“The Black Widow” Betty Lou Beets Pt. 1
42:41 Share

Due to the nature of this case, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of extreme dieting, domestic violence, physical assault, and murder. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen. To get help on domestic violence, visit spotify.com slash resources.

The term "Black Widow" gets thrown around a lot. It's dangerous, sexy. The media gloms onto it, and prosecutors use it to elicit fear. These women are portrayed like sirens who lure innocent men to their doom. And if you're not careful, you could be next.

Betty Lou Beetz married five men in her lifetime. She shot three and killed two, which is how she earned the name the Black Widow of Texas. But like most of the events we cover on this show, the stories behind these Black Widows aren't so cut and dry.

The truth is murky. Did Betty lure these men to violent ends? Or were these murders the result of desperation? I'm Vanessa Richardson, and this is Serial Killers, a Spotify podcast. You can find us here every Monday. Be sure to check us out on Instagram at Serial Killers Podcast. We'd love to hear from you. If you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts.

This week, we'll meet Betty Lou Beetz when she was a girl desperate to escape a troubled home. Then we'll examine the circumstances that led to her first murder. Next week, we'll learn how Betty covered up her killings and dive into her arrest and the controversy surrounding her fate. Stay with us.

This episode is brought to you by Netflix's new film, Woman of the Hour. The stranger than fiction story of an aspiring actress and a serial killer whose lives intersect when they're cast on a dating game show based on a true story and directed by Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick. Woman of the Hour. Only on Netflix October 18. Rated R.

This episode is brought to you by Buzzballs. I love the packaging on these guys. Every time I walk into a store and there's a stack of Buzzballs, I just have to smile. And I love the flavor Watermelon Smash. I think it's my favorite. Well, now you can get your favorite cocktails and more in these cute, ready-to-drink ball cans from Buzzballs.

From the classics like espresso martinis to fun new flavors, find a Buzz Balls near you. Buzz Balls, 15% ABV, Carrollton, Texas. Please enjoy responsibly.

This episode is brought to you by Opel, the first over-the-counter daily birth control pill available in the U.S. Opel is FDA approved, full prescription strength and estrogen free. Plus, there's no prescription needed. Finally, the days of needing a prescription for birth control are over. Opel is available online and at most major retailers. Take control of your health and reproductive journey with Opel. Birth control in your control. Use code birth control for 25% off your first month of Opel at opel.com.

In the late 1930s, James and Louise Dunavant were a young couple just starting out. They lived in Roxboro, North Carolina, a town of 5,000 people. Like many of their neighbors, the Dunavants were so poor they could barely afford coal to keep their stove running. They were often hungry and cold. And like many young couples, they had hopes of a better life.

But these dreams seemed out of reach when they had their first child, a son named Dewey. With another mouth to feed, the Dunavants struggled even more. And if things weren't hard enough already, Louise soon got pregnant again. In March of 1937, she gave birth to a daughter, Betty Lou.

James and Louise worked hard to change their luck, but it was an uphill battle. As their kids got older, they repeated the same promise to them: things would get better. Then, when Betty was five years old, that promise came true. James and Louise both got hired in a cotton mill in Danville, Virginia, an industrial city about 30 miles away. So with that, the family packed up and moved.

Once they started their new jobs, they were finally able to afford a nicer home and enough food. The kids even went to daycare. But just as things were looking up, Betty got measles. She had all the classic symptoms: sore throat, cough, a fever of 105, even an ear infection. The poor girl couldn't help but scratch at her rash, which, as you can imagine, was torture. In short, she was miserable.

Worried about her young daughter, Louise took time off work to stay home with her. She sponged Betty's skin with cold water and gave her ice compresses, but nothing eased the pain. Now keep in mind that this was long before a measles vaccine, so while most children got the disease at some point, you never knew when it might be a lethal case.

That's why the longer Betty was sick, the more Louise feared the worst. She prayed for her daughter's recovery every day, hoping she'd be alright. And after a few weeks, Betty finally pulled through.

Unfortunately, she didn't make it out unscathed. Her ear infection caused severe hearing loss. To Louise, that was a fair trade-off. Betty was alive, but the young girl didn't feel the same way. Her loss of hearing made life a lot harder. At school, she could barely hear her teachers and struggled to understand the lessons.

However, Betty was too embarrassed to admit that there was a problem, so instead she stayed quiet about the issue, even when her grades slipped. She fell so far behind that her teachers suggested she repeat fourth grade, which devastated and humiliated young Betty. Her classmates only made it worse. They taunted her and called her stupid.

Betty never defended herself. She didn't know how. After a while, she started believing everything they said.

According to psychology professor Wei Wu, retention, or being held back a grade, can have short-term benefits for struggling students. However, socially, being known as someone who had to repeat a school year, quote, "accrues negative, stigmatizing connotations." In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, retention is one of the most stressful events kids can imagine.

When they were asked to rate other similarly traumatizing scenarios, the only two that rated higher were going blind or losing a parent.

Professor Wu explains this phenomenon via social comparison theory. Basically, people compare themselves to others to see how they stack up. So when a student's held back and everyone else moves on, it doesn't matter if they receive academic gains down the road. In their view, they've failed in comparison to their peers. And that hits hard.

Case in point, Betty resented her teacher's decision and grew to hate school. Even though she repeated fourth grade, she still struggled to read or write. Still after that year, she was allowed to progress forward. It seems her teachers didn't think she was worth the extra time and effort.

I wish I could tell you that Betty had a loving support system that made it all better, but sadly, that wasn't the case. Her once stable home life began to deteriorate around this time as well. One day, 12-year-old Betty came home from school to shocking news. Her mom was in the hospital. It's unclear exactly what happened here, but doctors said she'd had a, quote, "'psychotic break with reality.'"

At first, Betty was confused. Unsurprisingly, she didn't quite understand what this meant. Plus, her mom had never seemed sick, so it didn't make sense for her to be in the hospital all of a sudden. All she wanted was to see her and know she was okay. She waited all week for her to come home. But when she did, Louise was… different.

Betty had expected her mother to have some lingering symptoms, that maybe she'd stay in bed for a while, but she never expected to meet an entirely different version of her mother, and a troubling one at that. After her stay in the hospital, Louise claimed that voices spoke to her, and that demons were all around them. This scared Betty, and she didn't know how to interact with her mother. She felt like she couldn't even go near her.

Still, Betty maintained hope that her mom would be herself again. The doctor put her on medication and checked in regularly, so surely it was just a matter of time. But Louise's hallucinations only worsened. Finally, a year after she first returned home, she was placed in a mental health facility for three months.

From there, things at home spiraled. With her mom essentially gone, Betty's dad turned to alcohol, which he'd never seemed to do much before. The thing was, he got abusive when he picked up the bottle. If Betty did something he didn't like, he beat her.

And it was constant. Over the next two years, Betty learned how to avoid her father's wrath. She became quiet, obedient, and kept out of the way. She knew she was all alone in the world. She'd spent hours by herself in her room, praying for the day she could escape.

And that chance came sooner than she anticipated. In the spring of 1952, as 15-year-old Betty finished ninth grade, she started dating Robert Branson. At 18 years old, he was quiet, handsome, and had a factory job that paid well enough. To Betty, it was clear: Robert was her way out.

Their relationship moved at light speed. Within months, they were married, and she was officially Betty Lou Branson. More importantly, she was free. Now a newly minted wife, Betty left behind her family and school troubles. In her new home, she cooked and cleaned while Robert worked at the factory.

At first, it felt good to take control of her own life. But Betty soon felt bogged down by the monotony. While her former classmates went to football games and prom, she did housework. She told her husband how she felt, but it only aggravated him. He thought she should be grateful for the comfortable life he gave her, and didn't like that she wasn't showing it.

Over time, Robert's attitude toward Betty darkened. After she brought up her dissatisfaction, they got into more and more heated arguments. It seemed like they were constantly at each other's throats. Things got worse when, just a few months after their wedding, Betty got pregnant. While she was excited to be a mom, she knew a baby would only tie her to the house even more.

But when their little girl, Faye, was born, Betty knew she had to keep the peace. Perhaps she worried that if she didn't, Robert might get physical, and she didn't want her daughter in that kind of environment. So she started doing the same thing she'd done with her dad. She kept quiet and obeyed Robert's wishes. She tended to the house, cooked his favorite meals, and even put on makeup before bed so that she'd look nice when he got home at night.

But while Betty did everything she could to keep her husband happy, Robert became violent anyway. We don't know the specifics, but we do know that Betty endured his abuse for the next decade. During that time, they relocated to Texas and had five more kids.

Now a mother of six in her late 20s, Betty's life centered around raising her children. But at a certain point, it seems she looked back and realized she was trapped again. She never really did get the freedom she'd yearned for as a teenager. Robert's abuse was no different than her father's. It kept her trapped all the same.

And that wasn't what she signed up for. So it was time to do something about it. This episode is brought to you by SimpliSafe.

We know how dangerous the world can be. We've heard how bad it can get here on this show. So make sure you're doing what you can to be safe and get a home security system from SimpliSafe. Their security systems are excellent and they make it easy to protect what matters most to you. I use SimpliSafe every day when I have to leave the house for work or when I travel. It really just gives me peace of mind that everyone and everything is safe.

I like SimpliSafe because there's no cancellation fees or contracts or extra costs. What you see is what you get. It's so easy to install. It literally takes less than an hour. The app walks you through step by step. Or you can hire one of their professionals to do it for you. SimpliSafe's agents can help stop a crime in real time by seeing, speaking to, and deterring intruders. For this single mom, that's worth its weight in gold.

If you're going to trust anyone with you and your family's safety, trust SimpliSafe. They've been named best home security systems by U.S. News & World Report for five years running. And right now, you can get an exclusive 50% discount on a new system, plus a free indoor security camera with fast protect monitoring. Just visit simplisafe.com slash killers. But

But this offer's available for a limited time only, so be sure to order today. That's simplisafe.com slash killers. There's no safe like SimpliSafe.

Don't freak out, but Monster Tacos are back at Jack in the Box. Classic Monster Tacos are back with a crunchy, cheesy vengeance, and you can get two for $3. Or try the new $3 mummy-wrapped Monster Taco, loaded with nacho cheese and bacon, wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. Kind of makes you wish all mummies were this delicious and cheesy. Order now at Jack in the Box.

In 1966, 29-year-old Betty Lou Branson had six children and an abusive husband. She loved her kids, but she wanted to break free from her marriage. Of course, it's not easy to just walk away from a relationship like that. It starts with little steps, and for Betty, the first step was a night out on the town. She wanted to do something that would make her feel good for a change.

So, one night when her husband was out, Betty put her eldest daughter on babysitting duty. Then, she slipped into her highest heels and applied her brightest lipstick. She was ready to feel sexy again. After leaving the house, she headed for a place where she knew she could find that feeling: the Silver Slipper Bar in Dallas.

Minutes after Betty arrived at the bar, men were already flocking to her. They showered her with compliments and took turns dancing with her. The evening was a whirlwind, and Betty was so caught up in the fun that she didn't realize how much time had passed until the place started shutting down.

She knew then that one night wasn't enough. She went back to the silver slipper whenever she could, and the more she went, the bolder the men got. Some even invited her home with them. And at some point, it seems Betty accepted one of their offers. We don't know what exactly happened, but it must have been a good experience, because stepping out on her marriage became something of a habit for Betty after that.

She didn't announce her affairs to her husband, but she didn't hide them either. Gone were the days of doing everything to keep Robert happy. She was putting herself first. Obviously, Robert was furious when he caught on. He told Betty to stop making a fool of him and embarrassing their family. At the same time though, her cheating gave him permission to do the same. So for the next couple of years, they both had affairs.

This went on until one day in 1969 when Robert came home and told Betty that he wanted a divorce. He'd met another woman he wanted to marry. We don't know how Betty reacted, but she couldn't have been that surprised. It's also fair to assume she wasn't terribly sad to see him go.

But his leaving did make her life a lot harder. Betty had six kids, none over the age of 15, and no way to provide for them. Robert used to pay the bills, and he was supposed to pay child support, but he didn't always deliver.

Betty wanted to do it all on her own. But keep in mind, she was a child herself when she married Robert. She never finished school, struggled to read or write, and had never worked outside of the home. So when she went job hunting, her prospects were slim. Soon, she had to face the facts. She simply couldn't afford to keep all her kids with her.

It broke her heart, but Betty knew she had to give her kids their best shot at life, even if that meant they couldn't be with her. And even though she understood this, it all happened sooner than she expected. One day, Betty's firstborn, 15-year-old Faye, came to her and announced she was going to get married and move out. Betty didn't like it. It was the same thing she'd done, and look where she was now.

But she didn't feel like she was in a position to stop her daughter. So when Faye was finally wed and had a place of her own, Betty sent her 13-year-old Connie to live with her. Then the younger ones started leaving. Phyllis and Robert went to live with their father, and Shirley went to live with a friend. The youngest, Bobby, stayed with Betty. She couldn't bring herself to send him away, no matter what her bank account balance was.

But even with so few mouths to feed, she was always on the lookout for someone to support her. Because what choice did she have? She and Bobby struggled for another year until 1970 when she met 40-year-old Billy Lane. Some accounts say he was a house painter. Others say he was an old friend. Maybe he was both. What's important though is that Billy courted Betty.

According to Mary Wellick Atwell, author of Wretched Sisters, Examining Gender and Capital Punishment, he was, quote, "...kind and attentive, which she loved. So when he proposed, she said yes." They got married the same year, and the 33-year-old became Betty Lou Lane.

But as soon as they were wed, Billy revealed his true colors. He had a history of abusing his ex-wife, and after winning Betty over, he directed his violence at her. Betty tried to manage the abuse just as she'd done in the past. She thought that if she could keep Billy happy, he wouldn't hurt her.

She decided that her looks were a big part of that. So she became hyper-focused on her appearance. That involved losing the weight she'd gained since having kids. But she went about it in a not-ideal way. She started taking a diet supplement called Dexatrim. That's risky enough, but to add to that, Betty didn't want to wait for results, so she took more than the recommended dosage.

As Irene Pence explains in her book Buried Memories, this caused severe side effects like insomnia, irritability, restlessness, and headaches. All of it added up to her just not feeling like she was the perfect wife, which was all she wanted just then.

Making it all worse, Billy threw her efforts back at her. He knew how important her looks were to her, so when he got violent, he always struck her in the face. And afterward, Betty always did the same thing.

She'd run to the bathroom, shut the door, and stare at her swollen, bloodied face in the mirror. She'd turn on the faucet and rinse the blood off, then pat her face dry with a hand towel. Finally, she'd open the medicine cabinet and grab her compact from the spot where she'd left it the last time, then layer on the powder.

Betty covered her cuts and bruises to protect her pride. She wouldn't let Billy take that away from her, too. Things went on like this for three long months. Finally, Betty couldn't take it anymore. She took Bobby, moved out, and got a restraining order against her husband. Two months after that, she divorced him.

But Billy wouldn't let go. He still thought Betty was his to control. Once they were separated, he began stalking her. He'd interrogate her about where she'd been, and he'd even show up at the bar she frequented, threatening her if she spoke to other men. Professor Ruth E. Fleury explains that possession plays a motivating role in abuse post-separation. It's the idea that if the abuser can't have the other person, then no one can.

They lash out to both punish the victim for ending the relationship and to try to get them back. Billy's behavior was also a textbook example of separation assault, which, according to criminal justice professor Mary Atwell, occurs when an abuser refuses to relinquish control over their victim and escalates the violence when they try to leave.

In January of 1972, Billy did just that. At least, I think he did. For reasons we'll get into later, this next part of the story is a little murky. But according to Betty, she was at a bar one night when Billy showed up and saw her dancing with another man. He stormed across the room and demanded that Betty go home. Otherwise, he'd kill her.

Betty knew enough about Billy to be worried. She didn't know if he'd actually go through with the threat, but she also wasn't going to take the chance. If we're to believe Betty, she left the bar after that and raced home. Her daughter Connie was staying with her that night, so Betty told her to hide in her room and call the cops if she heard anything.

Then, Betty grabbed her .22 caliber pistol out of her nightstand and waited. It seems she knew that Billy would follow her. Sure enough, a few minutes later, she heard a loud knock at the back door. Billy threatened to break down the door if she didn't open up. So Betty hid the gun behind her back, took a deep breath, then opened the door.

Billy rushed in and cornered her. She yelled for him to leave her alone, but he refused. He said that seeing her with other men drove him into a murderous rage and that he couldn't let her keep doing that to him. Terrified for her life, Betty pulled her gun on him, but Billy didn't flinch. He took another step toward her. Betty panicked, and then she pulled the trigger.

Later, Betty said that she fell into a kind of trance, firing again and again as Billy stumbled out the back door. Finally, he fell and landed on the ground, blood pooling around him. When the police arrived on the scene a short time later, they found Billy unconscious but alive and rushed him to the hospital. Meanwhile, officers questioned Betty, who claimed she'd acted in self-defense.

The only problem was that Billy had been shot in the back. Twice. Which didn't match Betty's story, that she'd shot him over and over as he walked towards her. That made the cops very suspicious. And Betty couldn't give them a better explanation for what happened. So before the night was over, Betty found herself in custody, charged with attempted murder. So much for freedom.

This episode is brought to you by Lifetime. Imagine a mother so consumed by love, she's driven to the extreme. In this Lifetime original movie, an overbearing mother's quest to save her daughter's innocence takes a sinister turn from bribery to murder for hire. This is a story of obsession and dark family loyalty. Inspired by true events, watch Nobody Dumps My Daughter, premiering tonight at 8. Part of truly unbelievable movies, only on Lifetime.

Imagine what's possible when learning doesn't get in the way of life. At Capella University, our game-changing FlexPath learning format lets you set your own deadlines so you can learn at a time and pace that works for you. It's an education you can tailor to your schedule. That means you don't have to put your life on hold to pursue your professional goals. Instead, enjoy learning your way and earn your degree without missing a beat. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at capella.edu.

With Betty Lou in custody, having admitted to shooting her ex-husband, police were ready to push ahead with charges of attempted murder. But they still needed Billy's side of the story. Once he pulled through surgery, he gave it to them.

And here's where we get the other version of the night Betty shot Billy. According to him, he never even went to the bar to threaten his ex. He said he was at his daughter's house when Betty called him to say she wanted to talk, so he drove to her house in the middle of the night. After all, to hear him tell it, he wanted his wife back and was willing to do anything.

But when he got to her place, everything was dark. He knocked and shouted for her to open up, but she told him to go away. Billy was annoyed about her supposed change of heart, but if she wouldn't talk to him, there was nothing he could really do. So he turned around to leave. That's when he heard footsteps behind him. Then he felt a sudden, searing pain.

He knew he'd been shot, but he could still move at first. Then he was shot again and he crumpled to the ground. Before he lost consciousness, he remembered Betty standing over him, saying, "If you move, I'll shoot again." After hearing Billy's version, it was clear to investigators that Betty was lying. If nothing else, the bullets in his back were hard to argue with. So they got ready to go to trial.

But then came the twist. After Billy was released from the hospital three weeks later, he and Betty got back together. He could barely walk, but she spent hours with him every day and helped him through his physical therapy. And then, just days before Betty's first hearing, Billy changed his story again. He signed an affidavit saying that he had threatened her.

Authorities were stunned. But without Billy to support their attempted murder charges, all they could give Betty was misdemeanor aggravated assault. She ended up pleading guilty, getting no jail time, and even managed to get her pistol back. Billy himself paid her fines and court fees. But it's not over yet. A month later, Betty and Billy remarried.

Trying to understand this decision is confusing, to say the least. Some acquaintances suspected that the two had struck a deal. Betty would take him back if Billy dropped the charges. There's no way of knowing for sure, but that seems like a plausible explanation. Because just a month after tying the knot with Billy a second time, she left him. Again.

She took her son Bobby and promptly moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, far enough away that Billy couldn't get to them. Somewhere along the line, she filed for divorce. But as much as she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't do it on her own. She was a woman with no income and none of the skills necessary for a job. Plus, she had a son relying on her. So once again, Betty had her eyes peeled for a husband.

She started looking in the place she felt most comfortable: the local watering holes. One night, she walked into Stetson's, a country-western bar. Live music filled the room while couples line danced and single men sat on bar stools made of saddles. Betty took a seat and waited. It didn't take long for men to ask her to dance, but none of them sparked an interest. Maybe if she were younger, but Betty was pickier these days.

But then a guy approached Betty and the attraction was instant and intense. When 33-year-old Ronnie Threlkeld asked her to dance, she didn't think twice. They spent hours on the dance floor, flirting and laughing, and when the bar started shutting down, Betty invited Ronnie back to her place. After that first night, they practically moved in together.

But it was far from a happily ever after. Ronnie was just like Betty's previous husbands. Whenever things didn't go his way, he took it out on her, verbally and physically.

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, it's not uncommon for someone to end up in multiple abusive relationships. This is because new partners are always on their best behavior at the start, so there aren't red flags. And even if there are, survivors often struggle with self-esteem issues, so they're less likely to stand up for themselves.

Betty, however, was starting to break the vicious pattern she was in. She'd retaliated against Billy, and she could do the same to Ronnie. But Betty didn't pick up her pistol this time. Instead, she'd do things like slash Ronnie's tires or threaten him with a tire jack. Despite all this, the couple stayed together for years. And when Betty moved back to Dallas to be closer to her kids, Ronnie went with her.

In February of 1978, shortly after arriving in Dallas, the two got married and Betty took his last name. But it all just made Ronnie feel tied down. He started leaving Betty at home while he spent his time out at the bars.

Betty felt like she was going in circles. Every one of her marriages turned out the same. She was stuck at home, taking care of the house, while her husband was out doing God knows what. But what especially grated her was the sneaking suspicion that Ronnie was cheating on her. Eventually, her jealousy became overwhelming. She accused him of sleeping with just about everyone, including her own daughters.

Threlkald tried to convince her that none of it was true, but she didn't buy it. She told him to leave. Much to her dismay, he stood up and started packing. Once everything was in bags and suitcases, Ronny went outside and started loading it all into his car. He'd just shoved the last piece of luggage into the back when he heard another car engine rumble.

He looked up, and Betty was behind the wheel of her car, racing straight for him. He dove out of the way just in time. As Betty came to a screeching halt, Ronnie hopped into his car and sped off, finally bringing the chapter to a close. From there, 42-year-old Betty took a break from romance. It's unclear how she supported herself, but come the middle of 1979, it didn't matter.

That summer, a man named Doyle Wayne Barker struck up a conversation with Betty, and she couldn't help it. She fell hard. He was a good-looking construction worker, and he swept her off her feet. Like all her other relationships, Betty dove in headfirst. By October of that year, she and Doyle were married. For those keeping track, she was now Betty Lou Barker.

However, their marital bliss was short-lived because apparently, Betty's new husband was an abusive drunk. Through with being hurt, she left Doyle seven weeks after they tied the knot. Unfortunately, the hard times weren't done with Betty.

In early 1980, she got in a car accident that left her with serious head injuries and unbearable migraines. After that, Betty needed lots of TLC, and of all people, Doyle was the one to show up and offer it. He apologized and said he wanted to be there for her. He promised that if she took him back, he'd be a better man.

Perhaps Betty's strength was drained. Or maybe she just foresaw a rough road ahead. She had no idea how her head injuries might affect her down the line, and she needed help. The long and short of it was, she wanted to believe Doyle. So she did. Doyle and Betty bought a brand new trailer to call home, along with a half-acre lot near Maybank, Texas. But Doyle's abusive nature re-emerged.

Once more, Betty felt trapped. The trailer was in Doyle's name, so if she left, she feared she'd have nothing. And if she couldn't leave, then her only option left was to make him go away. Just like Ronnie. Only she wasn't going to leave anything to chance. Not this time. First, she hired a construction worker to dig a hole in her backyard, explaining that it was for a barbecue pit.

Then, she hid her gun in her nightstand. Now all she had to do was wait for the right moment. And it's not like she wasn't considering her options while biding her time. At one point, her daughter Shirley tried to persuade her to get a divorce, but Betty said she had it handled.

Why go through a mountain of paperwork, then go into hiding so Doyle couldn't find her, all while trying to make ends meet? It didn't make sense. Not when she could just kill him. Shirley laughed, assuming her mom was joking. But Betty looked deadly serious. That's when Shirley panicked. What if Betty got caught? Betty assured her daughter she wouldn't. She'd already thought the whole thing through.

Shirley didn't know what to say, and Betty changed the subject before she could think of anything. Shirley hoped her mother would come to her senses. But perhaps what Shirley didn't realize was the possibility that Doyle's abuse was so agonizing, Betty couldn't think straight. All she could think of was survival, which was a constant fight.

Eventually, a day came when Doyle beat Betty worse than he ever had. We don't know the circumstances that led to the assault. All we have on record is a sworn affidavit from Betty's son-in-law saying he'd never seen anybody so beat up. Betty was bruised all over her chest and arms. Her neck was covered in choke marks, and both her eyes were black.

With this, she decided enough was enough. It was time. The next night, Betty dropped off her son Bobby to stay with Shirley. It seems she didn't try to stop her. Maybe she was hoping Betty would change her mind on her own, that she'd lose her nerve. But Betty was determined. She went home, downed a couple of shots of bourbon, and waited for Doyle to fall asleep.

Once she heard his snores, she went into the room, pulled her pistol out of her nightstand, and got into the bed. Doyle was on his side, and she laid down beside him. She grabbed a pillow to muffle the sound. Then she aimed the gun at the back of his head. She took a deep breath, steadied her aim, and then she pulled the trigger.

Doyle jerked, groaning in pain. Quickly, Betty fired again, then once more for good measure. In the startling silence after the gunshots, all Betty could hear was the ringing in her ears. Reaching over, she checked his pulse, ignoring the hot, sticky blood running down his neck.

When she was sure he was dead, she leaned back with a sigh of relief. It was over. She was free. Thanks again for tuning in to Serial Killers. We'll be back next week with Part 2, Where Betty Kills Again. For more information on Betty Beetz, amongst the many sources we used, we found Buried Memories by Irene Pence, extremely helpful to our research.

Stay safe out there. This episode was written by Alex Burns, with writing assistance by Sarah Batchelor and Joel Callen. Fact-checked by Bennett Logan, researched by Mickey Taylor and Chelsea Wood, and sound designed by Kelly Gary. Our head of programming is Julian Boirot. Our head of production is Nick Johnson, and Spencer Howard is our post-production supervisor. I'm your host, Vanessa Richardson.

This episode is brought to you by Buzzballs. I love the packaging on these guys. Every time I walk into a store and there's a stack of Buzzballs, I just have to smile. And I love the flavor Watermelon Smash. I think it's my favorite. Well, now you can get your favorite cocktails and more in these cute, ready-to-drink ball cans from Buzzballs. From the classics like Espresso Martinis to fun new flavors, find a Buzzballs near you.

BuzzBalls, 15% ABV, Carrollton, Texas. Please enjoy responsibly. This episode is brought to you by Hills Pet Nutrition. When you feed your pet Hills, you help feed a shelter pet, providing dogs and cats in need with science-led nutrition that helps make them happy, healthy, and ready to be adopted.

It's an initiative that Hills has supported since 2002. And since then, the Food, Shelter and Love program has helped more than 14 million pets find new homes, changing their life forever so they can change yours. Science did that. Learn more at hillspet.com slash podcast.