Transcripts For WRC Dateline NBC 20150222

Blow everyone away. Your suspect is quite literally in the wind. Is gone. Love, according to the song writers, is a many splinderred thing. Financial empires have been built on our annual hearts and flowers. But this story is about the people caught in the powerful grip of loves darker side, obsession. Everybodys crazy it involved talented and beautiful people. Miss washington. Smart people, whose obsessions made them do stupid things. Passionate people caught in an emotional whirl wind. And finally, innocent people, who paid the price when those passions ran amok. It all began, of course, on the dark and stormy night. They now expect what they are calling a worst case scenario. It was august 2004, friday 13th, hour hurricane charley was hammering the gulf coast, particularly punta gorda. Our message is urgency and safety. Get inside and hunker down. That night, jean hutton said her life was quite literally in shambles. I stayed and rode the hurricane out by myself at the house and watched my house come apart around my ears. 60 miles to the south, jeans husband, jim, was hold up in a hotel. Hiding not from the storm but from his past past. He was scared. So he figured he would get while the getting was good. As soon as the worst of the storm had blown over, jean says she joined her panicked husband. They ordered pizza and turned tont v. The losses are substantial. But jean couldnt concentrate on the hurricane news. The personal storm wrecking her marriage and ruining her life took precedence. It was a big tension fest. We talked, you know, asked a lot of questions, you know. Why and what were you thinking and what are you going to do now. It was a messy situation. The trail, deception, desertion. The usual men youve dysfunction that all too often falls under the category of another woman. But there is more to it than that, much more. A Homicide Investigation was at stake. One that just days earlier had led detective mark plumburg from Whidbey Island, washington, all the way it punta gorda, florida. He was hot on the trail of a potential suspect. And then came the hurricane. I didnt think he was going to stick around for us to come back. So the hurricane comes and goes. And your suspect is quite literally in the wind. Hes got. For detective plumburg, the twisted trail that led him from Whidbey Island, washington, to south florida, begins six months earlier. Just after christmas 2003. A geo tracker, small suv, had been spotted in a secluded drive way in a remote section of Whidbey Island. Passenger door open, dome light on. First thought was possibly a side. But on initial investigation, they couldnt find a weapon. Standing in the damp december cold, with detective took stock. A body inside appeared to have been dead for 24 hours. Id found in the glove box indicated the dead man was named Russell Douglas. A ragged hole between his eyes had frozen his age at 32. It was a robbery, a whole lot of stuff left behind in the car that didnt make sense. Just inside the drivers side door, an empty. 380caliber shell casing lay on the floor. Detectives thought it was a curious place for a homicide. Near the end of a dead end road, parked into bushes as though he meant to be there, with his car in gear, emergency brake on and casually dressed in flipflops. Sounds like he was there to meet someone. Thats the only thing that made sense to us. But who . Authorities thought that maybe tion. But when he told her the father of her two children was dead, he got a strange feeling. I never react whatto what people do when i tell them something. But she wasnt shocked. It was a bit matter of fact. That did at least leave us wondering when we did walk out of house, yes. So brena douglas, as wives of murdered men often do, became a person of interest. The domestic situation seemed unsettled. They were separated. Russell was living in an apartment in renton. According to brena, they were trying to work it poupt talking about getting back together. In fact the new widow told the detective that her husband spent the holidays with her and the kids. She said the last time she saw him was the morning of he left the house somewhere mid morning and she thought he was going to run some errands. Brena douglas have an alibi . She didnt need an alibi at the time we went to talk to her it was basically a death notification. She was able to answer our questions for us. Who didnt like Russell Douglas . Nobody could think of somebody who really truly didnt like him. As winter turned to spring, the detectives investigation seemed to be going nowhere. But a routine check of the numbers in Russell Douglass cell phone had yielded a tiny clue. There were a few phone calls to a number with a Las Vegas Area code. And we made a phone call to that number. There was no answer. It went to an answering machine. It was the cell phone voice mail or the persons voice . A cell phone voice mail for a woman named peggy. Peggy. Thats a name youll hear again. The detective made a mental note to have that number traced but within minutes of hanging up, his phone rang. And there was a female who said she had just gotten a phone call from that number. And she identified herself as peggy thomas. Explained that she was a friend of brena and Russell Douglas. Peggy thomas told the detectives she had been visiting friend over the holidays and explained that she had simply contacted russell in order to pass along a present for brena. She answered all of my questions to my satisfaction. There was nothing about that phone call that made me include her in the suspect list. But then again, the detectives suspect list was essentially a blank page. There were no names ton from florida. Or nevada. Or new mexico. Or any of the other places this investigation would eventually lead them. At least not yet. The investigation begins close to home. With the dead mans on again off again wife. You dont want to believe the mother of your grand kids would ever be a suspect. But a wife, as a potential person of interest, is just the beginning in this Cross Country tale of love gone wrong. Rs quit the Ford Motor Company and set out on their own. They believed in more, than the assembly line. They believed driving was a holy endeavor. A hundred years later, the Dodge Brothers spirit lives on. I discovered a convenient way to moisturize every day. New nivea inshower body lotion. First i wash. Then i apply it to my wet skin. It moisturizes instantly. And lasts for more than 24 hours. Then i quickly rinse off. My skin feels amazingly smooth with no sticky feel. So, i get dressed. And go. Now i enjoy smooth skin every day. New nivea inshower body lotion in the body lotion aisle. 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This season use lysol to kill 99. 9 of germs and help keep your family healthy. 3 f2 as a nurse, aaliyah neal knows that better than most. Still she was unprepared for the news that greeted her when she returned home to a late shift, to days after christmas 2003. The minute i opened the door, i saw my husband on the phone and it was like something hit me in the stomach. Just by his face. And then he said, russels gone. Gone . Gone where . As far as gail knew, her sons rocky marriage was on the mend. So im thinking, is this another dramafilled call from brenna that they had another argument or something. And what bob had done is just repeated the words that brenna had given him is that russel had been killed. And then all i could do is just go sit down and just sit there for a while. Russels sister, holly, got the same call from russels wife. She instantly assumed russels personal troubles were to blame. My first thought was that he probably committed suicide. So i was in shock and then realized i needed to get over to the island for brenna and the kids. An alaskan bush pilot delivered the news personally to russels father, jim, who was in the woods hunting and unreachable by phone. He said, your sons dead. I todayhad to say, of course, which one. Russel. He didnt know a whole lot about anything other than he knew it was important to get me out of there. Russels brother, matt wab was the last to know. He too had been out of cell phone range for several days while vacationing in british columbia. We drove across the border and our friends vehicle and my phone had a seizure. It started buzzing for every voice mail message and text message that had been sent. And its matt, call me. Matt, call me. Matt, call me. Within days of his death, Russel Douglass far flung family reunited on Whidbey Island. We rallied around brenna. We were sleeping on the floor in the living room. She stayed in her bedroom a lot. She was sad. Nothing seemed to be getting done so i kind of end up taking over the organization of the house, what do we do for meals. Russel douglas had left behind a lot of unfinished business. The oldest of three children born to jim and gail before the divorce, russel had been a plate bloomer. But adult hood intruded early, shortly after he started dating brenna, she became pregnant. Marriage and childhood did little to help him mature. He was an 18yearold who had a lot of dates and drank and went out with the guys. He did a little of that in college but an lot. Russel and brenna fought often over children, money, and russels affaires with other women. She would call me after a a really rough argument and i would say, is he hurting you . Is he hitting you . She said, no, it is just emotional or verbal but ive hit him a couple times. Earlier that year russel took an apartment with a new girlfriend. For his family, the ongoing drama of russels life was exhausting. He stopped talking to basically all of us. I think he w whole situation, he just said, im cutting off everything. But then just after thanksgiving, all that seemed to change. Russel had recently changed jobs and was close to completing an online masters degree program. And as christmas approached, russel reached out to family members and told his brother, matt, that he wanted to reconcile with his wife. He said, you know, i think i need to start doing the right things. Brenna want me back. I want her back. I want to be involved in the kids life. Then for reasons they could not fathom, their son, their big brother, was dead. And the family became defensive when the detective suggested russels wife, brenna, may have had something do with his murder. You dont want to know that anyone that you have known that long, the mother of your grandkids, would ever be a suspect. So gail offered to help her daughter in law hire a lawyer. One of the detectives seemed strong armed, and i said you also need to get an attorney for all of your business affairs, so i said, let me see if i can get someone for you. The financial future for brenna and the children was murky. Russel and brenna filed for bankruptcy a few years earlier. Even though brenna had her own hair salon in this upscale area, russel handled the finances. Russel douglas did have some Life Insurance. I think when it comes down to it, he addedhad a total of three Life Insurance policies. Each one, a couple hundred thousand, i would say. In fact the face value of the policies was more than half a million dollars. That money would come in handy, particularly since brenna was under pressure to buy the house she had been renting from a woman who used to work at her hair salon. The land ladys name was peggy, peggy thomas. In those last dying days of 2003, russel Douglass Family had no idea how large that name would loom for them in the months and years to come. Detectives get a call from a mystery man who says he knows who the killer is. But getting him to talk wont be easy. It sounds as if hes afraid for his own life. He said, if i told you what i know, the shooters going to know that i told you. Hey. What the. These are good. What have you been feeding us all these years . I want 3 of my 5 years back. These dont even need ketchup. Im not mad. Im disappointed. Kfc popcorn nuggets. 100 white meat, extra crispy, and made from the worlds best chicken the way a nugget should be. Try our kfc bucket and popcorn nuggets meal. Delicious kfc chicken, popcorn nuggets, sides, and biscuits. These dont even come with a toy and i dont care. Wow, ive been claritin clear for 10 days when your allergies start, doctors recommend taking one nondrowsy claritin every day during your allergy season for continuous relief. 18 days 12 days 24 days of continuous relief. Live claritin clear. Every day. Mama sherman and the legion of super fans never fail to get Richard Sherman his campbells chunky chicken noodle soup. Mmmm. Looks good. Hahaha chunky chicken noodle now tastes even better thank you, cable for the slower internet upload speeds. For making me wait longer to share my photo albums. Thank you cable, because if we never had you. We wouldnt know the incredible difference verizon fios makes. In Customer Satisfaction studies, fios is rated 1 in Internet Speed and reliability 8 years running. Plus, fios has the fastest wifi available from any provider. Triple play online at an amazing 79. 99 a month guaranteed for two years. Plus, a 400 bonus with a twoyear agreement hurry, deal ends february 21st. Call the Verizon Center for customers with disabilities at 800. 974. 6006 tty v detective Mark Plumberg had been knocking on doors for months but get nothing where. I actually decided to just start over and do the entire investigation from step one all over again. He add murder at a good address on his hands and many more questions than answers. What would have brought Russel Douglas to this remote area of Whidbey Island on the day after christmas. Who put a bullet between his eyes. And why. We ran out every lead i could run out. And none of them connected to Russel Douglas. Money. Love. Pride. Homicide detectives say those themes come up all the time. All the time. Any of that seem to fit . We did find that russel had several hundred thousand dollars in Life Insurance. Obviously, like you said, moneys a motive. Love is a motive. Prides a motive. For the detective, those factors seemed to point in the direction of russels wife, Brenna Douglas. Not only had she been cheated on and publicly humiliated by russel, but she was the main beneficiary for the insurance he took out on himself. Problem is, brennas alibi was solid. Plenty of people to confirm they had been with her at the time Russel Douglas was killed. The defective knew he needed a break. And . July 2004, exactly receive eb receiveseven months to the day after the murder of Russel Douglas, he got one. I was actually out canvassing and interviewing again and i got a fen call that said we add tip on the Russel Douglas homicide. His partner on the investigation, mike beach, took the call. He just said, hey, im just calling to see if you have any unsolved homicides from december 2003. And i said, well, yes, sir we actually have two in december of 2003. Which one are you referring to . He said the guy who got shot in the head. Beach said he didnt know if the caller was the killer or someone related to the killer. But he knew he didnt want it lose it. Im doing everything i can to keep this gentleman on the phone. Because that point, he still hadnt given me his name. The caller was using an untraceable calling card and on the phone he seemed nervous. He said, if i told you what i know, the shooters going to know that i told you. That first call lasted more than an hour. The cops learned neither the name of the caller nor the killer. He was still afraid to give us any more information so im doing everything i can to gain his trust. Just to keep talking to him. The informant agreed to call again the next day and this time he was more forthcoming. He started tell meg that i needed to look for a girlfriend of the shooter from las vegas. He kept saying the shooters where i am. The caller told beach he was and played in a band with the shooter. The shooter, he said, was his defendant friend. I asked him to call the next day. He said, i have to work, but can i call on thursday. I said, okay, ill be here waiting. And he almost whispered, the shooters jim huden. Jim huden. In the age of google, that was all the break mark plumburg needed. By the end of the day, the deted in south florida and played in a band and according to the bands website, one of its members was retired air force. And so the next time the caller phoned, detective beach was ready. He was asking me, were you able do anything with what i gave you. I said yeah, i think im looking at a picture of you and the phone went quiet. And he goes, you guys are good. Were not good. It was just simple google searching. At last, the detectives had a solid lead. One that raised plenty of questions. Who was this jim huden . And why was their tipster so willing to give them up . The cops knew the answers to those questions could not be found in a google search. They would have to fly to southwest florida, at a time when storm clouds always seem to lurk just over the horizon. Was this a case of love turned lethal . Detectives learn about an affair between this beauty queen she was a whole lot of gorgeous woman. And a guitar man with a dark side. At one point told me that he wanted know what it felt like to kill somebody. Welcome to the most social car weve ever designed. The allnew nissan murano. Nissan. 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Buck naked and the exhibitions or less more and the contradiction. So we picked buck naked. But he came up with both names. Thats the way he worked. He was a brilliant guy. Bill hill, the bands base player, said huden was a guy that never liked to let wives or girlfriend get in the way of a good time. I add lot of fun. You were kind of his wing man. He covered for you. You covered for him. Yes, indeed. Golden oldies, like wilson pickets 6345789 were the bands bread and butter. Lead singer al holland used to perform with the platters. He said that whenever buck naked played, he wanted to dance. We would pack the place every single friday and does night. And it would be just one very big party. Must have been fun to be part after big band. It was. Oh yeah, it was. The band was so hot, in fact, that jim huden eventually turned over the Computer Store to his top assistant, jean, so he could concentrate on music. I kind of pushed him toward doing that. Because i knew that was his life. And thats where he was most happy. Were you in love with him . Very much so. I loved that man very much. So much so that in december 2001, after six years of living together, jean and jim got married in las vegas. I was asked by jean if i would walk her down the aisle. Was she happy . Oh, yeah. All smiles. Both of them were all smiles. But the smiles did not last long. In june 2002, jim huden returned here to Washington State for the funeral of an old friend. And it was here that fate intervened. A tall redhaired beauty caught jims eye. It was the beginning of a love triangle, one that would wreck the lives of all the people who were involved. And some who were not. The woman m n question was peggy thomas, Whidbey Island hair stylist who also dabbled in beauty pageant. Miss washington, peggy thomas. In fact in 2001, thomas represented the state of washington in a las vegas pageant, winning the evening gown competition. Congratulations, peggy. Leslie birkland got know peggy thomas a few years earlier when he she was just breaking into the beauty pageant circuit. Burkeland, once on the reality tv show, big rich texas. I consider myself new to dallas. Says peggy thomas was working as an auto mechanic at the time. You could not notice peggy. She was a whole lot of gorgeous woman. Would you say she a typical pageant contestant . No, not in 1998. Here is this beautiful redhead gorgeous woman, and she was a mechanic. She had this guy kind of job. It just sort of added to her sex appeal. Though jean says she knew nothing of her husbands budding affair at the time, she did notice that he had returned from his friends funeral a changed man. Solemn. Withdrawn. I think jim mentioned peggy to me. I didnt quite put two and two together. He made some comment about them being there at funeral, it just didnt click. So i didnt want it acknowledge it. Jean later found emails and letters from this woman, peggy, and the woman called her home looking for jim. But jim told her peggy was a music contact that could get him gigs in las vegas. Worrisome, sure. But jean says, it was her husbands heavy drinking that really had her concerned. He started drinking constantly at home. And you know, drinking to obliterate himself basically. To numb himself. Then he started making trips out west. Did you at the time think there was another woman this is. No. I nod idea. There is no cure for willful blindness. But bill hill, hudens faith full wing man knew about the trips because sometimes he had been along for the ride. We came out to las vegas. The reason he asked me go was itto cover for him. He was seeing peggy. Yes. Tell me about the relationship. All love and kisses. More so than jean waiting for him back home . Yes. Other band members too started seeing the same changes in jim that troubled jean. Heavy drinking and erratic behavior. Crown royal in the night and one night im calling cord changes to the base player and he hollers at me in the middle of a song, quit criticizing the base player or Something Like that. And i hollered back, why dont you just keep your mouth quiet, im doing my job over here. He shut his guitar off and walked off stage, which is about the most unprofessional thing can you do. After that, the bands days were numbered. And seemingly, so were the days of jean hudens marriage. But jean says the drinking and philandering were not the worst of it. Jim at one point told me he wanted to know what it felt like to kill somebody. He told you that he had wanted to know that. Yes. His deep dark secret. You say, what, sure good idea honey. I didnt know what to say. Jean could only guess what was behind this change. He lost his dad when he was 10 or 11 years old. His mom dated a series of men throughout that were abusive, you know, drunks and he saw his mom get beat up many, many times. He wasnt able to did anything and he swore he would get this guy, the man who mostly beat her. Had passed away. Jean didnt know Something Back in washington had triggered her husbands black moods but says she remained determined to pull him through. I loved that man more than life itself. I fell in love with him. I thought he was the one. Even though he was in the process of treating you like dirt. Right. I was hoping it could be salvaged. Then june 2003 when the cold hard fact of her husbands affair could no longer be denied. Jim moved out el telling jean he needed a change of scenery for his music. Jean knew better. I was like, youre going back to see peggy. Get out and dont ever come back again. He didnt want it hear that. He still wanted m toe beme to be hanging on while he had peggy still. That moment of clarity was shortlived. All that summer while jim set up housekeeping with peggy and her two sons, jean says he kept her dangling saying his time with peggy thomas was over and he would soon be home. So for jean, that was a reason to believe. I thought that was hope. I didnt want to let go. For a brief moment in september 2003, it looked as if her perseverance would pay off. Jim invited her out to las vegas for her 40th birthday. For several days he wined an dined her. But her dreams of a happy ending with, she says, vanished, when her husband turned to her in bed one night and told her he intended to make his dark et dreams come true. There was a man out in washington, he told her, who needed to die. Not the kind of thing a wife wants to hear. But jean as has an even bigger shock coming. Like getting kicked in the stomach. Lou life as i knew it was over. Erers. One had allergies with nasal congestion so he tried the newest allergy spray, which could take several days to feel the full effect of relief. The other went straight to the pharmacy counter for the fast, powerful relief of claritind. Its tough on allergies with nasal congestion and starts to work in just 30 minutes. The moral . Nothing works faster than claritind. Find it at the pharmacy counter. And live claritin clear. Start saving at the sears president s day mattress spectacular get up to 60 off, plus 10 off. To 60 months special financing and, free delivery and assembly. Start your mattress search at sears. In vegas stays in vegas. No one wanted that slogan to be true more than jean huden did. Especially since vegas was where her husband had told her he intended to kill a complete stranger. He wanted to know what it would feel like to kill someone. Yes. Nobody ever said that to me before. Yeah, me either. But this was not to be a thrill killing. According to jean, he believed murdering the person he had in mind was a public service. He said he beat his children, beat his wife, didnt take care of his family. Just an abusive made him sound exactly like the kind of guy jim grew up with. Exactly. What did jim say he would do . He said peggys friend, brenna, approached him and she would share the insurance money with him. Murder for hire. Yes. Did you try to talk him out of this . I did. I thought he with a just talking. I thought he would get over it. It had been a tough year for mr. And mrs. Huden. The death after childhood frentiend sent jim huden into a hall of fame mid life crisis that ran the gamut from alcohols to veg notions of murder. He didnt even know how to shoot a gun. By christmas of 2003 thing seemed to have hit rock bottom. Instead of returning home with jean after their romantic reunion in las vegas, jim stayed out west. Did you think he was with peggy . That point, i thought so, yeah. I knew what was going on. I knew it was over. There was no point in confronting him because he would lie about it anyway. Abandoned annd alone, jean waited to hear word from jean. Then over the holiday was jen said her phone rang. Her husband was on line. But jim huden wasnt calling to wish his wife a happy new year. According to jean, he called her to tell her that dreams do come true. He had killed a man in cold blood. He just said it was done and hes coming back. Murder . Yes. What did you say . I think i was speechless at the time. I just i think i asked if he was okay. And does anyone know or are they after you or i just basically asked if he was okay. Your husband just confessed that he committed a murder for hire. It was like getting kicked in the stomach. I knew life as i knew it was over. Jean said her husband drove through the night, pulling into their garage in punta gorda after dark the next day. He basically told me how they lured russel to a certain spot on the island and how he came out of some bushes and walked up to him and just shot him in the head. And he made it sound like, you know, it was kind of gentle and peaceful and that his head just tilted over and he walked away. Jim told you that he had this dark secret that he wanted to know what it would be like to kill someone. Yes. Did it live up to his expectations . He said at first for a few days he felt like a big man. It was exhilarating. He felt he accomplished something and rid the world of someone that didnt need to be there any more. But it started to close in on him and then he wasnt such a big man and that he knew he had made a terrible mistake. Based on what jim told you, did Brenna Douglas offer any shred of proof that her husband was abusive or did jim just kind of commit that murder pretty much on faith . Pretty much on faith, as far as i knew. As i found out later, there were no record of him no reports of domestic abuse, as far as i understand. After laying low for a while, jean says, jim gradually started picking up the pieces of his old life in punta gorda. As weeks past, jean says she even allowed herself to think that perhaps the ugliness of the past two years was in the past. That is until the april day when a tall red headed stranger appeared on her doorstep. Jim was doing a local radio show here in the morning. I was at home. There was a knock on the door. I open the door and theres peggy thomas on my doorstep. In that icy instance, jim hudens complicated double life collapsed. As the women taug talked, jean says, it appeared that both had been lied to. Both believe jim was done with the other. And committed to them. He was playing us both for quite some time. Trying to keep us both apart from each other. There you are with peggy and jim is not there. For how long . Not long. I called the Radio Station and suggested he get home real fast. He stopped shot and came home and peggy and i were sitting there on the couch. How delookdid he look . Not good. What happened at meeting. A lot of yelling. The two of you yelling at jim or yelling at him . Both. She knew he was married. It was like a knife in the heart. That point, he needed to make a close. He said we is going to stay with me. Although jean said peggy agreed to leave them in peace and return to las vegas, a few weeks later she was back. This time showing up unannounced at a reunion gig for jims old band, buck naked and the exhibitionists. Bill hill says the moment he saw her face in the audience, he knew it was trouble. Trouble because shortly after returning to punta gorda, jim huden told him that peggy helped jim murder a man who reminded jim of someone he had known as a child. A man who had allegedly beaten and abused jims mother. I wo would have done him in if he was still alive. And he said, i found a person that met his description as far as abuse youveness. I said, yeah. He said, well, i shot him in the head and killed him. No chance he was kidding or not telling the truth . I knew he was telling the truth. Peggy found a person that supposedly was abusive and it happened to be the husband of a woman that owned the hair salon in Whidbey Island, i believe. Where peggy worked . Where peggy worked, yes. So peggy knew all about this . She helped him. For five months, bill hill says he struggled under the weight of that confession. Then in late july 2004, his conscience finally got the better of him. I decided to make my first call. First call. To Whidbey Island. To the police . Yes, to the Island County sheriffs. Felt guilty i was giving up my friend but i knew something had to be done. Within days of that call, detectives mike plumberg and mike beach were sitting face it face with their tipster bill hill and their suspect, the artist formerly known as buck naked. The interrogation gets tough. You know what you told bill. Falling apart over the guilt he is carrying around because you told him what you did. Will jim crack or will detectives realize they have the wrong man . 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For seven months after Russel Douglas was shot between the eyes, police had little more to go on than a corpse and empty shell casing. Was their case at dead end . Whidbey island detectives desperately wanted to believe that bill hill, the tipster who led them to florida, was something other than a crack pot with an axe to grind. When we first landed in florida, we met with bill hill. Confirmed the story. We wanted to meet him facetoface obviously. What was his move . He was nervous. I think he was still in that mode where he knew he was turning in his best friend. Once again bill hill told the detectives what he knew. That his best friend, jim huden, told him he had killed a man in Whidbey Island and that his girlfriend, peggy thomas, helped set up the whole thing with the knowledge of the victims wife. It was a compelling story. But with no murder weapon, or any other physical evidence connecting jim huden to the murder of Russel Douglas, the detectives were no closer to the next day we decide we have no cards other than to just go talk to jim huden and see what he will say. After arrangeing to have a second team visit peggy thomas simultaneously in vegas, detectives went to jeans house. Jean answered the door. I showed her my badge and id and said, i was if Island County washington. Jim was there. Yes. He said what . What is Island County washington doing all the way here in florida h. Oddly enough, he didnt say anything like that. Detectives didnt beat around the bush. I looked him right in the face. I said mr. Huden, i know youre the man who pulled the the trigger and killed russel thomas. He said, i dont know why money sm won say that. I thought i was in the room with the right man. Because no one would say, i dont know what youre talking about. He never once made a denial of my accusation. Huden admitted being on the island with thomas over the holidays but denied ever owning a gun. He admitted to having briefly met douglas but only to drop off a present at his apartment in seattle for brenna from peggy. I asked if he would come down to the police station. I said, we would like to get your statement on tape. He is under no obligation. He doesnt have no go anywhere. Would you like a soda . No thanks. If the coffee is ever done i would like coffee. Jim huden admitted being in washington at the time crime. To meeting Russel Douglas there and to being a lousy twotiming husband. But thats where jim huden drew the line. Im a son of a bitch, but no killer. Im a son of a bitch. For nearly an hour the interview covered old ground with occasional interruptions from detectives in las vegas who were at that moment grilling hud huden hudens girlfriend peggy thomas. I would be surprise fed it is any different than mine. And he was right. Like jim, peggy wasnt giving the Police Anything in her interview. So detective mike beach decided to shake things up. . Two is bill hill . A friend of mine. That lives here. Base player. Is that surprising that i brought up that name . Yes. Why . Because were from Whidbey Island. Would it surprise you that ive been talking to him almost daily for the last week and a half . Yeah, it would surprise me. I just wanted to see a reaction. Up to that point he was playing it pretty cool. And i think i got the ak iction i was hoping for. It deflated him a bit. You know what you told bill. He is your best friend in the whole world. He is falling apart over this. Literally falling apart. He is carrying around the guilt of knowing what you did. I dont buy that for a minute. If revealing bill hill as their source was to shock huden into confessing, it failed. With no murder weapon, no warrant and no authority to make an arrest in the state of florida, the detectives today let their primary suspect go free. Were you worried at all about bill hill . He disclosed he is the source of all this. We made sure before we went back to washington that bill understood that we today give his name. But my hope is that jim huden would be too far worried about his own skin than to have to worry about taking etretribution on bill hill. Easy for him to say. Bill hill was terrified when he heard that his former friend now knew he was the one that called the police. Oh, yeah. Scared to death. Watching your back . . Oh, yeah. Yeah. That terror was amplified a few days later when hurricane charley, which had been churning up the gulf, suddenly made an unexpected turn and slammed into punta gorda. Packing 150 mileanhour wind. Charlie levelled part town, leave nothing electricity and hard times on jim huden, someone that might like revenge. My. 357 under the pillow literally. Because you thought jim huden was coming . Yes. How did you sleep . Not very good. Turns out the detective was right. Jim huden had plenty on his plate and no intention of sticking around. Once charlie died down, no one was surprised to learn that jim huden was literally gone with the wind. Its peggys turn to be interrogated. Will she give up her lover . He said, you know what, i love you and you will never see or hear from me again. And peggy is on to the next man. She is easy. And the whole case goes south with a manhunt in mexico. Introducing Olive Gardens firstever four course starting at 12. 99. Enjoy an individual appetizer, salad, and breadsticks. One of six entrees like smoked mozzarella chicken. And a decadent dessert. Four courses start at just 12. 99 at olive garden. Whats the best room in the house . The living room, of course. Thats where life happens. But sometimes life can be a little messy. Thats why theres pledge. 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Dont drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. Those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. Having less pain. Its a great feeling. Ask your doctor about lyrica today. Its specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. 3 f2 musica of only to things. The cops would be back and he had no intension of ever wearing prison orange. He told me i would never see him in a jump suit. Meaning jail or prison clothes. No, he had every intention of killing himself before it came to that. Which brings us back it that hurricane. Hurricane charley. Jean says that after the storm passed, jim asked her to drive him to miami. He told her he wanted to spend one last night alone drinking and gambling in a casino there before he committed suicide. And i left him with 4 or 5,000, a bunch of pills and he was going to go off and take himself out somewhere. You were crying . I was hysterical. Was he crying . Yes he was. I drove away thinking that was the last time i would ever see him. And i would get a knock on the door asking me to identify his body. For weeks jean said she waited amid the ruins of her stormravaged home for word of jims fate. She assumed he was dead. And thats what she told the Whidbey Island cops when they called to follow up. There were several messages on the machine from them. And i called them back. And i told them what was happening. And like youve got your man. He said, there you go. Case is solved. But shortly after telling the police that jim had probably killed himself, the phone rang again. It was Greyhound Bus line in houston, texas. They found a bag that was left on the bus with jimmy name on it, with a bottle of crown royal, his clothes and a gun in it. How long when did you hear from him . I got a phone call from my attorney saying they had heard from jim and that jim was at a motel in houston. The lawyer put jean in touch with jim and filled her in with his latest plan, a plan that could only succeed if jean agreed to send jim money. His plan was to get across the border and go from there. And so i sent him yet more money and allowed him to, you know, get out of the country. Which wasnt at that point a crime, since there were no charges against him. At this point, no. And heres where our story takes a another bizarre turn. While jean huden, the wife jim had cheated on for years was willing to sand by her man and help him escape to mexico, police learned that peggy thomas, jim hudens lover and alleged accomplice was now willing to give him up. Im not involved in that. In this interview with detectives, peggy thomas said that in a phone call shortly before he fled to mexico, jim had confessed to killing Russel Douglas. Said, im sorry, i love you. Never meant for you to be involved in this, but i did it. I did it when i went for cigarettes. I said, it cant be. And he said, you know what, i love you, you will never hear or see me again. With jim gone and no evidence tying peggy to the murder, the detectives asked the publics help in documenting the couples movements in december 2003 when Russel Douglas was murdered. We put out a description of the vehicle they were driving. Just a few days after hitting the media we got a phone call from the Sheriffs Office in new mexico saying someone turned in a firearm they believed might have been used as a homicide on Whidbey Island. Talk about luck. Doesnt get any better than that. The gun came from a former las vegas sheriffs deputy who recently retired new mexico. The deputy had known jim huden and peggy thomas if las vegas. . October 2003, the deputy said huden came to his house and asked to be shown how to shoot the gun. According to the deputy, the next time he saw either huden or the gun, was in january 2004. When jim huden handed it to him in a paper bag and asked him to hold it for safe keeping. We took the weapon for testing. And it was matched to the shell casing from the tracker. And also matched to the shrug that was pulled from russels brain. The murder weapon. Thats the murder weapon. And have you a guy telling you that gym huden gave it to him. Right. Not just that jim huden gave it to him but that he taught jim huden to fire the weapon and that jim huden gave it back it him just a few days after the murder of Russel Douglas. If you knew that information before he went to florida, you could have brought jim huden back in cuffs. You bet. Instead now youve got the proof and jim huden is nowhere to be found. Thats right. We have all we need. No now we just need jim. With jim out of the picture, his lover, peggy thomas, meets a new man pap millionaire cowboy, who is about to be taken for a wild ride. I looked in her eyes and, i mean, she is evil. E. 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Peggy thomas is the owner of the home that russel and brenna rented that they adverb al agreement that they were going to buy if they could just come up with the capital. Given that brenna was the named beneficiary on russels Life Insurance policy, russels family wondered if his death was in some way part of a real estate deal. I guess some of our family members kept thinking, that did peggy maybe do this or set this all up because she thought that if brenna got insurance money she would buy the house and peggy would have that instant cash . Peggy thomas appeared to be the only link between jim huden and Russel Douglas. And it wasnt just a circumstantial connection either. On page 14 of the murder weapons owners manual, investigators found a fingerprint belonging to peggy thomas. Troubling. But what concerned Russel Douglass brother and sister most, was the fact that brenna didnt appear to be the least bit upset about the prospect of her friend, peggy, being involved in her husbands murder. You work with her and youre not saying a peep . You know. It was your friend. Something either disbelief or i cant believe my friend did this. I want to make sure that they lets go, lets get her. Yeah. I said, you know, when you were really mad at russ, did you ever say to peggy when you worked together, that russ had insurance money and that he would be better to you dead than alive. She said, i might have. I just looked at her and said, man, that does not give someone motive somewhere along the line. Was this the case of angry word having unintended consequences. Or as some suspected, had brenna actively recruited russels killer. The family couldnt know for sure. But that question now complicated their relationships with brenna and the grandchildren. We tried to be supportive as we could, especially for the kids. But i know she listened in on all their conversations. Oh its a very controlled conversation. But when it comes to awkward telephone conversations, none could have been more strained than the one that took place between jim hud yns lover and jim hudens wife, after he fled to mexico. You called her first or did she call you . She called me. What did she want to talk about . She wanted to know what how much the cops had been bugging me and what they knew and if i had heard from jim. Or anything like that. And you what . Told her . I told her what the cops had said but i didnt tell her anything about jim. Why did you not hang up the phone . I dont know. I dont know. This isnt even jim. This is jims mistress. I know. Im an idiot. Jean said she was able to stay in contact with jim while he was in mexico and that he asked her to fly out to vegas and talk to peggy and keep her in the loop. We did have jim in common. Didnt tell her where he was. It was just very weird. We wont out for drinks. Saw a band. I found it hard to hate her as much as i wanted to. As months past and jim hudens trail grew colder, the lives of the women who loved him took drastically divergeant paths. While jean grew steadily poorer supporting jim, the ever resourceful peggy, now a limo driver in vegas, hit the jackpot. . 2007, one of her fares turned to be out this man, mark allen. New mexico horse breeder and heir to an oil fortune. Some guy says, would you rather have the ex mrs. Washington . I said i would take the ex mrs. Washington. Five months after meeting peggy, he asked her to marry him. Biggest mistake of my life. Within months of moving to his new mexico rafrmgnch, peggy was nosing her way into his horse business. Pressing him to fire longtime employees and hire friend of hers. You know, she wanted her people to do the accounting and stuff. When he refused, allen says, the man magnet turned into a man eater. You know, it is like a man getting on you. Pretty good sized woman. I looked in her eyes and, i mean, shes evil. She is evil. But if peggy thomas married well, she divorced even better. Allen says he gave her money and an 80foot houseboat just to go away. The divorce took way longer than the marriage did. Looking back, mark allen says he should have known better. He said a few days before their wedding peggy let him in on a little secret. She said, she was accused of being involved in a murder and that her ex boyfriend killed a guy. Said, but i didnt have nothing with it. I said, did you take a lie detector. She said, no, my lawyer told me not to. And i went, if youre innocent, why wouldnt you take a lie detector. And she never gave me a good answer. It should be noted that although mark allen says his brief marriage to peggy thomas cost him dearly, he did get at least one chuckle. Won Kentucky Derby in 200 the after one of his horses, mind that bird, would be the Kentucky Derby, allen said he saw peggy quoted in the press. Down there training horses. Peggy, cant even step up on a horse. What ever happened to jim, the fugitive from justice, aeb his wife jean . I was getting toward leave and not come back to this country for the rest of my life. Torn between joining jim on the lamb or turning him in. Which will she choose . In my world, wall isnt a street. Return on investment isnt the only return im looking forward to. For some every dollar is earned with sweat, sacrifice, courage. Which is why usaa is honored to help our members with everything from investing for retirement to saving for college. Our commitment to current and former military members and their families is without equal. Start investing with as little as fifty dollars. [ julie ] the wrinkle cream graveyard. If it doesnt work fast. Youre on to the next thing. 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Because the only person on earth who knew his true whereabouts wasnt talking to detectives. I mean, they had been watching me for years. Tapped my phones. Police were pretty sure you were still in contact with jim . Sure. They had a good idea. They were right. Of course they were. The man no longer known as buck naked had been able to build a new life for himself in mexico. And even played the occasional gig. In veracruz, mexico. Went down there a few times to see him. And of course, to bring him more money. He was teaching music to kids in a music school down there. I would fly up to dulles airport, then kansas and mexico city and change planes so they couldnt track now i was going. And how i was getting to him. Or we would meet in other cities. I never flew directly to him. So you know, so they couldnt trace me to get to him. But that kind of devotion doesnt come cheap. Jimmy life on the lamb has taken a toll on jeans health. And its devoured the inheritance she received when her mother died. The man cost me everything i had. I spent every dime i had. I lost my house. I lost my livelihood. Sorry. And yet, after her father died in 2007, jean says she seriously considered joining her husband in mexico. Where he was known as maestro jim. And sharing his life as a fugitive. I knew what Border Crossing i was taking. I add new id. I was getting ready to leave and not come back to this country for the rest of my life. Maybe died in a shootout. Probably. Who knows. He probably would have taken me out next. That did not happen, for one reason. Just days before she planned to join jim, jean met this man, and fell in love. He finally made me see what a foolish thing that would be do. For some reason, i listened to bill. And now he saved my life, basically. So love kind of wrecked your life. And then love also saved your life. Yeah, i guess it did. It did. Because of bill, jean gave up her dream of rejoining jim huden. But it wasnt until the spring of 2011 that bill pruner convinced her to give up the addiction that was jim. I just finally had enough. You know, i know jim doesnt love me. He didnt care about me when he did what he did and he still doesnt care about me. And probably less though now that im out of money. More than that jean, herself, got into legal trouble after jim fled to mexico. In exchange for immunity to prosecution for drug and check forgery charges, jean told all she knew about Russel Douglas and where jim huden could be found. They were not interested in me. They wanted jim. They said they won prosecute me and i hoped they would stick to their word. Mexican authorities picked up the man known as buck naked or maestro jim in ver veracruz and quickly turned him over to u. S. Marshals. When the plane carrying him back it Washington State landed in seattle, he was greeted by a familiar face. And you said what, nice to see you again. I said, jim, im not sure if you remember me, but im here to escort you back itto Island County. I said, youre under no obligation to talk to me. He immediately said, i dont want to. Something he should have said years earlier. Probably would have been a good idea. For the foreseeable future, jim huden would wear the ensemble he for so long sought to avoid. Immediately after arrest, detectives tried to track down his former lover, peggy thomas. A routine Computer Data search led police to this lake in new mexico where they discovered peggy thomas kept an 80foot houseboat that she had gotten in her divorce from mark allen. They said she was a really nice person. She was single. She put the name off the hook on her boat, due to the fact she was single. San juan county Sheriffs Office says peggy thomas was lured back to the marina with the bogus promise there was a package waiting for her. Current said she didnt seem all that you are surprised when he placed her under arrest. She had an attorney and she had been waiting for this day and was kind of ready to get it over with. Peggy thomas was all business current, says, and wasted none of her legendary charm on him. No, just enough time for her to make fun of me, make fun of my braces and how young i looked. She thought i would be someone older, she said. After waiting seven long years, russel Douglass Family was elated that his suspected killers with are in jail. But russels wife, not so much. And i called brenna. And it was kind of a stunned silence for a bit. Then like, oh, well good. But it was not the ecstatic, thank god. Something i was really wanting to hear. In july, 2011, when russel Douglass Family gathered in solidarity for jim hudens first court appearance, russels widow was conspicuously absent. I asked her, are you going . She said, why would i go . It doesnt concern me. It just didnt seem right. It would take another year for jim huden and the wife he was accused of killing sat in the same courtroom and when they did, all eyes would be on her. Brenna douglas, could she have anything to do with the plot to kill her husband . Said, who all knows about this. Did he tell new. Yes, he did. Campbells® fiesta chicken lime tortilla. Sausage and pepper rigatoni. Southwest style bean barley. Tuscany Style Chicken and pasta. If you think campbells® 33 new soups sound good. Imagine how they taste mm mm good ® hey buddy, youre squashing me liquid wart remover . Could take weeks to treat. Embarrassing wart . Dr. Scholls freeze away wipes em out fast with as few as one treatment. Freeze away dr. Scholls. The 1 selling freeze brand. Yoplait greek 100. 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So if you try jim and peggy separately jean can testify against peggy. Right. And we didnt need her against jim. More than a year after his wife had given him up, jim huden had gone on trial for the murder of Russel Douglas. The Opening Statement of the Island County prosecutors set the tone. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the case is about the assassination of Russel Douglas, the day after christmas, 2003. Banks promised the jury that jim huden and an accomplice that lured Russel Douglas to his death was lured by a Christmas Gift for his wife. Jim huden, he declared, was the trigger man. He walked up to the car, opened the door, looked him right in the face and with a distance of less than four inches used a. 380 semiautomatic handgun to put a bullet between his eyees. The prosecutor began by calling the one person that police still believed knew more about this case than she was saying. State calls brenna koug las. Brenna douglas, the dead mans widow. On the stand, brenna identified a picture of peggy thomas and said she used to cut hair together in 2003, she said, she rented a house from peggy. Did you two become close . Yeah, we would talk. It was just girl talk stuff. Did you talk about personal things with her . Yeah. According to brenna, her rocky marriage to Russel Douglas was among the things she talked to peggy thomas about. He add lot of issues. Throwing furniture around and Different Things and how he treated the kids and i, it just wasnt okay. When you and rus went through separation is that the sort of thing you might have talked to peggy about . Yeah. I talked to most people about, probably too much. Why do you say that . That you talk to most people too much . Are you a person that likes to share . I just chat. Brenna, do you know james huden . I met him, yes. How is it that you met mr. Huden . Through peggy. That connection through huden and woman to woman conversations between brenna and peggy thatd pros that the prosecutor based his theory of murder. Brenna told peggy her husband was violent. Peggy told jim and jim pulled the trigger. The prosecution explained why. He pulled the trigger as a way of exercising his own personal demons. That point is underscored when bill hill took the stabbed. And told the court about the day jim huden shared his darkest secret. He said, i need to tell but something that is on my mind. As jim huden clenched hi teeth and staired daggers at his former close friend, bill hill continued. He proceeded to tell me that my stepfather that used to beat me and beat my mother and always have hated that man, wanted to find somebody else that fit that m. O. , then he said, they did find a person that fit and said that they murdered him. In halting language, hill told the same story he told police eight years earlier, that peggy thomas aided in the execution of Russel Douglas. And that russels widow, brenna, had known about it. Said, who all knows about this. Did he tell new. Yes, he did. He said the only people that knew was him, peggy, his wife, jean, and the woman at the hair shop. That she didnt play much of a part but she knew it was going to happen. No evidence was offered to that charge, no incriminating email, no cell phones records, no suspicious money transfer. The question of Brenna Douglass possible involvement in her husbands murder was simply left hanging in the air for everyone to ponder. The states next witness is keith ogden. Next, presenting the story after gun. Keith ogden, retired las vegas lawman. Told the court that jim huden came to his home in late october 2003 months before Russel Douglas was killed to talk about a gun jim had just purchased. He told me that purchased it from somebody in the newspaper, in las vegas. Did you ever see it . Yes, sir. When jim huden brought it over to my house, to show me, show him how to use it. A ballistics expert testified that the bullet taken from Russel Douglass head came from jim hudens gun. This bullet was fired from this. 380 auto. Given those facts, it seemed odd that murder weapon wasnt simply drop need puget sound. But keith ogden told the court that early january days after the murder jim huden had asked him to keep the gun in a safe place. Please take the stand. The last witness for the prosecution was defective Mark Plumberg. He told the court that while he was questioning huden in his home in 2004 huden asked a rather todayodd question of him. He said is peggy angry enough at me that she would implicate me in this. Did you tell him that thomas implicated him. I had not. I had not implicated thomas or suggested that she had any knowledge or any part in the crime. In closing, the prosecution played the videotaped statements huden later made to Island County detectives down at the Punta Gorda Police station. Im a son after bitch, but im no killer. Im a son of a bitch. That would be the only time this jury heard the sound of jim hudens voice during trial. Please give your attention to the Opening Statement of mr. Mon toya attorney matt montoya began his defense of jim huden with a quote from the musical man of la mancha. You heard right. He told the jury in a first degree murder case, that facts are the enemy of truth. Perhaps its fitting that montoya, who just recently appeared in a local production of la mancha, said wind mills are giant. Friend of jim huden would also require a paramount of imagination. Not telling you that his side is wrong or my side is right. I want you to address the fact, criticals, because the facts will show you more than one outcome. Among the possible conclusions that montoya suggested might be drawn from the known facts in the case, was that Russel Douglas had shot himself. Did anyone request that you test or preserve his hands for possible gunshot residue . No. We do preserve things for trace evidence but thats why the sheet was used inside the body bag. No one tested his hands for gunshot residue . Not to my knowledge. Gotcha, perhaps. But no gun was found in the car. And the fatal bullet had been traced it a gun known to belong to jim huden. Is his body still in the vehicle at that time . It was. Next, montoya suggested Russel Douglas was killed somewhere else. Perhaps by someone other than jim huden bp and then placed in the car at the crime scene. Im not finding any blood of my sort a blood spatter expert named dr. John northby was called to testify in support of that theory. According to dr. Nordby, the cars interior should have been covered in blood if that was where Russel Douglas had been shot. The shooting seemed to me like it did not occur in this vehicle. Because there are empty spots where you would expect blood to be. Permission to approach the witness, yrn your honor. Yes. Banks pointed out that in his written report in the case, dr. Nordby cited the movie pulp fiction as a type of blood spatter he would expect to see in russels car. The two characters in the film were facing in front and they actually got back spatter, the bullet went spord the back seat but the spatter went order to do the front so thats the illustration i was meaning to convey. So you chose to rely on an ill tracing on a fictional movie produce fled hollywood to help describe this scenario, correct . I guess. Sure. The final defense theyre i have that jim huden had an alibi. Ron young. A childhood friend took the stand and told the court that huden was at his home in seattle at the time douglas was murdered. I did see him december 26th when he was stopping by on his way out of town. Do you recall what time that was . Probably between noon and 1 00. Was he buy himself . No. Who was with him . Peggy thomas. With that, the defense rested. And the prosecutor offered no crossexamination. A month shy of his 59th birthday, jim huden was facing a minimum 25year sentence if found guilty. But just before the jury began deliberation, jim hudens attorney reminded them one more time those immortal words, from man of la mancha. Ladies and gentlemen, when we started this trial, i told you fact are the enemy of truth. I hope you wondered what that meant. You heard fact upon fact upon fact. Im telling you there are other conclusions that can be made from that evidence. Soon enough jim huden and his attorney would find out if anyone on that jury had reached one of those alternate conclusions. And thus save him from having to spend the rest of his life in prison orange. The verdict, and then the other moment he everyone has been waiting for. Will jim testify . Against peggy . 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We the jury find the defendant james edward huden guilty of the crime of murder in the first degree as charged. Huden would later be sentenced to 80 years in prison. But he had scarcely been led from the courtroom before Prosecutor Greg Banks turned his attention to a far more difficult case. The one against jim hudens alleged accomplice, peggy thomas. Charged with murder, there was only one piece of evidence tying peggy to the murder of russel doug also. That single fingerprint of hers on the page of the gun owners manual. The case against jim was pretty strong. But the case against peggy was pretty weak. Much more circumstantial. Jean huden, the wronged wife, who stood to be the strongest witness against peggy thomas. According to jean, peggy told her everything that time jean visited her out in vegas. She said jim had presents for brenna and the kids and russel agreed to meet with jim to pass these presents on. Peggy grovedrove off to create an alibi. They point a point of peggy driving the red gar, car, the sea bring, to buy a pack of cigarettes, with a receipt, to show where she was that time. She covered their tracks the bef this he could. Powerful story but the prosecutors knew that putting jean huden on the stand was risky. In the years after jim fled to mexico, jim huden got into the trouble with the law over drugs and check forgery. I have talked to jean a lot. I do believe her but i also know what happens in a courtroom. And she is not as pure as the driven snow when it comes to the what the he defense attorney will be able to do with her. Peggy was clearly on the fence as to whether or not accept a deal gor or go trial. She thought, just keep my mouth shut, it worked all this way, i would skate. That would be my assessment. Please rise. On january 11th, 2013, peggy thomas, who had been under house arrest, entered an Island County courtroom for another round of pretail motions and encountered a familiar face. This time her former lover, jim huden took the stand to answer the one burning question that was no doubt keeping both the prosecutor and Defense Council from sleeping at night. Mr. Huden would jean hud ynen agree to testify in. No, i reserve my right. Though the two former lovers never seemed to make direct eye contact, jim huden made it clear that he at least was willing to carry their shared secret to the grave. Okay. Ill do the minimum thing here. Perhaps jim hudens gaunt appearance frightened peggy. Maybe the prospect of having her wardrobe as well reduced to basic orange had a sobering effect. But two weeks later, peggy thomas was back in court. This time to plead guilty to a reduced charge. We are here for change of plea. To an amended charge rendering criminal assistance in the first degree. With a special allegation that the defendant was armed with a firearm. In pleading guilty to criminal assistance peggy thomas was admitting to being an accessory after the fact. Miss thomas to you make that plea freely and voluntarily . I do. If you had gone to trial against peggy thomas, do you think would you have won . Because if you say yes, my next question is then why didnt you . My take on it was maybe a 50 50 chance of guilty versus not guilty. So it was a roll of the dice. Nothing less than the maximum penalty should be imposed in h this case. A few weeks later with russel Douglass Family present, peggy thomas ordered to prison. But absent was russels widow, brenna. I would love her to come and say, i made a mistake. I did set it in motion but i didnt mean to. I dont know thats going to happen. Though neither Brenna Douglas nor her attorney responded to datelines request for a statement, in a lawsuit filed against an insurance company, to collect on one of her late husbands Life Insurance policies, brenna said, i categorically state i was not involved in the death of my husband in any way. You anticipate ever charging her . Thats something im not going to talk about today. We still have questions. It is unlikely those questions will ever be answered. Now that jim huden and peggy thomas have chosen to take their secret to prison with them. To this day, jean huden is baffled by that. For someone who managed to get himself 80 years because he refused to testify against peggy or brenna or anyone, i cant believe that he may have seen the light of day. Did he think he was doing her a favor one last time . I just dont get it. I really dont get it. He must have really loved her more than i even imagined. Or he is still trying to prove what man he was. Or thinks he is. Five seconds and so that is why i feel so strongly about you. Waiter. Hold it. Garrett, what are you doing . Richard pryors here were on the air now. Yeah i know man. The opening. I know. Richard pryors here tonight and i thought i would open the show. You know do the i always open the show. Is it understood . Yeah. Hey. I do the fall