Death by Fame on ID revisits the 2005 shooting that claimed teen actress Tara Correa-McMullen’s life. The incident occurred amid gang violence and resulted in the conviction of a gang member, Damien Watts, in early 2009.
The all-new episode titled “A Rising Star Shot Down” will air on the network on Monday, January 22, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET. An official synopsis for the upcoming episode reads, “Tara Correa-McMullen is only 15 when she rises from the tough streets of LA to star alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars; a romance with the wrong person takes her out of the spotlight forever.”
Hindustan Times reported that Damien Watts opened fire at a group of people outside an Inglewood apartment on October 21, 2005. In the incident, Tara Correa-McMullen sustained five gunshot wounds and died later. The following year, authorities charged Watts with Correa-McMullen’s murder and several other counts.
Watts was convicted in January 2009, and the following month, he received two consecutive life sentences without parole. According to the California Department of Corrections, he is currently serving his sentence in the Calipatria State Prison.
What was Damien Watts convicted of?
According to Casetext, a jury convicted Damien Watts of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Judging Amy actress Tara Correa-McMullen and Thomas Sanders. The jury also found him guilty of six counts of attempted murder, one count of shooting at an inhabited dwelling, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Other charges include multiple gang and firearm allegations as well as the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders.
The charges stemmed from three shootings that occurred over two days in October 2005. Today reported that in one incident, Watts fired multiple rounds at a group of people outside an Inglewood apartment complex on October 21. The shooting occurred in the evening hours that day. Tara Correa-McMullen was hit five times. She died nearly three hours later at a hospital. Two other men who were with her were also injured but survived.
Hindustan Times reported that the day before, Watts also fatally shot 31-year-old Thomas Sanders. The victim was reportedly loading laundry into a car when it occurred. In March 2006, Damien Watts first faced charges in Correa-McMullen’s death. He was already in custody at the time. Prosecutors charged him with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. They later charged him with additional counts stemming from Sanders’ murder and other crimes.
Following his conviction in January 2009, Watts received two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. He remains incarcerated in California’s Calipatria State Prison.
ID’s Death by Fame episode on Tara Correa-McMullen’s murder by Damien Watts will premiere on January 22, 2024.
