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Dateline has covered many chilling crime cases, but very few are as touching as The Collector. The episode aired on 31st July 2016, and it dealt with the murder of Gary and Jan Tyrrell. Mark E. Porter pled guilty to the two counts of second-degree murder. Although he was not given the death penalty, he has agreed to two life sentences.
According to Springfield News-Leader, the crime was so inhuman that even the judge on the case, Judge Thomas Mountjoy, said,
“There is nothing that would be enough, besides undoing the terrible things that have happened,”
Speaking on the possibility of Porter getting a parole release in the future, the judge said,
“There will never be a day that I say ‘yes,’”
Even when he addressed Porter, he had said,
“Everything they were, you’re not.”
The judge, Tyrrell's loved ones, and the prosecutor had all expressed how heinous of a crime it was to murder two innocent people in cold blood.
Disclaimer: This contains the personal opinions of the writer. Reader's discretion is advised.
What Happened Behind The Dateline Episode, The Collector
The Dateline episode The Collector revolves around the Tyrrell murder that occurred in 2014. Gary Tyrrell and Mark E. Porter were professional associates, and Porter was someone both Gary and his wife Jan trusted. They shared a close relationship. However, the Tyrrells were murdered on 1st May 2014, a few days after Porter had asked Gary for a $250,000 loan. There was no sign of forced entry. Gary died by being shot twice, and Jan was battered to death with an engraved walrus tusk.
On further investigation, it was revealed that Porter had gambling issues, which led him to ask Gary Tyrrell for a loan. The Tyrrells were collectors, which is partly the reason behind the Dateline episodes' name. Since they were collectors, they had several antique objects of high value. Coincidentally, a day after the Tyrrells' death, Porter silver coins worth $18,000 to a shop nearby.
The police suspected that Porter had murdered the couple to gain access to their high-value objects. They followed him and finally acquired his DNA from a coffee cup at an automotive service center. That was the last thing they needed to press charges against him. While Mark was not given the death penalty, Prosecutor Dan Patterson was still happy with the given sentence and said,
“Our goal from the beginning was that he spend life in prison,... And he’ll likely die in prison.”
How The Loved Ones Reacted to the Real Murder Behind The Dateline Episode, The Collector
Jessica Tyrrell Murray, the daughter of Gary and Jan Tyrrell, was understandably heartbroken at her parents' death. She said,
“I’ll miss their advice. I’ll miss their laughs. I’ll miss having the opportunity to tell them I love them,”
The Tyrrells were extremely kind people who went above and beyond to help people in need. They were giving human beings who always put others first. As Jessica mentions,
“My mom had been paying for milk for kids she didn’t know,”
They were good people who had done nothing wrong. Perhaps the only wrong thing they might have done was disagreeing with Mark, which made him kill them. Gary's brother, Larry Tyrrell, also spoke about his brother. The two shared a great relationship. Speaking on Garyy, Larry said,
“He was a great man, ... He was a better man than I was.”
This was not just any case. The justice system, police, and everyone involved deeply cared about the Tyrrells' death. It was a rare incident when apparently two innocent people, extremely loved by their community, were killed because of someone's greed.
The prosecutor, Patterson, was so relieved after Porter was served his sentence that after the hearing, he said,
“I am grateful to the Springfield Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit and Detective Chris Barb for their diligent work in seeking justice for the family of Jan and Gary Tyrrell and to the Mid-State’s Organized Crime Information Center for its assistance in the investigation of this case.”
The Tyrrells are no longer alive, but these words by loved ones and the justice system make it evident how well their memory lives on. Porter will be eligible for release when he turns eighty-two, however, the chances of him getting out are very thin. Prosecutors, the judge, and all of Tyrrell's loved ones hope Porter serves the sentence he deserves and can never hurt another soul again.
The Collector episode on Dateline can be watched on NBC and Peacock.
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