Casefile True Crime - Case 221: Frank & Carol Hilley

Episode Date: September 3, 2022

In May 1975, 45-year-old Frank Hilley began experiencing severe nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps in his home in Anniston, Alabama. He died just over a week later. Soon after, his wife Marie Hilley began to receive threatening phone calls, messages and damage to her property. When her teenage Carol Hilley began to show the same symptoms as her late father, Marie flew into a panic trying to get to the bottom of what was happening. --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn Sign up for Casefile Premium: Apple Premium Spotify Premium Patreon This episode's sponsors: Casefile Truth & Deception – Get the new Casefile board game  Upside – Download the app for free and get $5+ cashback on your first purchase of $10+ with promo code ‘CASEFILE’ Best Fiends – Download Best Fiends for free Notion – Take the first step toward organised, productive work and life today. Get started for free today For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-221-frank-carol-hilley

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local Crisis Centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. Newlyweds Robbie and John Hohman were a perfect match. They lived a happy and modest life in Marlowe, a rural town in the north-east US state of New Hampshire. The climate there suited the Hohmans, as 36-year-old Robbie loved the cold.

When it snowed, she and John would take their snowmobiles out through the woods that surrounded their small home, or curl up by the fire and read books. But their idyllic life was interrupted in early 1982, when Robbie began suffering from migraines, fatigue, blackouts and memory loss. A few years earlier, Robbie had been diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour. Initially the symptoms were mild, but the tumour itself was incurable, and Robbie was aware she would eventually succumb to the disease. As her condition worsened, she sought the opinions of local doctors.

There was a clinic in Dallas, Texas that was offering an experimental treatment that might help her. Robbie was willing to give it a chance. In September 1982, Robbie left her secretarial job to undergo the experimental treatment. John was supportive of his wife's plan, though uncertain when or if she would return. Luckily, Robbie would be in good hands. Her identical twin sister, Terry Martin, was going to care for her. Terry only lived a short distance from the clinic, meaning Robbie could stay with her

while she received treatment in Texas. Months passed and the treatment proved unsuccessful. As Robbie's hopes for survival dwindled, she wrote a letter to her sister stipulating her wishes in the event of her passing. I'm afraid I won't make it home, it read. I want so much to see my John again, and I know you have been torn between my wishes and what you feel is right, but I don't want him to see me like this. I'm trying to hold on until December, but though my mind tells me not to give in, my

body is too tired to listen. Robbie went on to apologize for any hardship Terry had endured in caring for her and expressed gratitude for how wonderful her sister had been. She wrote of her love for Terry as well as John, adding, I hope I will wake up one morning and everything will be better, but this is just in case things go wrong. There is to be no funerals or memorials. I don't want either of you to waste time grieving for me.

Life is too valuable, and it doesn't last that long. Time is a slow healer, but I know that eventually it does heal. Just keep that in mind Terry, everything passes. Just please take care of John. Robbie wrote the date at the top of the page, November 10, 1982. She died the next day. The following day, John home and stood alone at Boston Airport. Terry Martin was now on route from Texas to meet with him as per Robbie's wishes.

Because they lived so far apart, John had never met Terry before, but knew she and Robbie had been close. The twins wrote to each other often and spoke on the phone nearly every day. In the letter Robbie wrote prior to her passing, she expressed her hope that Terry would one day be friends with John. Adding, If it doesn't upset John too much, please stay with him as long as he needs you. He is so kind, and you need a friend like him, and I think he will need you. When John saw Terry for the first time, he was brought to tears.

While Terry had a slimmer build than Robbie and her hair was blonde, the resemblance was still uncanny. At John's invitation, Terry decided to stay with him in the home he had once shared with Robbie. The pair then visited the office of the county newspaper. Terry tearfully handed over a piece of paper to the editorial assistant, explaining that she needed to have an obituary printed. The assistant was surprised.

Usually funeral homes organized the publication of obituaries. Terry explained that her sister hadn't gone to a funeral home. Robbie had requested that her remains be donated for medical research. Robbie Homan's obituary was printed the following day. When employees at the office where Robbie had worked read it, they were shocked. This was the first they had heard that she died. Robbie had given the impression that she would eventually return to work and even left her belongings behind.

A framed photograph of John still sat on her desk. Yet Robbie's boss had seen the toll that her brain tumor took on her in the months before she left for Dallas. Her warm and bubbly personality faded as she was overcome with pain. Her face grew gaunt. Dark rings formed under her eyes and she was sometimes seen crying. When her boss learned of Robbie's passing, he thought it was, quote, a rotten thing, but probably the best for her.

Meanwhile, Terry Martin settled in with her brother-in-law John Homan. For long, she had seemingly taken Robbie's place. When Terry expressed plans to permanently relocate to Marlowe to live with John, his family were confused. But John made it clear that they had a purely platonic friendship founded on their mutual grief over Robbie's death. Terry wasn't like Robbie anyway. John Homan was an introvert with few friends, matching Robbie who was quiet and reserved.

Those who met Terry found her talkative and outgoing. Terry also spent her spare time watching television while Robbie had hated TV and preferred to read. Despite these differences, Terry said she and her twin sister had shared a special bond. They could sense when the other was in emotional or physical pain. She remarked that losing Robbie was like having a part of you die. Like Robbie, Terry was a trained secretary and wanted to find a job so she could contribute to her and John's living costs.

John suggested that she visit the same employment agency that had secured a position for Robbie. Terry agreed, and although she didn't perform as well on the typing and shorthand test as her sister had, she found a job as an executive secretary at a book printer. She soon paid a visit to her sister's former employer. Terry walked into the office with John and introduced herself to the staff. They were stunned, as they had no idea that Robbie's twin was now living in Marlowe. One of Robbie's best friends showed Terry around, pointing out the desk where Robbie had worked.

An employee named Sandra missed Terry as she toured the building, but caught up with her just as she was saying goodbye. Sandra asked her colleagues what was going on. Another woman filled her in, saying, that's Robbie's twin sister, Terry Martin. She wanted to see where Robbie worked. In response, Sandra exclaimed, bullshit, that's Robbie. Rumours ran rough amongst Robbie's former co-workers that Terry was actually Robbie pretending to be her own twin.

Although Terry was slimmer than Robbie had been, there was no denying that she had the same voice. She also had her sister's intelligence and quick wit. Terry's hair was not naturally blonde, but had been bleached, fueling further speculation that she was Robbie in disguise. Others, including Robbie's former boss, found the idea preposterous. He urged his employees to stop gossiping and to let Robbie Homan rest in peace. It wasn't just Robbie's former colleagues who thought Terry was an imposter.

John Homan's friends had also noticed the bizarre similarities between Robbie and Terry. Terry chain-smoked the same uncommon brand of cigarette that her sister had, and their handwriting was similar. Terry, like Robbie, didn't drink alcohol. Both women also had gold caps on the same teeth. One of John's friends broached the sensitive topic with him. John listened respectfully, but dismissed his friends' concerns. He knew his wife better than anyone.

There was no doubt in his mind that Robbie had died, and Terry Martin was her twin sister. Some of Robbie's former colleagues went on a mission to uncover the truth. John reread Robbie's obituary and noticed that listed her full name as Robbie L. Homan. This employee worked in personnel, so she knew that Robbie actually went by her middle name. Her full name was Lindsay Robbie Homan. Other skeptics phoned various hospitals to find the facility that Robbie's body had been donated to.

It was listed in her obituary as the Medical Research Institute in Texas, but no such place existed. Robbie's obituary also mentioned that she had been a member of the Sacred Heart Church in the Texan city of Tyler. But Tyler had no church by that name. The county police were notified of the goings-on and were intrigued. Some detectives started checking births, deaths and marriages records for documentation regarding Robbie's passing in Texas.

He didn't find any. The obituary also mentioned that Robbie and Terry had been born in 1945 to Hugh and Cindy Grayson in Albany, New York. There were no birth records that matched this information. It begged the question, if Robbie Homan and Terry Martin never existed, then who was the woman living with John Homan? Seven years earlier and 1,000 miles away, a man named Frank Hilley fell ill. Frank lived in the town of Aniston in the southeastern state of Alabama where he worked

as a shipping director at a factory. But it started as regular headaches gradually progressed to pain so intense, the 45-year-old was often left in tears. Frank went from being good-natured and happy-go-lucky to quiet and withdrawn. Then on Friday, May 16, 1975, he suffered severe stomach cramps while at work. Believing he was burned out, Frank excused himself and went home to recover. Later that day, Frank developed chills and a fever. His wife Marie called Frank's doctor who recommended he take aspirin and drink fluids.

This did little to help. Frank's symptoms intensified over the weekend, culminating in nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. By Monday, Frank's fever had subsided but he was still suffering abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with stomach flu and prescribed medication to help his digestive system. News of Frank's illness spread through his workplace. Colleagues noted that his condition arose after a new drinking water system was installed at the factory. They worried the supplier had been contaminated with wastewater from the shop floor.

Staff were ordered to bring bottled water from home until tests confirmed it was safe to drink. Meanwhile, a week resting at home did not help Frank Hilly. At 3.30 am on Friday, May 23, Marie woke to find her husband's side of the bed empty. She searched the house and after finding no sign of him, Marie went outside. Frank was in their front yard wearing nothing but his underwear. He appeared confused as he wandered about aimlessly. When Marie called out to Frank, he turned to her and asked, where's the car?

It then became clear to Marie that her husband of 25 years no longer recognized her. She rushed Frank to the hospital. By this time, his skin had turned yellow and he had little energy to move. Frank's delirium also worsened. At one point, he picked up an imaginary pen to write on his bedsheets thinking he was sitting at his office desk. Marie called their 22-year-old son, Mike, who lived in the state. The doctors can't seem to do anything for Frank, Marie told Mike.

If he doesn't get well, he's going to die. Mike arrived at the hospital two days later. He went into Frank's room to find his mother sleeping in a chair and his father still lying in bed. Mike suddenly realized his father had passed away in his sleep. An autopsy revealed that Frank died from kidney failure, believed to have been caused by infectious hepatitis. It was unknown how Frank might have caught the virus.

His funeral was held two days after his death. Years later, Marie Hilly started receiving threats. It began with phone calls to the Hilly home. The caller would immediately hang up when Marie answered. Other times they'd stay on the line but remained silent. Marie spoke of sensing that someone had been in the backyard. Then one day, she arrived home to discover some meat she'd left out to Thor had been moved.

Nothing else appeared missing or out of place. Mike Hilly had to make a three-hour-round trip to Aniston to comfort his mother and his 14-year-old sister Carol. However, the Hillies weren't the only ones targeted. Their neighbor, a woman named Doris Ford, was also receiving nuisance phone calls and thought an intruder had entered her property. Then, just over three months after Frank's death, Doris noticed thick smoke billowing from the Hilly residents.

Marie Hilly's mother had recently moved into the home following a cancer diagnosis and there were concerns she might be trapped in the burning building. Just as firefighters readied themselves to rescue her, Marie and her mother drove up to the house. They had been out running an errand. The fire was extinguished before it inflicted any serious damage. A month later, Marie phoned the police after smelling gas in her house. An officer arrived but was unable to find evidence of a leak.

Next door, the gas at Doris Ford's house had also been meddled with. She'd noticed the switch on her outdoor grill had been turned to the highest setting. Following this incident, Marie Hilly received another phone call. This time, a man breathed heavily into the receiver and said, I hope I have been scaring you before hanging up. For the next few months, Marie and Doris endured more attacks on their homes. Windows were smashed and their screens slashed. One night, Marie came home to find someone had broken in and stolen expensive jewelry

and a handgun. She believed that culprit was an 18-year-old who lived in the street. Police ruled him out. By mid-1977, Frank Hilly had been dead for two years but his family was still being harassed. In the early hours of Friday, July 22, Marie woke to the smell of smoke. A small fire was burning in the downstairs hallway closet. Marie managed to extinguish it before it took hold. Two days later, Doris returned home to find a fire had also started in a hallway closet

of her house. Both Marie and Doris were unsure why they were being targeted. They were friendly with one another but had no other ties. Following the arson attacks, Marie returned home to find an envelope attached to her front door. It contained a note scrawled in tiny block letters that read, �You are going to be sorry if you don�t move.� The letter was taken by the police and Marie took to sleeping with a crowbar under her pillow.

Then in March 1979, Marie received a phone call. An unidentified man told her that Frank, who had now been dead for well over three years, had owed him $10,000 in gambling debts. The man expected to be paid despite Frank's passing. He demanded a $5,000 down payment from Marie to be paid in cash. She was to place it in an envelope then stash it behind cans of dog food in the town�s main supermarket. He gave Marie a date and time for the drop-off and told her if she didn�t pay, he would

come for her daughter, Carol. To Marie, this explained why the Hillies had been harassed and threatened in the years since Frank�s death. On the day of the drop-off, Marie visited the supermarket. She headed down the pet care aisle and hid an envelope full of cash behind some cans of dog food. Then she left. A few people wandered down the aisle and some paused to browse items.

When the aisle was empty, a middle-aged man wearing a suit and tie appeared. After checking the coast was clear, he headed to the dog food and began searching the shelves. He moved some packs of kibble out of the way, put them back, then turned his attention to the tins. He pulled several aside and continued his search. He was unaware that several undercover police officers were watching. Some were acting like regular shoppers, while others kept tabs on the goings-on from unmarked cars outside.

The drop was a sting operation orchestrated by the FBI, with Marie Hillie willingly playing her part. The envelope she had stashed was full of fake money. As the man in the suit was seemingly looking for it, a shopper turned into the aisle and made eye contact with him. Looking awkward, the man thrust his hands into his pants pockets and walked off. As he hadn�t found the envelope and proved himself as the extortionist, officers had no grounds to stop him.

They could only watch on as he left the store. Yet, one recognized the man as a local business owner named Walter Clinton. Police paid him a visit, during which Walter denied looking for any cash at the supermarket. Ultimately, there was nothing to charge him with, so the matter was dropped. The demands of the extortionist targeting the Hillies had not been met. As per his word, Carol Hillie would be his next target. 19-year-old Carol was still living at the family home while studying at a local university. In April, one of her younger friends asked if Carol would be their date to prom.

She accepted the offer. After the dance, Carol attended a party where she drank a few cocktails and smoked some cannabis. Then she began to feel ill. Thinking she had overindulged, Carol returned home and went to bed. The next day she was wracked by waves of nausea and vomiting. That afternoon, Carol was taken to the hospital, but all her tests came back clear. Over the following weeks, Carol was plagued with abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headaches

and fevers. Doctors couldn't pinpoint the problem. Carol was offered a variety of antibiotics and painkillers, none of which helped. The usually outgoing Carol became withdrawn, depressed and hardly left the house. Her weight plummeted while her days were spent sleeping. More hospital and doctor visits followed. It was suggested that Carol's condition was psychosomatic, caused or aggravated by a mental factor such as stress.

One doctor believed she suffered from anorexia and her symptoms were the result of Carol starving herself. At one point, Carol overdosed on paracetamol in an attempt to end her suffering. She was subsequently admitted to a psychiatric facility where she was prescribed sedatives and antidepressants and given vitamin injections. During this day, Carol's hands and feet became numb and she had difficulty walking. It got to the point where she couldn't even feed herself as her extremities were non-functional. Her mother had to spoon feed Carol baby food, which was easier to swallow.

When Carol suffered a fall, Marie decided she'd had enough. It had been five months since Carol's ordeal started and she was only getting worse. Against a doctor's recommendations, Marie removed Carol from the facility and took her to the nearby University of Alabama hospital for a second opinion. Carol was promptly admitted to the neurology ward. On the afternoon of Wednesday, September 19, Marie was reading by Carol's hospital bed as her daughter slept. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Marie answered and stepped into the hall to speak with the visitors. They were police officers acting on a warrant. Marie Hilly was placed under arrest. Despite outwardly looking like a happy couple, tension had brewed between Marie and Frank Hilly in the years before his death. Marie's love of high fashion and her desire to maintain a luxurious home burned through their earnings. She also showered her children with pricey gifts.

Frank was easygoing and went out of his way to give Marie anything she wanted, but the growing financial burden strained their relationship. Frank once told a friend that, Marie can spend more money than anyone. She can spend more than I can make. The couple's friends and family knew Marie lived well beyond her means but were powerless to stop her. She was adept at spinning lies and making excuses to cover her tracks. Following her husband's death, Marie sought other means to satisfy her expensive tastes.

Her arrest followed the discovery that she had written bad checks to a furniture company and obtained $6,500 under false pretenses from a bank. These were just two examples of years worth of fraudulent activity conducted by Marie Hilly. She owed thousands to local businesses and was behind on loan repayments. She'd even gotten her son into debt, using him to co-sign multiple loans that she'd never repaid. When Marie failed to appear at a hearing for a fraud charge, contempt of court was added

to her rap sheet. The extent of Marie's financial woes raised questions about the four-year-long harassment campaign waged against her family. Significant investigations had been conducted to identify the perpetrator, but they went nowhere. A lieutenant later told The Aniston Star newspaper, There was a point in time when Marie would call me almost daily to report something, harassing phone calls, people coming to her home, people stealing trivial things.

After a period of time, things didn't make sense. A trace was placed on the Hilly's phone line. It revealed that one of the nuisance calls Marie received was from a pay phone outside her house. Every other time investigators tried to trace calls to the Hilly home, the calls would suddenly stop. As soon as the tracing device was removed, Marie alerted police that the calls had started up again.

A trace was also placed on the phone line of her neighbour, Doris Ford, as she had also received nuisance calls. One no-talk call made to Doris was found to have originated from the office where Marie worked as a secretary. Investigators came to suspect that Marie had orchestrated her own torment as a means of receiving insurance payouts. She'd tried unsuccessfully to sue the Alabama gas company for $75,000 following claims of a leak and received money after the fires that damaged her home.

In November 1977, Carol's car was stolen from a shopping mall car park. It was found two hours later on fire. Marie collected an insurance claim that she had taken out on the vehicle shortly before it had been allegedly stolen. Then there was the time Marie claimed her harasser was a man chasing a debt left by her late husband. While Marie blamed Frank's gambling addiction for her finance problems, there was zero evidence that he'd had a problem at all.

Marie's children believed Marie was the problematic gambler. She'd returned late at night with hundreds of extra dollars that she said was payment for late-night secretarial work. But her claims of extortion gained credence when local businessman Walter Clinton tried to collect a money drop that Marie left in a supermarket. When quizzed about his suspicious behavior, Walter revealed that he'd been following a tip-off he had received the night before. Walter was engaged in a lawsuit against a former client and a woman called him to say

she had documents that would help his case. She told him that she would leave them behind the tins of dog food at the supermarket. When he couldn't find them, he left the store. Walter didn't recognize the voice of the woman who rang him as she had spoken in whispers. Marie Hilly knew about Walter Clinton's court case as she had previously been his secretary. She also knew Walter on a more intimate level. She'd been having an affair with him when Frank was alive. The day Frank had abdominal pain and came home early from work, he found Walter and

Marie in bed together. By that time, he was too sick to address the matter. Officers believed it was likely Marie Hilly had called Walter Clinton, embroiling her former employer and lover in a phony extortion bid she'd orchestrated to bolster her claims. In a similar vein, she was deemed responsible for the harassment of her neighbor Doris Ford. She likely hoped a second unrelated victim would make her own story seem more plausible. Despite receiving large insurance payouts, Marie denied any involvement in the criminal acts.

Following her mother's arrest for fraud, Carol Hilly was preparing for bed in her room at the University of Alabama Hospital when a doctor suddenly stopped by. Carol was surprised to see him so late at night and even more so when he asked to examine her hands. Running horizontally across each of Carol's fingernails were white lines. Known as Aldrich Mies lines, they confirmed one thing. Carol's illness was the result of metal poisoning. The doctor had spoken with the physicians who'd treated Carol at the psychiatric facility prior to her arrival at the hospital.

He'd learnt that Marie Hilly had made the snap decision to remove Carol from their care because there were discussions about Carol having metal poisoning. Everyone is exposed to the naturally occurring chemical element arsenic through a normal diet. However, high enough amounts can be fatal. Hair is one biomarker for arsenic exposure, and when samples of Carol Hilly's hair were tested, it was found she had more than 100 times the normal amount of arsenic in her body. Marie Hilly was seen giving Carol injections throughout her daughter's month's long illness. Marie said that she had received permission from Carol's doctor to do so, and that the

medicine would help with her nausea. She explained that she had sourced the medicine from their neighbour, Doris Ford, who was a registered nurse. The needle's contents were cloudy and white. On one occasion, Marie administered Carol's medicine orally. The liquid was bubbly and it burned as Carol swallowed it. Marie made her daughter swear not to tell the staff about the medicine, saying that Doris would lose her job if she did. The revelation that Marie had likely been poisoning her daughter confirmed suspicions held by many of their friends and family. It wasn't an outrageous scenario to

contemplate. Carol had a tempestuous relationship with her mother. The pair fought often, mostly about Carol smoking cannabis and being a lesbian, which Marie disapproved of. The previous year, Marie had taken out a $25,000 life insurance policy on Carol. She was the sole beneficiary. Talk of poisoned injections got Mike Hilly thinking about his father. In hindsight, the symptoms Frank Hilly had suffered were the same as arsenic poisoning. During the peak of Frank's illness, he was witness to rubbing a swollen red pimp prick in his upper arm. He said that Marie was giving him shots on doctor's orders and she

had just administered one as practice. Frank died the next day. This didn't entirely explain his illness as he'd been unwell for some time and it appeared he'd injected him once. However, because liquid arsenic is clear and odorless, it was possible that she'd slipped it into his food or drink undetected. With this in mind, Mike Hilly wrote to the coroner hoping to establish the truth. On Wednesday, October 3, a crowd of spectators gathered at the Forest Lawn Garden Cemetery on the east side of town. They watched on as police guided an excavator that was removing dirt from Frank Hilly's grave. Frank's corpse bore hardly any signs of decomposition

despite being buried for four years. Arsenic also preserves body tissues. A search of the hotel room where Marie Hilly had been staying during her daughter's hospitalisation uncovered a small bottle of clear odorless liquid inside a cosmetics case. It tested positive for arsenic. An empty brown medicine vial found inside Marie's purse after her arrest had previously contained arsenic. Arsenic was also the active ingredient in a bottle of ratten mouse poison stored amongst tins of baby food in Marie's home. Marie Hilly was charged with the attempted murder of Carol Hilly, which she steadfastly denied. The news sent shockwaves through the small community of Aniston.

A family friend told reporters, Marie Hilly was initially held on a $14,000 bond. Her lawyer, a man named Wilford Lane, successfully petitioned five locals to come up with the money, and Marie was subsequently freed. With the help of Wilford, she used a fake name to book into her home. She was charged with the murder of Carol Hilly, who had been charged with the murder of Carol Hilly with the help of Wilford. She used a fake name to book into a hotel where she was to lie low until her day in court. Six days later, Wilford arrived at Marie's hotel room to discuss her upcoming trial. But when he knocked on the door, there was no answer. The door was unlocked,

so Wilford let himself in. Marie's belongings were inside, but she was nowhere to be found. A note had been left on a table. It read, Wilford Lane, you led me straight to her. You will hear from me. Wilford Lane handed the note to police. Around the same time, a friend of Marie's arrived home from an outing to discover that someone had broken in. They had taken some of her clothes, cash, social security card, and car. There was also a note that bore the same handwriting as the one left in Marie's hotel room. This one read, Do not call the police. We will burn you out if you do.

We found what we wanted and we won't bother you again. Based on the evidence, police were convinced that Marie had staged her own kidnapping and fled. The incident became a major news story with the local district attorney revealing that he'd been opposed to Marie being given bail in the first place. Quote, We felt that she would not honor the bond, that she would fly the coup, and if she doesn't show up and honor the bond, we will order her arrest. We feel sure she'll be found. The car Marie stole was eventually found abandoned in the neighboring state of Georgia, 120 miles east of where it had been taken in Aniston. Despite an extensive search there,

Marie was not located. Marie Hillie was due to appear in court on Monday, December 3, 1979, but was a no show. A further charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was added. By now, the examination of Frank Hillie's remains had concluded. They'd revealed that he had ingested small amounts of arsenic over a long period of time, with one massive dose given near the end of his life. As a result, Marie Hillie was indicted for the first degree murder of her husband. Yet, six months passed with no leads on her whereabouts. A $5,000 reward for information failed to generate any worthwhile leads. One evening in late 1980, Mike Hillie and his wife were in bed when they awoke to the sound

of their baby crying. As detailed in the book Poisoned Blood by author Philip Ginsburg, Mike went to check on his infant son. When Mike entered the nursery, his eyes were drawn to a window that opened out to the front porch. Outside and partially illuminated by light emanating from the house was a person. As Mike rushed to call the police, the person fled. Their movements triggered a spotlight in a neighbour's front yard, prompting the homeowner to investigate what was going on. The person sprinted past them and climbed into a waiting car with two men inside, which promptly took off. The neighbour identified the intruder as Marie Hillie. She had managed to travel 400 miles north from Aniston to her son's house in the state of Tennessee,

where she went from there was a mystery as police couldn't pick up her trail. Mike lived in fear from then on, believing his mother would return to take his child. Two months later at Christmas, flowers were found on the gravestones of Marie's mother and father in Aniston. No one knew where they had come from, leading some to believe Marie placed them there. If so, it was a bold move for her to be back in town right under the noses of the police who were hunting her. Yet, she still managed to elude them. Carol Hillie fully recovered from being poisoned and was able to resume her university studies. She was left with thousands of dollars in hospital bills because her mother had fled

before paying them. But Carol stood by Marie, telling a journalist for the Aniston Star newspaper, I'm not going to believe it until it's proven. I love her because she's my mum. If she did it, she didn't realise what she was doing. My mother is not a bad person or anything, she's just had a lot on her since my dad died. It's just all been so weird. Carol hoped Marie would contact her, adding, If she called me and asked would I come meet her, I'd go. I think that's what you call being an accessory to a crime, but I'd take that risk. Carol was certain that her mother would never

be found, quote. My mother has done it. She's outsmarted them. One of Marie's friends wasn't as convinced. While Marie's charisma and charm would help her blend in anywhere, her friend stated, I think one of these years they'll find her, she'll make a mistake. It's just a matter of time. Police were convinced that Marie had since changed her name and altered her appearance with one officer conceding. If you take a new identity, you'll find that Marie if you take a new identity, don't contact people you knew and don't violate any aspects of the law. It's hard to get caught. One FBI agent told the Aniston Star that he believed he knew everything about Marie Hilly necessary to apprehend her. Problem was, they were likely

chasing a new identity that they didn't know a thing about. The Behavioral Sciences Unit profiled Marie as someone who will likely be in a man's company with a respectable job. She will be in secretarial work. She'll be living the good life. She will be in a beauty shop at least twice a week. She is always dressed nice and her appearance pleasant. She can be kind, laughing, considerate, and then brutal and hateful. John Holman was besotted by Robbie Hannan from the moment he met her at a Florida bar in February 1980. She was a glamorous woman in her 30s with manicured nails, flawless makeup, and high-end clothes. A whirlwind romance was followed by a wedding before Robbie and John settled into a

cozy life together in the small town of Marlowe, New Hampshire. John was completely unaware that the woman he had fallen for was actually 49-year-old Marie Hilly. Townsfolk were also oblivious that Robbie Holman was actually one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives. In early 1982, Marie Hilly decided it was time to kill off her Robbie Holman persona. She concocted a story about having a brain tumor and needing experimental treatment in Texas. When asked who would care for her, Marie spoke of her identical twin, Terry Martin, who lived near the clinic. The truth was, Terry Martin didn't exist. This didn't stop Marie, as Robbie, pretending to talk to Terry on the phone and writing up a bogus letters. Everyone, including her husband, were

fully convinced by the ruse. In late September 1982, Marie Hilly left Marlowe. Instead of going to Texas, she traveled to Pompano Beach in Florida. She went straight to a beauty salon to have her hair bleached platinum blonde. Over the next six weeks, she also lost 20 pounds. Transformation complete, Marie began the next phase of her elaborate con. She penned an emotional farewell letter on behalf of Robbie. In it, she expressed wishes that would deter questions, such as refusing a funeral and having Robbie's remains immediately donated to science. She then called a John Holman posing as Terry Martin and revealed that Robbie had died. Marie, now as Terry,

flew to meet with John and managed to fool him into believing she was a different person to the one he had recently married. Marie thought she'd fooled everyone in Marlowe again. She wasn't expecting her former co-workers to pick up on the deception. On Wednesday, January 12, 1983, Marie Hilly arrived at the book printer where she'd found work as Terry Martin nearly two months prior. As she sat behind her desk, she busied herself with a stack of papers. Soon, two men entered the building. They suddenly watched Marie from afar, then left, having failed to raise her suspicion. At 4.30pm, as Marie left the building at the end of her shift, she was approached by the same two men. One held out some identification.

He was an FBI agent, as was his partner. We have reason to believe you're not who you claim to be, one of the agents said. Upon hearing those words, Marie replied in a defeated voice. Yes. She was taken into custody and led to an interrogation room where she waved her right to an attorney. A detective asked her to give her real name. After a brief pause, she revealed, my name is Marie Hilly. It's a relief to stop running, she admitted. I'm tired, it's been so confusing. Marie made a full admission about her elaborate triple life, detailing her process of becoming

Robbie Homan and Terry Martin. She couldn't explain why she had decided to kill off her Robbie persona, except to say that she didn't want to involve her husband, John Homan, in her deception. Authority speculated that Terry was invented to create even more distance from Marie's criminal past. When asked why she had instigated the whole charade, Marie replied, I don't know. I kept trying to decide whether to keep running or to give myself up. Marie was extradited back to Aniston, where she pleaded not guilty to the murder of her husband Frank Hilly and attempted murder of her daughter Carol Hilly. This time, bail was set at more than $300,000, ensuring Marie remained in custody until her

trial began in May 1983. The prosecution portrayed Marie as someone cold and callous, who thought so little of her husband and daughter that she was willing to kill and make a profit from them. They filled two blackboards detailing the number of insurance policies Marie had in place and the various payouts she'd received. Frank Hilly's death granted Marie the biggest windfall of $42,000. A woman who shared a jail cell with Marie prior to trial testified that Marie said she had poisoned Carol because she was a lesbian and Frank was always defending her. The inmate asked how she did it, and Marie replied, I put a little arsenic at a time in their food.

The defense tried to depict Marie as a loving mother who went above and beyond for her family. In doing so, they painted Frank and Carol in a negative light, with the latter described as unruly and rebellious. When Carol testified, she confidently and politely deflected these accusations. By this stage, Carol's opinion of her mother had changed. While Carol said she still loved Marie, she now considered her a dangerous woman. Marie just smiled as her daughter recounted all the instances of poisoning that she had endured. In her testimony, Marie admitted to injecting Carol with medicine, but maintained it was under

doctor's orders. But there were no records from any of Carol's doctors to prove this. On day seven of the trial, as the jury left the court to deliberate, Marie Hilly stood. She turned and looked directly at Carol, who began sobbing. Marie smiled and mouthed the words, I love you. Within three hours, the jury returned with their verdict. Marie Hilly was found guilty. She frowned when the verdict was read and muttered, I still maintain my innocence. Marie was sentenced to life in prison for Frank Hilly's murder, with an additional 20 years for the attempted murder of Carol Hilly. While pleased with the outcome for what he called

the most vicious woman he had ever dealt with, the assistant district attorney admitted. This is the type of case that could be investigated for the next three years full time, and you would still not know the full story behind Marie Hilly. Many have speculated that Marie Hilly's victims extended beyond her husband and daughter. Marie's mother passed away from cancer while living with her in January 1977. Marie had been tasked with giving her mother morphine injections in the days before she died. Her mother was exhumed in October 1979 for arsenic testing, as was Marie's mother-in-law, who had also died from cancer. Non-lethal levels of arsenic were found in both women,

however, long-term arsenic exposure can cause cancer. Mike Hilly also suspected he had been targeted. Both he and his wife suffered bouts of extreme nausea and vomiting whenever they stayed with Marie. She had even served them with a special tomato soup that supposedly combated nausea, but only made things worse. Mike's wife was so ill at one point that she miscarried. On another occasion, Mike was planning to take Marie to the bank to sort out her finances. She was reluctant to go. Ten minutes after eating the breakfast his mother prepared,

Mike became so violently ill that he had to cancel the trip. But that wasn't all. As detailed in the book Black Widow by author Robin McDonald, one police officer who responded to Marie's harassment calls later noted, Marie Hilly always had something fixed for me to eat and drink. I drank so much coffee, ate so much cake, had so much chicken at her house over the years. It seemed like I was sick a lot with gastrointestinal problems and vomiting. Neighbourhood children who visited the Hilly home to play with Carol and Mike

also complained of stomach pain. One FBI agent who had investigated Marie's disappearance said, There was a family who lived next to Marie Hilly for years. The children were sick all the time, but the doctors could never find out why. The family eventually moves away and the kids get well in no time at all. Marie's various attempts to appeal her conviction failed. In prison she was a model inmate. She even managed to convince some guards that she was innocent. Marie was given a minimum security status which meant she could leave prison with other inmates on a day pass. In an application to the warden requesting longer leave, Marie wrote,

I have never learned to live with lies. I have no desire to make my life more difficult than it already is and running for the rest of my life is not exactly my idea of living. Marie's request was granted. She was permitted three days leave for a long weekend from Friday, February 20, 1987. That day, John Homan picked her up. Even though John had been caught in Marie's web of deceit, he remained her staunch defender. When speaking of his thought process upon learning the truth about his wife Robbie, Terry and Marie, John said, It's very difficult to describe the feelings I had. I believed I had just lost my wife. I felt she was two different people. Their actions were

different. There was nothing to tie the two together. After Marie was incarcerated, John moved so he could visit her in prison as much as possible. John Homan, quote, Our relationship worked out to be one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It's been the happiest years of my life. John was convinced Marie was innocent and sad. I don't believe that woman has a mean bone in her body. She's been nothing but a warm and wonderful woman. For their brief weekend getaway, John and Marie drove to their old town of Aniston, where they planned to stay in a hotel. At 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, Marie left their hotel room, telling John she wanted to visit her mother's grave. She said she would meet him at a nearby

restaurant an hour later. John ordered breakfast at the restaurant at 10 a.m. But as the minutes ticked by, Marie didn't appear. John then headed back to their hotel room. Marie wasn't there either, but there was a note under his pillow. It read, Dear John, I hope you will be able to forgive me. I'm getting ready to leave. It will be the best for everybody. We'll be together again. Please give me an hour to get out of town. Destroy this note. The rest of the letter explained that Marie was meeting a man who would drive her to Atlanta, where she would board a plane to Canada. John handed the letter to the authorities who immediately commenced a search. Marie's escape outraged them and Aniston's residents alike. Many questioned

how a woman with a history of absconding was permitted a three-day pass with no supervision. The assistant district attorney who prosecuted Marie Hillie's case said, this is not just insane, it's gross negligence. The system came under further scrutiny when it was revealed that Marie talked to fellow inmates about escaping and was named as an escape risk in internal correspondence. This led to an investigation by the Alabama Commissioner of Prisons which implemented stricter criteria for inmates receiving furlough. Upon learning of his mother's escape, Mike Hillie told the press, I don't think they'll ever hear from her again. She's a very clever person and she can become

just about anything she wants to become, changing her looks and blending into the environment. Five days after Marie fled, an Aniston woman named Sue Craft was driving along Old Gadston Highway just outside of town. Sue was preparing to turn onto Post Oak Road, a winding woodlined stretch that led to her house when something caught her eye. She couldn't quite make out what it was on account of the drizzling rain, but it appeared as though there was a woman on the back porch of a nearby house. She was on her knees and reaching for a door handle. Sue drove home, phoned the police to report what she had witnessed, then headed back to the house

to confront the woman. She found her slumped over by the front door. The woman explained in a slurring voice that she was not breaking in but looking for help. Her car had broken down further along the road. She had half walked, half crawled through the forest in the freezing cold and pouring rain until she found a house. The woman's skin was blotchy and purple. Sue covered her with a sheet of plastic for warmth while they waited for police and paramedics. The responding officer immediately recognized the woman as Marie Hilley. Soon after the ambulance arrived, Marie suffered a seizure and lost consciousness. She went into cardiac arrest as she was loaded into the ambulance.

Marie was treated for hypothermia and placed on life support. A few hours later, she passed away. A coroner later determined that Marie had walked and crawled about 15 miles for 24 to 36 hours before she was found. She was only wearing light clothing and conditions were cold enough to kill someone in as little as 8 hours. It was assumed she had traveled along the old train lines that led out of downtown Aniston as she was found nearby. But a search along these tracks revealed no clues as to where she had been prior to her death. No broken down car was ever found. The area Marie ended up in was less than a mile from where she was born. The district attorney was perplexed that Marie Hilley seemingly had no escape plan, saying,

this goes against everything she's done in the past. The biggest escape artist in this area in 10 years and what does she do? She ended up crawling in the woods. Marie Hilley was late to rest alongside her first husband, Frank Hilley. Her children, Mike and Carol attended the service, as did Marie's second husband, John Homan. Mike petitioned the state of Alabama to cover Marie's funeral costs, arguing she shouldn't have been allowed out and therefore the state was responsible for her death. The request made local papers and prompted Carol to write to the Aniston star in defense of her brother. An excerpt read, Our whole family has suffered more than I care to think about anymore. What I want to know is why we were left out of

our right to state our opinion of a three-day unsupervised release of someone who tried to kill me and destroyed my family. I don't expect the state of Alabama has any answers for us, which makes me sicker and more angry than Marie Hilley ever did. Mike's claim was rejected by state officials. John Homan was cleared of having anything to do with Marie's final escape. He mourned his wife, telling the Aniston star seven months after her death. I think the two of us were destined for each other. There's so little happiness in the world, and we were both so happy. John died two and a half years later.

Many still wonder why he chose to stand by a woman who deceived and used him. The judge who presided over Marie's case said, I always felt that John Homan was as much of a victim as Frank Hilley. Marie used him. He was gullible. He fell for it. Many books and documentaries have been made about Marie Hilley. The assistant district attorney once said, She's like a black widow spider. They tell me that the black widow spider mates, and then it kills its mate, and there's no reason for it. That's what she reminds me of.

The black widow has since become Marie's moniker. In her farewell letter as Robbie Homan, Marie Hilley had written, One last thing. I'm not afraid to die. I've tried to live my life without hurting anyone. Maybe I haven't always succeeded, but I have tried, so don't feel that God will judge me too harshly. Don't ever live in the past. It will destroy you.