Tamara Bates was the girlfriend and accomplice of double mass murderer Jerome Davis. She directed Jerome to commit the murders on her behalf to steal money from the drug ring she wanted to get away from, only to ditch Jerome and keep the money for herself when she was finished.
Background[]
Bates grew up struggling to take care of herself and with a history of abusive boyfriends she later dumped. She grew to be a sociopath and self-preserving over all other priorities, eventually meeting and starting a relationship with Jerome Davis, who grew up bullied from his dyslexia and had a criminal record of his own, yet a naturally submissive position with Bates she took full advantage of. Wanting to get away and live with more substance, she decided to double-cross the drug ring she did work for. She manipulated Jerome into participating in stealing massive reserves of drug money from the cartel, Jerome being recruited to kill all witnesses once the couple made off with the bounties.
Stray[]
While Bates had an alibi of being in custody for shoplifting, Jerome sabotaged a gun purchase during an undercover operation and killed four men in a car before running off into the nearby woods. Jerome made two crucial mistakes: he left behind the route through the woods he used traced in the sand he waited over, and two of the men he killed were undercover cops infiltrating the operations for an arrest.
Bates got released and reconnoitered with Jerome for their next massacre and heist, Jerome having prepared a window lock pick fashioned from metal to unlock a window in a hideout of the cartel where they counted their drugs and cash. Bates reported in and then asked to use the bathroom, then left the lock in the window for Jerome. He broke inside, shot all five members dead in the hideout, and made out with the cash with Bates out the fire escape. Bates had to jump and ended up breaking her ankle, contacting one of her exes working as a paramedic to provide her medical attention.
The couple hid out in a hotel room, ordering pizza for their night in. Bates kept Jerome from lashing out at the delivery man when Jerome thought he knew about his reading problems, Bates interjecting that Jerome "was missing his glasses". After he left, they had sex and ate, then agreed to meet at Times Square, which Jerome drew on a map on the pizza box to remind himself. When detectives found the room, they found the map he left behind, which led them to the meeting place. Both of them were arrested and taken into custody separately, then transferred to sit together shackled to a bench a short distance from each other.
Goren came in and talk about what he knew regarding their crimes and relationship. Goren then mentioned he knew Jerome had dyslexia, which he never knew about since he was never officially diagnosed, but Goren figured it out from his spatial and creative thinking that helped him draw maps and make the lock pick. Goren then tries to have Jerome turn on Bates by revealing phone records showing the phone number of Bates' ex. Jerome is horrified and demands Bates read it, but she states silent. He lashes out and sells her out, blaming everything on her. Bates retorts by saying Jerome "abused" her and "made" her be an accomplice, which Jerome retorted with his petrifying fear of being convicted on the death penalty for his crimes. The two were then booked once they were separated.
Bates pleaded guilty to her participation in the murders to avoid the death penalty. Later, she received a life sentence without parole in exchange for her testimony against Jerome, who was subsequently executed in prison.