Remembering Jimmy and Tommy Birman

 

A Typical Suburban Childhood

On Sunday August 4, 1991, Jimmy Birman, age 13, and Tommy Birman, age 11, were looking forward to enjoying the remaining time of their summer vacation. The two boys spent that evening riding their bicycles around their typical suburban neighborhood. Jimmy, a seventh-grader at Bennett Junior High School, and Tommy, a fifth-grader at High Street Elementary School, were described by a neighbor as “real friendly kids.” The two brothers were very close and both played Little League baseball and football for their respective schools.

A Troubled Marriage Leads to Murder

Mrs. Birman was in the process of ending her deteriorating marriage with the boys’ father, Thomas Birman, who worked as a brick mason. That Sunday evening, a neighbor reported that he assumed Mrs. Birman and her husband were fighting because “she took off and he took off right after her. She left in her car and he left in his truck.”

On Monday August 5, 1991, Mrs. Birman went to work, leaving Thomas Birman with their children. When she returned home from her job at around 11:15 A.M., Thomas Birman locked her out of the house and refused to let her in. Concerned for the safety of her sons Mrs. Birman called local police. When officers arrived and asked about the children, Thomas Birman shut the door and locked it. When police asked Birman if the boys were okay, he said no. The officers then forced their way into the house and found Jimmy and Tommy dead in their beds. Both had been shot in the head with a small-caliber hand gun.

A Plea Deal To Avoid A Death Sentence

Thomas Birman was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated murder with a gun specification. He was facing the death penalty for the murder of his two sons. Authorities believed Birman committed the murders in an attempt to get back at his wife for wanting to divorce him. Birman pleaded innocent and innocent by reason of insanity and a psychiatric evaluation was ordered by Judge Robert Lindeman. Birman was found competent to stand trial and a trial date was set for Monday April 13, 1991.

Facing certain conviction and a very likely death sentence, Thomas Birman decided to plead guilty to the murders of his sons with a firearm specification. In exchange for his plea agreement, Birman was spared the death penalty. He was sentenced to consecutive (back-to-back) life sentences, plus three additional years for the firearm specification.

We can find nothing to indicate that Birman expresses any remorse for killing his sons.