On the evening of May 22, 1992, Betty Wilson returned home from an AA meeting to find her husband, Dr. Jack Wilson, had been beaten and stabbed to death in what she assumed was a burglary gone wrong. Betty ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911, and police arrived at the Wilson’s house a short time later to secure the scene.
At first, investigators agreed with Betty’s theory that Jack had surprised a burglar and was then killed. The problem, however, was that nothing appeared to have been taken, nor did it appear that the house had been ransacked. A few days later, a tip led detectives to James White, who quickly confessed that he murdered Jack Wilson at the request of Betty and her twin sister, Peggy Lowe, with whom he was in love.
Betty Wilson and her sister, Peggy, were both arrested and went on to be tried for capital murder, while James White accepted a plea deal in exchange for testifying against both women. After a brief trial, a jury found Betty guilty, and she was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Peggy Lowe, on the other hand, was tried for the same crime, but just a few months after her sister’s verdict was read, Peggy was found not guilty. How was it both women could face the same charges, under the same circumstances, and be tried with the same evidence, but receive opposite outcomes?
Thank you to David White, of Bring Me the Axe podcast, for research!
References
Associated Press. 1992. "Friends of accused express disbelief." Montgomery Advertiser, July 13: 13.
—. 1992. "Suspect's former lover quits post." Montgomery Advertiser, June 24: 18.
—. 1992. "Twin sisters suspects in man's murder." Selma Times-Journal, June 7: 7.
Betty Woods Wilson v. State of Alabama. 1995. 690 So. 2d 449 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, May 5).
Carey, Bob. 1998. "The Murder." Old Huntsville: History and Stories of the Tennessee Valley, 1.
Dunnavant, Robert. 1992. "Shelby man says he killed doctor to win twin's love." Birmingham Post-Herald, June 6: 1.
1996. Forensic Files. Produced by Paul Bourdett. Performed by Ed Freeman.
Marshall, Mike. 2006. "Serving time for murdering husband, Betty Wilson remarries in prison." Dothan Eagle, May 3: 3.
Newberry, Paul. 1993. "Surprise testimony in Wilson murder trial." Anniston Star, February 28: 1.
—. 1993. "Wilson defense mocks, picks apart testimony ." Birmingham Post-Herald, February 25: 1.
Reeves, Jay. 1993. "Betty Wilson silent as jury gets her case." Anniston Star, March 2: 2.
—. 1993. "Deliberation starts in case of woman accused of plotting husband's slaying." Montgomery Advertiser, March 3: 1.
Richardson, Sandee. 1993. "Wilson trial begins." Birmingham Post-Herald, February 24: 1.
Schutze, Jim. 2023. By Two and Two: The Scandalous Story of Twin Sisters Accused of a Shocking Crime of Passion. New York, NY: Open Road Media.
Sikora, Frank. 1993. "Mrs. Wilson's disgust toward husband detailed." Birmingham Post-Herald, February 27: 1.
Thornton, Donna. 2022. "Filmmaker contends doctor's wife wrongly convicted." Montgomery Advertiser, August 29: 1.
Wilson, Betty. 1998. "The Betty Wilson story." Old Huntsville: History and Stories of the Tennessee Valley, 1.
Witt, Elaine. 1993. "Mrs. Wilson guilty, gets life in prison." Birmingham Post-Herald, March 4: 1.
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