case V
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released July 5, 2021. About 84 minutes.
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In Sight
Eastburn Family // Timothy Hennis
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released December 29, 2019. About 68 minutes.
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From Crime to Crime
EASTBURN MURDERS
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released September 22, 2021. About 58 minutes.
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Sign of the Crime
34. Jalape-ño - Timothy Hennis/Eastburn Murders
Podcast coverage of the The Eastburn family murders case. Released February 3, 2023. About 78 minutes.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
2 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
OverDrive · Library Access
Innocent Victims — Ebook
Scott Whisnant. Related reading for The Eastburn family murders. This library catalog lists the edition. Borrowing depends on membership in that library and current availability.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Innocent Victims
Scott Whisnant. Related reading for The Eastburn family murders. Book information and any pages made available by Google Books; this is not a promise of full-text access.
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Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Newspaper clippings
1 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
The Charlotte Observer · 1985-05-17 · Page 34
Hennis arrested in the Eastburn killings
An Associated Press report outlines the arrest and the early investigation into Kathryn Eastburn’s and her daughters’ deaths.
Early charges precede the state trials and later military proceedings.
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Internet Archive
1 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Death Row Stories : CNNW : September 7, 2014 8:00pm-9:01pm PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Tim Hennis. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
2 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Court opinionArchive copy
State v. Hennis — 1988 state-court appeal
The original North Carolina appellate decision in Timothy Hennis’s prosecution for the Eastburn family murders. Later military proceedings are listed separately.
- Court / agency
- North Carolina Supreme Court
- Document date
- October 6, 1988
- Case / citation
- 499A86
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Court opinionArchive copy
United States v. Hennis — military appeal
The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces reviewed Hennis’s court-martial convictions in the Eastburn family murder case.
- Court / agency
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
- Document date
- February 28, 2020
- Case / citation
- 17-0263-AR
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
9 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Brooke Makenna
SOLVED AFTER 20 YEARS: The Eastburn Family Murders
Video from Brooke Makenna covering the The Eastburn family murders case. Length: 42:04.
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That Chapter
The Bizarre Case of Tim Hennis
Video from That Chapter covering the The Eastburn family murders case. Length: 30:28.
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Southern Fried True Crime
Episode 4: Third Time's the Charm: The Trials of Tim Hennis
Video from Southern Fried True Crime covering the The Eastburn family murders case. Length: 1:05:53.
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True Crime Brewery
The Eastburn Family Murders
Video from True Crime Brewery covering the The Eastburn family murders case. Length: 1:41:51.
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CNN
I did the crime...you're doin' the time
Video from CNN covering the The Eastburn family murders case. Length: 1:37.
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Facebook · Creator channel
Southern Fried True Crime — Facebook page
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “4: The Third Time's the Charm: The Trials of Tim Hennis.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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TikTok · Creator channel
Crack House Chronicles — TikTok channel
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Ep. 248 The Eastburn Family Murders.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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Facebook · Creator channel
Crack House Chronicles — Facebook page
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Ep. 248 The Eastburn Family Murders.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
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Facebook · Creator community
Crime and Coffee Couple - True Crime Podcast — Facebook group
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “The Eastburn family murders | Ep 185.” This discussion group covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. Group rules or membership approval may limit access.
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