48 Hours - Dangerous Beauty

Episode Date: June 28, 2015

A beauty queen, a rock musician and a cross-country hunt for a cold-blooded killer. "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant investigates.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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You fell in love with the guitar playing gentle soul. What I thought was, yeah, Jim was intelligent, and he could provoke my thoughts and make me think beyond superficial things. Jim Huden and her were a whirlwind for sure. He was very charismatic, and she was very charismatic, and I think the two of them together were everything she probably wanted at the time. I've known Peggy Sue for 15, 20 years. She was my best friend, my confidant. She was sexy, she was stunning, and was a beauty queen.

Ms. Washington, Peggy Thomas. Everybody's getting crazy Jim led two lives. I only knew of the one he led with me. I fell in love with the wrong man. It's dark, secluded, dead-end road, not a lot of traffic. It's a good spot for a murder. My name is Mark Plumber, the lead investigator in the Russell Douglas homicide investigation. The car was in a dark driveway, door open.

Russell was inside the vehicle. Jim Hewden is the one that met him and was able to put a gun right between his eyes and shoot him once in the head. I could not believe that someone I loved and allowed into my house could kill someone. I'm convinced she is involved. I believe that her and Jim were on this fairy tale roller

coaster romance, and it was all drinking and drugs and alcohol. And I think that they thought that they were going to get something. I have no reason to want anybody dead. I believe she knows a lot more than she has told us. I am telling the truth i have no reason to lie it is all so bizarre it's something that you see in the movies something that some writer

dreamt up somebody's going to jail there's nothing about this other than just a cold-blooded killing somebody's going to jail There's nothing about this other than just a cold-blooded killing. Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see. I'm Peter Van Sant. Tonight on 48 Hours, Dangerous Beauty. Hot shot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty, her specialty? Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals. However, while Nicola held the underworld's darkest secrets, the most dangerous secret was her own. She's going to all the major groups within Melbourne's underworld, and she's informing on them all. I'm Marsha Clark,

host of the new podcast, Informants Lawyer X. In my long career in criminal justice as a prosecutor and defense attorney, I've seen some crazy cases, and this one belongs right at the top of the list. She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop. Now, through dramatic interviews and access, I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informant's Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify and listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. Did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder,

early and ad-free on Wondery Plus and the Wondery app. This is Whidbey Island, where I grew up from birth until I was eight years old. Go get it. The hard memories outweigh the good memories because I'm accused of a crime I didn't commit. of a crime I didn't commit. Though she didn't pull the trigger, investigators are convinced Peggy Sue Thomas helped set the stage for Russell Douglas' murder on the island she knew so well. How does a former beauty queen end up at the heart of a murder case? I don't even know how to answer.

I don't know how I ended up here. But before she was a murder suspect, 48-year-old Peggy Sue Thomas had already lived a full life. Next, we welcome Peggy Thomas. Sure, she's a former beauty queen, but Peggy wasn't born with a pageant sash across her chest. I'm all about proving myself in a man's world. Peggy was a trailblazer. In the Navy, a very different-looking Peggy served as an aircraft mechanic during Operation Desert Storm. Do you see yourself as a patriot?

I'm very patriotic, yes. Do you see yourself as a patriot? I'm very patriotic, yes. Along the way, Peggy married and divorced three times, raising two beautiful daughters, Taylor and Mariah. My kids are my proudest accomplishment. But in the late 90s, with her second marriage on the rocks, Peggy physically transformed herself from this to this. It was amazing.

She started working out, and the weight just fell off. Vicki Boyer was once Peggy's good friend. To me, I was like, you go, girl. And then someone had approached her about maybe being Mrs. Washington. And I was down and a little heartbroken, and she said, do something crazy. So I did. Contestant number two, Peggy Thomas. I ended up winning.

They have chosen as Mrs. Washington International Pageant Physical Fitness Award winner, Peggy Thomas. I'd rather wear jeans and boots and jump on a Harley than be a beauty queen. It's kind of nice to look back when times were more normal. In her home, however, Peggy's pageant memorabilia holds a special place of honor. I think it meant everything to her. Everything she needed came from that pageant. Everything she needed came from that pageant. By 2003, Peggy Sue was living in Las Vegas, where she worked as a glamorous limousine driver to high rollers.

I spoiled my clients, and my tips were often in the thousands for one night. It was probably my all-time favorite job ever. To understand how this beauty queen made yet another transformation to murder suspect, you have to go back to a cold, dark night on Woodby Island in December 2003. Tonight, Island County detectives have a murder mystery on their hands. They're looking for the person or persons responsible for the shooting death of 32-year-old Russell Douglas. We're in front of the driveway where Russell Douglas was discovered about 30 yards in. Right down here. Right. Detective Mark Plumberg of the Island County Sheriff's Department was called to the scene that night. It was a massively traumatic wound. Russell was the estranged husband of Brenna Douglas,

one of Peggy Sue Thomas' good friends. After we had confirmed the identity of the man in the vehicle as being Russell Douglas, we decided to go and speak with the wife, Brenna Douglas. It was after 10 p.m., pitch black, when Plumberg and a colleague came calling. Came out and crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe and said, may I help you? She didn't say, what's happened? Why are you here? It was suspicious behavior, especially after they told Brenna that her husband had been murdered.

Almost no reaction. I would expect at least a slew of questions. Who, what, when, where, why, and how. And did Brenna ask those questions? Not one. And Brenna had even bad-mouthed her dead husband. She mentioned that he had had some affairs. She mentioned that he could be emotionally abusive. She alluded to some physical abuse.

Brenna said their marriage was in trouble. They had separated, but Russ was staying with her and their two children over Christmas. We know from experience that the spouse in a murder is often the perpetrator. Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks. There was no one else that the police could find that had a reason to murder Russ, and Brenna was the prime suspect.

Just weeks into the investigation, cops discovered a possible motive, money. Brenna, who owned a hair salon, was in debt. And with Russell's death, she would receive a six-figure payout. There were at least two life insurance policies. And that money, $400,000, we've heard $500,000, that would have cleaned the decks for Brenna. You would think so, yeah. Brenna was not arrested. Investigators couldn't link her to the shooting. Detective Plumberg then checked Russell's phone records and discovered calls from a Las Vegas number. They came from Peggy Sue Thomas.

She had called Russ several times in the days leading up to his murder. Those phone calls were on the 23rd of December in which we were playing phone tag. Peggy explained to cops she was back on Whidbey Island for the holidays. She was calling Russ to give him a Christmas present for her friend Brenna. She was very open, answered all my questions. Nothing about her reaction made me second-guess anything. For the next seven months, the case consumed

Detective Plumberg. Not one person could tell me a bad thing about Russell Douglas. Certainly not anything that would make me think that's why somebody wanted him dead. But a mysterious caller was about to unlock all the secrets of this murder.

In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reach the age of 10 that would still have urged it. It just happens to all of us. I'm journalist Luke Jones, and for almost two years, I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with.

In the Pitcairn trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha that's living in your fridge? Or why nearly every house in America has at least one game of Monopoly. Introducing The Best Idea Yet, a brand new podcast from Wondery and T-Boy about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk takers who brought them to life.

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A world away from Whidby Island, Washington, it's happy hour in a small town on the west coast of Florida. Someone on this stage is Detective Mark Plumberg's mysterious caller. When the informant called, he told us that he played in a band

called Buck Naked and the Exhibitionists. After googling the band's name, Detective Plumberg zeroed in on this man, the bass player. His name was Bill Hill. Lived in Florida, in a town called Punta Gorda. Hill said a band member, the lead guitarist Jim Huden, had confided in him during a late-night drive to a gig just one month after the murder of Russell Douglas.

He needed to tell me something. Okay, I didn't know if he was going to tell me he was gay or something. Instead, Jim Huden told Bill he'd been abused by his stepfather as a child. Yeah, I could sense that it was something that was really deep. What Huden said next was bizarre, that he wanted to seek revenge for his stepfather's abuse by killing another abuser. He says, so I started looking for somebody that met that M.O. Jim Huden thought he'd found that abuser, Hill said, in Russell Douglas. He says, I shot him. I said, what? He says, yeah, got. I said, what?

He says, yeah, got a gun and shot him in the head. Hill agonized over that secret, waiting six months before he made the call to turn in his good friend, Jim Huden. Jim Huden, what do you know about this guy? We knew nothing. Hill said that Huden began naming his accomplices. The first, his own girlfriend, Peggy Sue Thomas. It was a huge break in the case.

Peggy Thomas, the woman I had spoken to, works in Las Vegas as a limousine driver. And I said, well, so far, I can confirm his story. Let's go from here. Hill then revealed the name of the second accomplice, Brenna Douglas, the victim's wife. Bill Hill felt that the widow had knowledge, though not necessarily any active part. Meanwhile, Plumberg was learning more about the relationship between Jim and Peggy. They'd had a long history together, both growing up on Whidbey Island. Had a childhood crush on him. But in the early 2000s, Peggy had moved on, eventually settling in Las Vegas. Jim and Peggy lived separate lives until June of 2002, when she reconnected with Jim at a funeral on Whidbey Island.

Jim and I spoke, connected on this level of losing someone we both loved. Things got hot and heavy right away. I had really strong feelings for her. strong feelings for her. But there was a little problem. Jim Huden was married and living in Punta Gorda, Florida with his wife, Jean. At the time this was going on, did you have any idea? Not at the beginning. I was so in love with him and so clueless. The man she loved was a successful software developer. Jim had even sold a program to Microsoft. When he sold this to Microsoft, he made several million dollars. Yes, or close to a million, but he did very well for himself. While Jean ran their business, Jim focused more on his band. You're married to a rock star now. Yes, or a wannabe rock star. But Jean says she started to notice a troubling change in her husband after that funeral.

He was just never the same. He started to get very depressed and dark and started drinking heavily and doing drugs. And it just wasn't Jim anymore. But Jim was finding comfort in his long-distance relationship with Peggy. Were you in love with Jim? I was. What'd you love with Jim? I was. What'd you love about him? His mind, believe it or not.

So that's when the double life began. Las Vegas became Jim Huden's home away from home. He'd lied to Jean, telling her he was coming here looking for gigs when he was really meeting Peggy. The beauty queen was now making a good living driving that limo. You're having an affair with a married man? Yeah. Are you a bit of a femme fatale?

No. Are you trouble, Peggy? Far from it, actually. Among the friends who visited Peggy and Jim in Las Vegas, Brenna Douglas, who partied with them just three months before her husband was murdered on Whidbey Island. Did Brenna ever say to you, you know, I wish he was dead? Not, no, not that.

You paused though. Did she say something close to that? At one time, she did say something. He's worth more to me dead than alive. That's a bit ominous. It was Brenna spoke, I guess, to a lot of people about hers and Russ's marriage. As Peggy and Jim's fling progressed, she began flying to Florida. Reading Jim's emails, Jean discovered the affair and confronted him. Jim swore it was all over. Then in April 2003, there was a knock at Jean's front door. I opened the door and there's Peggy on my doorstep. You, the mistress, wants to get together with the wife to confront the husband?

Yeah, because he was lying to both of us. And we were both believing him. What'd he say? Said he loved two women. I told him to make a choice. It's like you need to decide who you want to be with. He said he wanted to be with me. And how did Peggy react? Oh, she was furious. But Peggy's anger didn't last long. The two lovers couldn't stay away from each other. And in December 2003, Jim told his wife he was going to spend the holidays with his family back on Woodby Island. But it was just another chance for a romantic rendezvous with Peggy. I don't think of myself as a stupid person, but when it came to Jim Huden, I was a complete moron. On the morning of December 26th, the day Russell Douglas was murdered,

Peggy and Jim were at a house on Whidbey Island. He said he wanted to go out and get some cigarettes. What time of day was this? Late morning, between 10 and 11. Just around the time investigators believe Russell Douglas was murdered. Tell me about the gym that comes back into the house. What do you see? The gym I always saw. Did he have a handgun with him?

I did not see a gun. No tears, no strange behavior, no sweat coming out of his forehead? Nothing. Nothing I remember, no. And you're telling me the truth, right? I'm absolutely telling you the truth. But Plumberg had an entirely different take. You believe in one way or another Peggy Sue Thomas was involved in this plan to murder Russell Douglas? Absolutely. His theory? Peggy lured Russell to that secluded area on Woodby Island to exchange a gift for Brenna.

It was here that Jim Huden lay in wait with a gun. Did you encourage Jim to murder Russ? Absolutely not. Did you tell him, look, he's a child abuser? No. You did not participate in any way, conspire to kill him? I swear on the love for my children. I swear on my life. By August 4, 2004, Detective Mark Plumberg had traveled to Punta Gorda, Florida,

to confront the man he believed murdered Russell Douglas. I looked him in the face and I said, Mr. Huden, I know you're the man that pulled the trigger and killed Russell Douglas. I know you're the man that pulled the trigger and killed Russell Douglas. Later that afternoon, Jim agreed to be questioned at the local police department, where he denied shooting Russell. I'm a son of a bitch, but I'm no killer. But I'm a son of a bitch. This is quite a frightening experience.

What is it that you're scared of? That you guys are here. At the same time, cops had just raided Peggy Sue Thomas's home in Las Vegas. I had at least three police officers with guns to my head telling me to freeze, freeze, freeze. And they take my car keys and put me in handcuffs, shove me in a dark laundry room. Peggy says her house was ransacked, with police taking computers, photographs, beauty pageant videos, but leaving her Ms. Washington sash behind. They then proceeded to grill her about the death of Russell Douglas.

Detective Wallace said, if you don't start confessing now, we'll make sure that you get the death penalty and your kids are going to watch you die. How did it come that your lover, Jim Hewden, shot Russ Douglas in the head unless you put him up to it? Well, I thought he didn't know him. I don't believe I could have said or did say anything to him to make him go psycho like he did. Investigators had a strong circumstantial case against Peggy and Jim. Remember those insurance policies? I believe there was over $500,000 in insurance premiums.

Jim told Bill Hill how the money would be divided. Peggy was supposed to get a certain amount, and Jim was supposed to get $50,000 for pulling the trigger. Absolutely not true. Money is not that important to me. Did Brenna, Russell Douglas' wife, did she know that her husband was about to be assassinated? According to Jim, the answer would be yes. You know what you've told Bill. He's your best friend in the whole world.

Who you told that you killed this guy on Whidbey Island. That's not true. Detective Plumberg presses Jim to see if he'll now implicate Peggy Sue Thomas or the victim's wife, Brenna Douglas. I think the plot for this didn't come from you. I don't think the scheme for this came from you. Investigators have Jim right where they want him, but he shuts down. You got played, Jim. That's fine. It's attorney time.

With no hard evidence against them, both Jim and Peggy were free to go. At that point, they had nothing to hold him on. They had no warrant, no indictment, so they brought him home. Jim had told his wife everything about the murder, including that Peggy and Brenna were involved. But Gene refused to betray the man she loved. I thought maybe some warped way that this would bring us closer together, you know, if we shared this horrible secret that Brenna and Peggy and he had planned to kill Russell Douglas. Gene says after his interrogation, Jim became frantic.

At that point, he is just tripping out because he knows it's only a matter of time. Also tripping out was Bill Hill, who couldn't believe investigators had told Jim that he was the informant. I felt totally afraid. I slept on the couch with 357 underneath my pillow. In an effort to generate new leads in the case, Island County investigators went to the media. Eight months of investigation have now led officials to two persons of interest. And announced that Jim Huden and Peggy Sue Thomas were their prime suspects. They were hoping a tip might lead them to the gun used to murder Russell Douglas.

I assumed the murder weapon would be at the bottom of Puget Sound. And we would never see it again. But luck was on Plumberg's side when he received an unbelievable tip. We got a phone call from an investigator in New Mexico who said he had talked to someone who thinks they might have the murder weapon in the Russell Douglas homicide. It was this.380 Bursa. A friend of Jim Huden's told police Jim gave it to him at Peggy's house in Vegas.

And I took it immediately to our state laboratory, who was, within hours, able to confirm this fired that shell casing, and it fired the bullet that we pulled from Russell's head. It was almost too good to be true. With this new evidence, Island County investigators flew to Vegas. Could you say your name, please? Peggy Thomas.

Where Peggy agreed to answer their new questions. They showed me a picture of a gun and asked if I'd ever seen it. So prior to February, you never saw Jim in possession of a gun like that? No. And I said, no. He said, well, it's the murder weapon. We've matched it with the ballistics. After the interview, Peggy called Jim to confront him.

And I said, the police told me they have a murder weapon. What's going on? And he said, I did it. I killed Russ. And he said, I'm sorry I got you involved. Just know that I love you and you'll never see me again. And he hung up the phone. Peggy claims she was in shock from Jim's confession. I broke. I broke. I could not believe that someone I loved and allowed into my house could kill someone. I was hysterical that day.

Jean Huden says Jim became unstable, threatening to commit suicide. But she had a better idea. It's like, run, do something, you know, give it a chance. It's not over yet. better idea. It's like run, do something, you know, give a chance. It's not over yet. Jim caught a lucky break when Hurricane Charlie hit the west coast of Florida. The murder suspect was now gone with the wind. August 2004. In the chaos following Hurricane Charlie, Jim Huden blew out of town.

Jim disappeared. He just falls off the face of the earth. He just disappears. While investigators here on Whidbey Island were left scratching their heads, wondering where Jim Hewden had gone, little did they know that he was more than 2,000 miles away here in Veracruz, Mexico. Jim loved this place. He would come and sit here for hours, drink beer,

look at the people go by, listen to the music. Jorge Mabarac was a close friend of Jim Hewden in Veracruz, but he knew him by a different name. Jim Martin. Everybody knew him as Jim Martin. Jorge is a famous jazz pianist in Mexico. Everybody knew him as Jim Martin. Jorge is a famous jazz pianist in Mexico. He often played on stage with Jim. He had emotional insight on people. Everybody liked him. He likes everybody. Never had any problems.

He was a blues player. Definitely was a blues player. Definitely was a blues man. Jorge remembers this concert in Veracruz where Jim was one of the featured performers. Jorge, a CBS News consultant, says this fugitive from justice had a soft side. If you look at the videos of him, he looks really mean on the stage, but he was not. He was a very soft guy, very tender, very understanding,

and there was never any sign of violence or any attitude, an aggressive attitude, never. But Jim wasn't comfortable talking about his past. He told me, there are things about me that I'm not going to tell you. So don't ask. While reporting this story, 48 Hours learned about one of Huden's old hangouts. And we got a tip. He may have left behind

some belonging. These two cabinets. An old friend of Huden's gave us permission to look. This hasn't been opened in more than two years. Let's see what's inside. This one's empty. There's nothing. But we did find something else.

Jim Huden's birth certificate from the state of Washington. This is Jim Huden's Florida driver's license. This is his border crossing paperwork, September 10, 2004. This is when Jim Huden first began his life on the run in Mexico. And it turns out Huden had help getting to Mexico and staying out of sight for more than six years. I got Jim out of the country. I supported him for years. I went to Mexico to see him. Gene Huden admits she lied to investigators about Jim's whereabouts for years.

It was definitely the wrong thing to do. Meanwhile, the other woman in Jim's life, Peggy Sue Thomas, continued to drive limos in Las Vegas. Despite being a murder suspect, she hit the jackpot when she met this man in 2007. First time I met Peggy was through a limo service. They asked, well, do you want a guy or the ex-Mrs. Washington? I said, well, we'll take that ex-Mrs. Washington. Mark Allen is a multimillionaire oil man and thoroughbred horse owner. And this one was the winner of the 2009 Kentucky Derby.

Spectacular upset. Mind that bird has won the Kentucky Derby. An impossible result here. Honestly, did you marry him for his money? I married Mark because I loved him. Deeply. Mark was madly in love with Peggy. Head over heels.

And Peggy was madly in love with his bank account. Head over heels. Vicki Boyer worked with Peggy and Mark on their ranch in New Mexico. He was a good man. And he did everything she asked him to. Vicki had always believed in Peggy's innocence in the murder of Russell. That is, until one night in a bar, a drunken Peggy allegedly joked about taking care of a problem for a friend and mentioned that she could use her gun.

And she looked at me and she said, well, at least this time I'll know to throw it in the water. I went home and I literally just fell apart. I mean, I just, like, I just started shaking. I was crying. Peggy has denied that conversation ever took place. But for Vicki, the episode led to a startling realization. That she did it. That her and Jim did this.

The murder of Russell Douglas. Yes. I mean, I was sure of it. And Vicki wasn't the only person having problems with Peggy. Yeah, it started out good, and the more controlling she got, the less responsive I got. You know, I won't be controlled, not by anybody. After just seven months of marriage, Mark was separated from both Peggy and a sizable chunk of change. You did get $700,000 and a houseboat. Yes, I did.

But I can tell you, if I was the true definition of a gold digger, we had a prenup. And it entitled me to way more than $700,000 and a boat. Meanwhile, back in Florida, Jean Huden's life had fallen apart by 2011. Gene Huden's life had fallen apart by 2011. She had become a drug addict, arrested multiple times on charges ranging from possession to forgery to theft. It got to a point where I couldn't do it anymore. I'm tired of paying for Jim's mistake. Facing serious jail time for multiple felonies, Gene decided to cooperate with investigators. I had to finally tell them where he was. And that's when investigators got the break they needed. Jim Huden was arrested in Veracruz, Mexico and returned to Whidbey Island, nearly

eight years after Russell Douglas was murdered. One month later, authorities came for Peggy Sue Thomas. When the detective came up, he said, you're in some pretty big trouble. And what was that moment like for you? Scary. My life became a tabloid story with headlines about drop-dead gorgeous. I knew I had a battle on my hands. Ms. Washington, Peggy Thomas. From a beauty queen strut...

Peggy Sue Thomas looked away from the cameras as she was led into court this afternoon in shackles. ...to a perp walk at the Island County Courthouse on Whidbey Island, Washington. In the summer of 2011, Peggy Sue Thomas is formally charged with the murder of Russell Douglas. These accusations that I'm involved in this crime have been a lie since the beginning. First up for trial is Peggy's former lover and alleged trigger man Jim Huden. Prosecutor Greg Banks says there may have been several motives for murder. Insurance money or that Huden was out to avenge the abuse he claims he was subjected to as a child.

He had experienced abuse, and so he was going to wipe this slate clean somehow by killing an abuser. Yeah, I think that's what in the warped, alcohol, pickled, drug-altered mind of Jim Hewden was the thing that was making sense to him. Cops say they never found any evidence that Russell Douglas physically abused anyone. At the trial, the star witness against Hewden would be Bill Hill, who says Jim confessed to him about killing Russell Douglas. What was that like to testify? It was a scary situation. I could not look at him the whole time I was on the stand. Bill Hill was really a hero in this case. I probably could have rested the case after Bill testified.

Jim Huden never took the stand, leaving unanswered what the real motive might have been. After an eight-day trial and 20 witnesses, the jury took less than four hours to reach a verdict. Guilty as charged, an Island County fugitive now faces years behind bars. Jim Huden was sentenced to 80 years in prison. bars. Jim Huden was sentenced to 80 years in prison. Six months later, it was Peggy Sue Thomas's turn to face justice, and Banks had a witness who was ready to implicate her, Jim Huden's wife, Jean. Peggy herself told me she was involved in this murder. So, I mean, it doesn't get much clearer than that. Should Jean Huden be believed? No, absolutely not. There are so many problems with Jean Huden's testimony, it actually boggles my mind to know where to begin.

Dynamic defense attorney Craig Platt will represent Peggy. He says Gene Huden is a liability for prosecutors because she changed her story time and time again. It's a roadmap of inconsistencies. When Gene Huden originally talked to detectives back in 2004, she said, and I quote, Jim never told her that Peggy knew. She said, and I quote, Jim never told her that Peggy knew. Now, seven years later, oh, I remember. Peggy's involved. The one that stole my man.

The one that ruined my life. Yeah, she did it. Even Jean admits her memory is a bit shaky. Couldn't it be that what you said to Detective Plumberg, this was the truth? That Jim told you Peggy wasn't involved in this case. Because your story didn't change for years. Yeah. It's possible. It is possible. I just, to be honest, I honestly don't remember saying that. And we know that's not right.

Platt says Gene Huden's changing story demonstrates how desperate the prosecution is to make a case without credible witnesses or evidence. This is about a confederacy of dunces. This is about misinformation being allowed to grow and be perpetuated and used against an innocent woman to try to convict her for a crime she didn't commit. Would you like to get Jean Huden up on the stand with an opportunity to cross-examine her? That would be so much fun. That's almost too much fun for a defense attorney like me, to be honest. That was a big problem for us. I did not want to walk away from Peggy Thomas empty-handed,

and the case really hinged on Jean. State versus Peggy Thomas. Good morning, thank you, Your Honor. Just a week before the trial is about to start, Prosecutor Banks folds his hand and offers Peggy a plea deal. Four years in prison on a reduced charge of rendering criminal assistance. Peggy accepts. So what innocent person accepts a plea deal where you're going to end up in prison for four years? A person that's smart enough to realize that in this tiny little community of people who have been fed and fed and fed a story that isn't true, that I wasn't going to get a fair trial. isn't true, that I wasn't going to get a fair trial.

And remember the first suspect in this case, the victim's wife, Brenna Douglas? Investigators found no evidence that money ever changed hands between Brenna, Jim Huden, and Peggy Sue Thomas. But Prosecutor Banks says Brenna remains on his radar. I mean, she remains a suspect in my mind. To this day? To this day. After she ignored repeated requests to speak with 48 Hours... Hey, Brenna. Peter Van Sant with CBS News.

We finally came face-to-face with Brenna. After all this time, investigators still believe you were involved in the murder of your husband. What do you have to say to that? I have to say that you're harassing me and I already filed a police complaint for you guys following me, so I want you to leave. I have not followed you.

These are questions you should talk about. Peggy says that you once said to her that Russ was worth more to you dead than alive. Brenna, talk to us. I'll ask you two questions and we'll go away. Peggy, with this plea deal, did you get away with murder? Absolutely not. I don't want to minimize Russ's death in any way because I grieve for his family. But I'm also a victim in this. I'm actually giving up four years of my life for something I didn't do.

But for Greg Banks, the real victim in this case has been largely forgotten. You know, this case is about getting justice for Russ Douglas. I mean, what did Russ do? He was trying to do the right thing by his wife, trying to get back together. And for that, he got a bullet in the head. Just a few days before going to prison, Peggy shared some final moments together with her daughters. Oh, see for my girls. I figure there must be a greater plan at the end of all of this for me.

There's something wonderful on the other side of this, and I don't know what the lesson is yet, but there's got to be one. Peggy Sue Thomas cannot be charged with murder, even if additional evidence is uncovered. She is eligible for parole on August 12, 2016. Jim and Jean Hewton are still legally married They have not spoken in years Bill Hill passed away in October 2014 If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app

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