The Sunday School Killers
Two Former Sunday School Teachers Conspire to Kill a Man for Nearly a Million Dollars in Life Insurance Money
It happened on November 20, 2001 in an Oklahoma City suburb when Brenda Andrew lured her estranged husband to her home to pick up their two children. Brenda told him that the pilot light of the furnace was out and while he bent to fix it James Pavatt came quietly up behind Rob and shot him in the side with a 16 gauge shotgun. In vain, Rob grabbed at a garbage bag full of empty soda cans trying to protect himself, but Brenda took the gun from Pavatt and blasted her husband in the chest. Afterwards she used a .22 caliber pistol to shoot herself in the arm and told police that she and Rob had been the victims of masked intruders.
So, just what drove these two people to murder?
Brenda Andrew grew up in a small town in Oklahoma in a Christian home. She was a baton twirler who never attended the parties thrown by other kids because she did not smoke or drink. She married her high school sweetheart Robert "Rob" Andrew and became a stay at home mom to their two children and a Sunday school teacher.
As she turned 40, it seemed Brenda was having a mid-life crisis and she began a series of illicit sexual affairs. One of them was with James Pavatt, a member of the same church as the Andrews and a fellow Sunday school teacher. Pavatt, a life insurance agent, socialized with Rob, Brenda and their children, and had recently sold an $800,000 life insurance policy to Rob. Pavatt divorced his wife, Suk Hui, in the summer of 2001. Brenda Andrew filed divorce papers in late September of that same year.
The brake lines on Rob Andrew's car were severed sometime on the night of October 25-26, 2001. The next day Rob was notified of an "emergency" involving his wife. The ploy did not work as Rob had discovered the damage to his vehicle before he was harmed and he notified police.
When Rob Andrew realized his brake lines had been severed he asked Mr. Pavatt about removing Brenda as the beneficiary of his life insurance policy, but was told (falsely) that since Brenda was the owner of the policy, Mr. Andrew had no control over the beneficiary.
The day before Rob Andrew's funeral, James Pavatt, Brenda Andrew and her children went on the run. Tricity and Parker Andrew were drug on a fugitive journey through Mexico. Three months later Pavatt and Andrew were arrested as they tried to cross the border back into the United States.
Little is known about James Pavatt's early life, although it is known that he was in the Air Force and served in Southeast Asia. He was attached to the Military Police. He was married to Suk Hui Pavatt for nine years before divorcing her in 2001. At that time he was working as an agent for Prudential Insurance. Former co-workers characterize him as very cold, and manipulative. One co-worker said there was something about Pavatt that struck him as "off-center". "He always talked about shooting dogs. Every time he saw a dog he would talk about shooting it," the man said. Someone else who knew Pavatt described him as "creepy."
His ex-wife said, "He wasn't the same Jim I knew for nine years. He was the most kind person while we were married. Something was not right with him."
James Pavatt went on trial August 25, 2003. On September 16, 2003 he was found guilty of First Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder. On October 21, 2003 he was sentenced to death.
Brenda Andrew was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Murder and First Degree Murder on September 22, 2004 and sentenced to die.
The former Sunday school teachers now sit on death row in Oklahoma. Brenda Andrew is the only woman on Oklahoma's death row.
Published by Becky Smith
I served as the Senior Editor of a local parenting publication for 2 years and am now the Layout Editor for OKIE magazine, a local arts, news and entertainment publication.Writing was always my dream job. I... View profile
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- Rob Andrew had a life insurance policy worth $800,000.
- James Pavatt often talked about shooting dogs.
- Brenda Andrew had a string of illicit sexual affairs.
31 Comments
Post a CommentWas the grass greener on the other side? Sounds like brenda and james were puppets of evil with the author pulling the strings of adultery,murder and personal gain in the balance. There's a story in the bible,in the book of proverbs,that a man came home but not at the appointed time and saw his wife in bed with another man,so the husband reached for a arrow,and shot the other man in the liver and killed him.It goes on to say,"IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT DISTROYING YOUR SOUL,YOU CAN EVEN LOSE YOUR LIFE TOO.The evidence against these two is overwhelming.Remember,evils ace in the hole for gods people is adultery.WWJD
Just saw the story about this terrible murder on Forensics Files. Execution is the acceptable method for what these two did.
I would like to take it a step further, not just for these two but for all murderers on death row in the U.S. We shouldn't identify who gets executed. Instead, when the guards enter the death row cell block, all those on death row will pee in their pants realizing it could be them that will be put to death in fifteen minutes. I believe this is performed in Japan. Perhaps this will change the mentality of a murderer. Amen!
there is a book out about this case. So far no one has bought it. I have no doubt it was written for profit. so far no profit made. To some of the posters I have a question. If Rob was so wonderful and Brenda so horrible why did he marry her? From the sound of things Brenda made no effort to hide her disdain for her husband. Andrew did not deserve to have this happen to him but no rewards for being just plain stupid either.
crazy bitch!
I worked with Rob in the early to mid 90s. I moved out of state in 1996 and recently returned. I just read about his murder. It shocks me. I feel so sorrowful and outraged at the same time. I've thought of Rob several times over the years...wondering what he was doing. He was a ray of light. I remember his humor, mostly. He was great at his job, too. I remember him fondly talking of his family. What a huge shame. I just can't believe it. My thoughts and prayers go to his loved ones.
I do not know either family. I saw the story on Snapped and because interested in it. I know my words will not fill the pain all of you friends and family have but I am truely sorry that you have had to suffer this loss! From the readings Rob was a very good man. I am so sorry that one day his children will google his name and see this tragedy. Poor babies! I am sorry to all the family and friends who have to remember this horrible event that took a mans life! My prayers are with you to get some sort of comfort and peace. This is a terrible thing! Those children did not even get to say goodbye to their father! That woman Brenda is selfish(and I am being nice) to take those children's father away from them like that! I hope she has no contact with them because if she cares about them I am sure that will eat her up not to have contact with them! Be blessed family and friends of Rob and his children!
Tomorrow night it will have been eight years since Rob was taken from us. At around 6:00 pm tomorrow night my heart and thoughts will be on my friend Rob, I was the last friend Rob spoke to that night. Hebrews 11:1 We miss you very much.
I knew Pavatt in the military for around ten years. He was a total scum bag. He wore his religion on his sleeve but sure didn't live it. He would lie in a heartbeat, was deceitful and not liked by hardly anyone. No one had any respect for him. That he ended up as he did is not suprising at all. He was actually married to someone else prior to his ex from Korea. I do not think he was ever stationed in Southeast Asia. Perhaps he had delusions of being in Southeast Asia, but as far as i know his only overseas assignments were Guam and Korea. There were reports that he told his second wife that he was some sort of CIA/Special Forces type. Thats BS as he did not have the guts for anything remotely similar to those duties. His style was what he did to Rob, AMBUSH; thats Pavatt to a tee, a coward who could never Man Up and face anyone.
I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH BOTH ROB AND BRENDA. THEY WEREN'T HIGH SCHOOL SWEET HEARTS. THEY STARTED DATING IN COLLEGE. ROB WAS ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS AND HE CALLED ME TO ASK MY OPINION OF BRENDA. HE ALSO ASKED SOME OF OUR OTHER FRIENDS. WE ALL RESPONDED "BAD NEWS, STAY AWAY FROM HER." HE MUST HAVE SHARED THIS INFO WITH HER BECAUSE WHEN THEY GOT MARRIED NONE OF US WERE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE WEDDING. -- SHE DIDN'T GET INVITED TO THE HIGH SCHOOL PARTIES BECAUSE SHE WAS CREEPY AND NOONE LIKED HER. - I PRAY THE KIDS GOT ROB'S GENES, HE WAS SUCH A GREAT, CHRISTIAN PERSON. WHAT A LOSS TO THIS WORLD. I STILL MISS HIM SOOO MUCH.
Well they got what worst crime of the year. death is the best punishment they got they derserve die for there crime.