Survivor Of Rains County Murders Tells Story In Terror By Night

Residents across North Texas will recall the horrific tragedy that befell Terry Caffey in March of 2008. Caffey was the Rains County resident that was awakened at 3 a.m. to the murder of his family at the hand of his daughter’s boyfriend.

Caffey survived 12 gun shot wounds and crawled 400 yards to a neighbor’s house while his house burned to the ground.

He lost his wife and two sons in the attack, and later learned that his teenage daughter Erin was involved in the crime.

Caffey has told his story in Terror By Night, a Tyndale House publication written with James Pence, and released in September. Caffey will hold a book signing on Saturday, November 14, between 9 a.m. and noon at Bruce and Human Drug Store.

tells Caffey’s journey from deep depression and thoughts of suicide to having his life restored through faith in God.

About a month after the incident, Caffey visited the burned remains of his home. When he asked God why this had happened and why his life had been spared, he got his answer.

"I stood on the ashes of where I had lived and raised my family, and I looked down and saw the words I had just prayed on a page," Caffey said during a phone interview.

Caffey was looking at the charred and fragile remnants of a scrap of paper. He didn’t know what book the page was out of, but it was the beginning of his renewal.

"Those words practically saved my life," Caffey said.

Three months later, still unaware of the origins of that page, Caffey gave his testimony at a Greenville church. After the service, the pastor of the church told Caffey that he thought he recognized the words on the mystery page.

They went to the pastor’s house and found a copy of Blind Sight. The book was written by James Pence, a friend of his family and his children’s former karate instructor.

"Our daughters were the same age," Caffey explained. "His daughter was at our house all the time."

Caffey went on to explain that Pence had given a copy of the book to his wife Penny. Pence also told him that he had been discouraged when the book was not successful, but in his discouragement, had prayed that if the book was an encouragement to one person, then it would be worth it.

"I was that one person," Caffey said. The pair then teamed up to write Terror By Night.

"There is so much to this story," he said when asked about writing the book. "I get to speak to at conferences and church groups, but I only have 30 or 40 minutes. There is so much more to the story than I can tell in that time.

"I speak to kids about the choices we make," he continued. "These four kids made choices that affected so many lives. I’m trying to take this tragedy and use it to save kids from making bad choices.

"It helps me move on as well."

Caffey said that he visits his daughter every four-to-six weeks in Gatesville where she is serving two life sentences, and added, "I forgave her a long time ago."

Today, Caffey is remarried and the adoptive father of two sons. He lives in Wills Point with his wife Sonja and their sons Blake and Tanner.

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Courtesy Photo

Terry Caffey with his family before his wife Penny, and two sons, Bubba and Tyler were murdered by his daughter Erin’s boyfriend and another accomplice. Caffey recounts the story and the renewal of his life in Terror By Night.