Calhoun County District Attorney Joe Hubbard, who dubbed Hilley the 'Black Widow' for poisoning her husband, said he was shocked she was found so soon and that she apparently had trouble finding shelter during her escape. Small alligator found at Pennsylvania wastewater treatment plant. What Did Purdie Clark Have to Gain From Her Murders? Frank Hilley long suffered from a mysterious illness before passing in May 1975. She spent the first of those three night in the arms of her lover John, before slipping away the next morning. Carroll said that was par for the course in Hilleys made-up life. It was no surprise though. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Carol accompanied Marie to the hospital, where she was sick all afternoon. That woman was pitiful, said Janice Hinds, 50, one of two neighbors who called police and cared for Hilley after spotting her sprawled on the deck of Thomasons home. But Carroll said for all the strange things Hilley did, the motive for her actions was never a doubt. It was over in a minute, or two, or three, I dont know how long, and I came back to myself, though slowly, to the reporter, the objective observer. And with Franks death and the sudden passing of Lucille, the authorities were finally notified. The newlyweds moved back to Marlow, Homans hometown. Four years later and deep in debt, Hilley slipped arsenic to her daughter, Carol. I had the good luck to come across two of them and turn them into books. (function( timeout ) { Marie married Frank Hilley, a quiet, unassuming man, and had two children, Mike in 1953, and Carol in 1960. Just something wasnt right about her, Carol said, recalling how her mother would make up extravagant lies for seemingly no reason. Mike, now living away from home, travelled back to the family home to help his mother and sister care for Frank. Hilley left a note to Homan, who was responsible for her on the furlough, saying she was going to Canada, police said. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Whatever made her happy couldnt be that bad. It wasn't serious enough to impinge upon her gaiety, so she ignored it, concentrating on having a good time. Following Frank's death, filed a claim for $31,140 in life insurance of which she was the sole beneficiary. Perpetrator of one of the most bizarre and convoluted murder cases of all time. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. Threats of harming another They married in 1950 and had two children, Mike and Carol. She was brought unconcious to the Northeast Medical Center, but efforts to revive her failed three hours after she was found. Becoming a full-time writer made a bigger impact than most job changes. Audrey Marie Frazier was born in 1933 in Anniston, Alabama, though later, she would shave years off her birth date. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. She was a woman who eluded police for four years with a guileful use of lies and an ability to blend into the background. Anniston police found Hilley four days after she failed to return to the Tutweiler Prison in Wetumpka from a three-day furlough, her first since being sentenced to life in 1983 for murdering her first husband. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. CLIP 11/17/22. The Hilley family, about 1971, four years before Frank died. Featured image of Marie Frazier and Frank Hilley: Open Road Media. Another identity? A pink elephant goes for an afternoon swim with its mother and herd, and despite its unique color, the herd passionately cares for it. No matter the reason for the sudden transformation from Robbi Homan to Teri Martin, it proved to be Hilleys ultimate downfall. His death was originally believed to have been caused by infectious hepatitis, but in 1979, after the Hilleys daughter, Carol, showed symptoms of arsenic poisoning, his body was exhumed and traces of arsenic were found. Homan and Hilley went back to Central Fastener, where Hilley was introduced as Robbi Hannons sister. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. One of my first jobs in a life of serial careers was as a newspaper reporter in a good-sized city. Hilley was arrested and charged with murder, but she skipped bond and disappeared for four years. Within a few months, Homan and Robbi Hannon were married. Just in case something awful happened to Mike or Carol. what languages does mila kunis speak; does heat rash spread from scratching; ron white plane crash Marie knew this time she couldnt buy her way out of her problems. Method of Disposal: Arsenic Poisoning I was getting closer and closer. They worked together at a local foundry, where Frank was a foreman and . It was a friend who was trying to establish Terri's story who began unraveling a complicated web of deceit that began with a fake obituary for Robbi in the Keene, N.H., newspaper. It got so bad that Oja looked into the details of Robbi Hannons death. They covered her with, a painters dropcloth but left her out in the wind. Marie Witte Case: "My Worst Nightmares Were Coming True". This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Carol Hilley first became ill in April, 1979. Carol's ethnicity is unknown, whose political affiliation is currently a registered Republican; and religious views are listed as unknown. 'There's no question at all, that's who she was. Wife, Mother, Murderer: Directed by Mel Damski. And my curiosity about how someone could live that lifeat once brilliant, cruel, daring, and murderoustook me deeper into a number of lives than any story Id ever worked on. While a fugitive in the early 1980s, law enforcement officials searched the country for the black widow, asking everywhere if anyone heard the name Audrey Marie Hilley. Her looks and charm. Theories abound, but few clues exist, said Calhoun County Sheriff Roy Snead. But with the rain today, the body loses a lot more heat than when you're dry,' she said. Police feared she would disappear and assume a new identity as she had in the past, leaving a longer trail of deceit. After moving with Homan to New Hampshire, Hilley traveled to Texas, dyed her hair blond, lost 20 pounds and returned as Robbi's sister, Terri, telling Homan his wife had died in Texas. Lula Young's Son Remembers the Day His Mother Died, Investigator Analyzes Lula Young Homicide Case. This forced Marie and her mother and daughter to move into Mikes new apartment with him while Maries home was rebuilt. Marie posted bailand naturally made herself scarce. It turned out that there was a lot more to know. Be Nice. Dr. Matt Jones: [sees lead inserted into Carol's fingers] Wait. May 1 (UPI) -- Michigan State Police troopers doing a clean-up at the side of a highway said what initially appeared to be a gruesome discovery turned out to be a realistic-looking severed hand made of rubber. Join Facebook to connect with Carol Hilley and others you may know. Even about just little stuff that didnt matter at all.. 'As far as closed, it more or less closed itself,' Snead said. Homan might have been fooled by his new wifes identity, but her friends and co-workers were a harder sell. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Marie got a job at Dresser Industries and also worked nights for Harold Dillard, the owner of a local construction company. and a hairdryer. And it was the first step into a place Id never gone before. Raymond Goodwins Sister Discusses Her Amazing Brother. Franks wasnt enough.. Carroll said he always believed Hilley was laying the groundwork to run away again and leave behind her New England lifestyle. Invalid password or account does not exist. Friends, co-workers, and even her new husband, John Homan, knew Hilley first as Robbi, and then later as her equally fictitious twin sister, Teri Martin. whatever happened to carol hilley . The repeated jolts of tragedy engaged a fascinating cast of investigators, including one of the first criminal profilersa job title non-existent then, but well-known now from shows like Criminal Minds pursuing a killer terrifying their small-town world. Normally, shes got an elaborate plan and can pull off a smooth escape. After the arrest, that all changed. But as she crawled across the Thomason patio deck nearly two weeks ago, Hilley looked more desperate than deadly. It was so lucky that Maries home had been fixed just in time. May 1 (UPI) -- A German man was awarded an unusual world record when he assembled a Mr. The $31,000 life insurance policy that Marie had fortuitously arranged not long before his death would not last long, not once Marie paid the insurance and other costs associated with her new car. Homan still lives in Anniston and works for a local manufacturing company. By what name was Wife, Mother, Murderer (1991) officially released in Canada in English? 'The preliminary diaganoses is hypothermia and exposure,' Barnes said. If she stuck with that story, its entirely possible no one would have heard from Audrey Marie Hilley ever again. Keep it Clean. Tuesday, May 1, 1973 Read moreThis day in history May 1. After treatment she eventually begins to It was so hard to keep track of all her lies, Carol said. Potato Head blindfolded. Honey, can you hear me? In 1983, Hilley was sentenced to life in prison for killing her husband, Frank Hilley, with arsenic and attempting to do the same to her daughter, Carol. Want more true crime books? or anything. Instead, she tried to approach the situation with a little sense of humor. Hilley was arrested and charged with murder, but she skipped bond and disappeared for four years, until lawmen stumbled onto her in New England. Marie had placed herself, as she so often did in pictures, in the front row, and next to the most popular girl in her class. In closing arguments, Hubbard called Hilley a black widow. The name stuck and is part of the title of a nationwide best seller about the Hilley case. Prosecutor Tells the Story of Patricia McMillion, Special Agent Examines the Details of Kurt Boldridge Case, Deputy Recalls the Scene at Kurt Boldridges Home, The Last Person Kenneth McMillion Saw Was His Ex-Wife, A Sneak Peek at the "Gruesome" Case of Kenneth McMillion, Priscilla Bradford Told Authorities She Had To Kill John Bradford, A First Look at the Murder of Kurt Boldridge. John was a decent guy, but I dont think he was the kind of guy women wanted to spend all winter with, Carroll said. By his count, its the eighth time hell have done a show for the channel. The car was found in Marietta, Ga., but Hilley had fled to Fort Lauderdale, where she assumed the name Robbi Hannon. Hubbard said he has been asked several times if the woman he tried was the the same person he saw dead on an operating room table. Subscribers can sign up to receive our Monday through Friday e-edition at 11:30 a.m. via email. It was cloudy, white-looking stuff, Carol Hilley testified. I remember it was a great story, said Martin Frank, who in 1983 worked for The Sentinel as a crime reporter. In 1987, Hilley was released on a weekend furlough and met with Homan in Anniston. She was an excellent worker, said Ron Oja, vice president of sales and marketing at the Central Fastener Co. Being wealthy was a very important thing for her, Oja said. From the time she was 17 until her mothers arrest when she was 19, Carol said Audrey would come and go from their home in Anniston, hardly ever telling anyone where she was going or why. He could only remember one other time hed felt so sick; when he was 18 years old, hed made plans to leave home for college, and had struggled through the same illness from which he now suffered. On a rain-slickened patio deck, with a railroad grade looming above her, the Black Widow of Alabama ended her final run from justice. May 1 (UPI) -- A dog brought into a West Virginia animal shelter was found to have been missing for 6 years from a Virginia home 470 miles away. Why isn't Netflix keeping them in rotation? His death was originally believed to have been caused by infectious hepatitis, but in 1979, after the Hilleys daughter, Carol . Keene is a town where people live and let live, Oja said. Marie Witte Case Was this Detective's "Most Memorable Case". Use the 'Report' link on In January 1980, two months after her escape, she was indicted for the murder of her foundry-worker husband, Frank, who died in 1975 of what doctors had thought was acute hepatitis. She never ended up going back to prison. Carol Hilley, the daughter of Frank and Marie Hilley, reflects on her father's passing and problems with her mother. The symptoms of arsenic poisoning are subtle, mimic those of other medical conditions and can go undetected unless a patient is tested for heavy- metal poisoning. Don't Threaten. I didnt have to settle for just the facts, the minimum I needed to tell the reader what happened. She was constantly fighting with Carol, who insisted on having her own personality. Both times the pain went away eventually, but there seemed no explanation for it. Heavens, yes, Oja said. And she was just starting. Its sad to me that she died, knowing how her life was, Thomason said. Thomasons husband, Donald, a day laborer, was also at work. In Florida, where she had fled from her hometown, I traced her steps and used credit card receipts to pinpoint the exact moment when she changed her identity for the first time. All the while, Marie maintained her spending habits. Hilley left Marlow in 1982, telling Homan she needed to visit her twin sister in Texas. Ewing Arts Awards | Submit your Nomination! Im talking about standing room only. I dont guess she was no Christian, and you know where people go thats not., BLACK WIDOWS QUEST FOR GOOD LIFE ENDS IN A, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The new OrlandoSentinel.com: FAQs and more, BLACK WIDOWS QUEST FOR GOOD LIFE ENDS IN A LONELY DEATH, Tornadoes in Virginia and Florida, flooding in other states, Few leads, false alarms as search for Texas gunman drags on, Serena Williams reveals second pregnancy at Met Gala, Hundreds gather at Lake Eola to protest immigration bill, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. It shouldnt be surprising that writing a book is different from writing a newspaper story, which Id done a lot of before Poisoned Blood. Hilleys arrest in 1983, Carol said she never bothered to get the truth out of her mother. Hilley was conscious at the scene but had convulsions and lost consciousness while being transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. I wrote about it in The Shadow of Death. 'We do not know where she was. Calhoun County District Attorney Joe Hubbard tried her case and labled her with the deadly moniker 'Black Widow.' Employees were shocked, but Hilley put on a masterful performance, Oja said. She administered Carol's various medicines and cooked for her. But Ive never been involved with a story that bizarre.. She told authorities her true identity and that she was wanted for writing bad checks in Alabama. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism As she had done countless times before, Marie dropped whatever she was doing and stayed by his side. The girl had become a hypochondriac, complaining every day about small tummy aches and such. Dr. Matt Jones: Honey, you did this to yourself? var notice = document.getElementById("cptch_time_limit_notice_36"); Carroll said he was the last person Hilley ever saw. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. She was sentenced to life and entered Tutwiler State Womens prison in Wetumpka.