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Anjette Lyles (née Donovan; August 23, 1925 – December 4, 1977) was an American restaurateur and serial killer responsible for the poisoning deaths of four relatives in Macon, Georgia, between 1952 and 1958.[1][2] Initially sentenced to death upon her conviction, Lyles was eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and instead sent to the Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, where she spent the rest of her life.
Anjette Lyles | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anjette Donovan August 23, 1925 |
| Died | December 4, 1977 (aged 52) |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Spouses | Ben Lyles
(m. 1947; died 1952)Joe Neal Gabbert
(m. 1955; died 1955) |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death; commuted to involuntary commitment |
| Details | |
| Victims | 4 |
Span of crimes | 1952–1958 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Georgia |
Date apprehended | May 6, 1958 |
Biography
editIn 1947 she married Ben F. Lyles Jr., who owned the Lyles Restaurant in downtown Macon. She had two daughters with him: Marcia in 1948 and Carla in 1951. Ben died on January 25, 1952.[3]
In 1955, Lyles began dating Joe Neal Gabbert, a pilot for Capitol Airways. Gabbert died on December 2, 1955. With the inherited money, Lyles bought a new car and house.[4]
After the death of her first mother-in-law and her daughter Marcia's death, people began to be suspicious of her. An investigation in 1958 revealed that the three bodies had died from arsenic poisoning.[3]The arsenic had been found to have been given over a period of time to the victims by having them ingest small doses.[5]
On May 6, 1958, Lyles was arrested and charges with four counts of murder.[4]
The victims were Ben F. Lyles Jr., Joe Neal Gabbert, Ben F. Lyles Jr.'s mother, and Marcia Lyles. The modus operandi for each murder was found to be massive financial gain.[5]
Further reading
edit- White, Jaclyn Weldon Whisper to the Black Candle : Voodoo, Murder, and the Case of Anjette Lyles Mercer University Press, US, 2013 ISBN 978-0881460469 https://www.mupress.org/Whisper-to-the-Black-Candle-Voodoo-Murder-and-the-Case-of-Anjette-Lyles-P44.aspx
- Lyles v. The State, Supreme Court of Georgia, (1959) https://casetext.com/case/lyles-v-state-52
References
edit- ^ Criminal History: Anjette Lyles poisoned 4 family members for money. Beimfohr, Chelsea. WMAZ-TV. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ^ "Georgia's most notorious murderess". Wilkes, Donald E. Flagpole magazine. 22 December 1999.
- ^ a b Platt, Patricia. "This Murderous Restaurant Owner Was The First White Woman Ever To Be Sentenced To Death In Georgia". Ranker. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Bryan, Kim (September 29, 2023). "Anjette Lyles: Murders à la Carte". The CrimeWire. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ a b O'Neal, H. (1960). [chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ursa.mercer.edu/bitstream/handle/10898/5842/10_12MercerLRev44(1960-1961).pdf?sequence=1 "Criminal Law"] (PDF). Mercer Law Review. 12 (9): 44–55 – via Open Repository.
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