The Texas Killing Fields: Tot Tran Harriman

In this episode, we shine light on the story of Carma Purpura who went missing in 2007 from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Introduction 

It’s important to know this episode deals with issues of substance abuse and we urge all listeners to approach this with compassion. Like many who face drug addiction, Carma was well-loved by her family and friends.

Personal History
Carma faced many life challenges including a drug addiction. While this doesn’t excuse any of her actions, it provides important context for some of her actions. In 1999, Carma, along with her boyfriend at the time, were arrested for improper disposal of a body and auto theft in connection to the death of Gregory Reed. Reed, along with Carma, her bIn this episode, we shine light on the story of Tot Tran Harriman who went missing from her son’s home in League City, Texas on July 12, 2001.

Background

Unlike many missing persons stories, there’s a lot of information available about Tot Tran Harriman, born Tran Thi Tot, because of the oral histories she and her husband, Clinton Harriman, Jr., gave as well as news coverage of her life in the United States. We’d also like to thank the League City Police for providing us with what information they could from her file.

Vietnam
Tot was born in 1944 in Tay Ninh, Vietnam which is located near the Cambodian border. Born into poverty during ongoing conflicts and power struggles from various colonial powers, her early life was marked by political and social unrest. She was only able to complete the second grade and was married to a Vietnamese man who died during the Vietnam War. They had one son together. 

In 1968, she met an American, Clinton Harriman, Jr. who was serving as a merchant marine running ammunition between the United States and Vietnam during the Vietnam War. They eventually married and had a child together in 1970.

In 1975, Clinton Harriman, Jr. realized that the war was coming to an end and shipped out to Vietnam in order to get his wife and children out of the country. What follows is a harrowing tale as Tot, Clinton, and their children try to leave the country. Ultimately, they’re separated and Tot and her son are on the last boat out of Saigon before it fell.

Maine
The family was reunited after Tot and her son spent a summer in a refugee camp in Pennsylvania. They settled in Maine, near her husband’s family, where Tot raised their three children. 

There, she was a powerful force in her community, starting several businesses. She also worked as a translator and assisted countless refugees with community resources and support. 

Texas
In 2001, Tot was widowed and potentially looking for a new place to live after a brief stint in Florida. With two of her grown children located in Texas, she considered looking to settle in Corpus Christie. On July 12, 2001, she left her son’s home in League City. She planned to drive hown Texas Highway 35 and spend the day looking around. She also intended to stay with some friends while there. Her car was seen in her son’s driveway that morning. A phone call to her cell at 8:30 rang before going to voicemail. A call at 10:30am went straight to voicemail.

Later witness reports suggested that people saw her car driving erratically. It was being driven by an unknown male. Tot’s car was distinctive. It was a rose quartz (maroon) Lincoln Continental with a vanity plate that read Totsy. Police were unable to locate Tot, her car, or this potential suspect.

Her file also indicates that police considered the possibility that she was in an accident. They searched her route by ground and air looking for potential accident sites. 

Despite these efforts, and the efforts of her family and private investigators, Tot has never been found.

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People and Cases Mentioned in this Episode:
Tot Tran Harriman (unsolved missing person case)hat he was a victim of two men who kept using his truck cab to commit crimes. He has since been convicted of two of these murders and is awaiting trial in Carma’s case.

Missing Person
Despite authorities finding evidence that Carma was in the truck cab, they were unable to locate her body. The truck driver suggested that he left her body in a car near a Hardee’s in Indianapolis. Police, though, theorized he may have placed her inside a dumpster and that it was unlikely that her body would be found. They were confident they could still move forward with a murder case given the amount of blood and evidence in the case.

Unidentified Woman
In 2011, 4 years after Carma disappeared, the skull of a woman was found alongside a lved murder)
Symantha Winters (solved murder)