Drifter Convicted in Child Slay

ByABC News
September 18, 2000, 9:37 PM

D E L  R I O, Texas, Sept. 18 -- A drifter who has allegedly confessed to adozen slayings across the country was convicted today of killing a13-year-old girl last New Years Eve.

Tommy Lynn Sells, 36, was convicted of capital murder and faceslife in prison of lethal injection when he is sentenced.

Its going to put closure to a lot of things. He took mybaby, said Terry Harris, the father of Kaylene Harris. Itshard to explain the rage.

Chilling Confession, AccountDuring three days of testimony, jurors heard written confessionsfrom Sells, watched a videotaped confession and listened togripping testimony from a girl who also was attacked by Sells asshe slept in the same room with Kaylene but survived.

The girl, Krystal Surles, said she tried to remain still andsilent on the top of a bunk bed as she watched Sells slit thethroat of Kaylene, a family friend she had been visiting. She saidSells then cut her throat, and she waited for him to leave beforeseeking help.

I think thats what he deserved, Krystal, now 11, said ofthe verdict.

I think I can sleep and not have nightmares, and maybe dobetter in my own bed, said the girl, who has a jagged pink scaracross her neck. I had to sleep with my mom because they werebad.

Sells pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the attack onKrystal but had pleaded innocent to capital murder in Kaylenesdeath. Jurors found that he killed Kaylene after breaking into herhome to sexually assault her a component that elevated thecrime to one punishable by death.

Defense attorney Victor Garcia said the verdict was not asurprise.

In this case, we have a victim who testified and its hard forthe jury to get past that, he said.

Since his arrest Jan. 2, Sells has confessed to at least a dozen slayings in seven states. He has only been charged in one othercase, the May 1999 slaying of a 13-year-old Lexington, Ky., girl.