A
A SMALL
A SMALL TOWN COOK, WITH A BIG TIME SECRET. SIXTY ONE YEARS AGO A BIBB COUNTY JURY 4@
CONVICTED ANJETTE LYLES OF
POISIONING 4@HER 9-YEAR OLD
DAUGHTER... SHE WAS ALSO
ACCUSED OF KILLING BOTH OF HER
HUSBANDS AND HER
MOTHER-IN-LAW. 4@ IT'S A
BIZZARE CASE THAT'S BECOME THE
PLOT OF BOOKS, PLAYS, AND TV
SPECIALS... AND DECADES LATER,
IT'S STILL SOMETHING 4@THAT
HAUNTS SOME PEOPLE IN MACON.
TONIGHT WE CONTINUE OUR
LOOK AT CENTRAL GEORGIA'S
"CRIMINAL HISTORY"... AS
CHELSEA BEIMFOHR RE-VISITS THE
CASE OF ANJETTE LYLES. 4@
4@
IN @
IN THE
IN THE 1950S, THE STREETS OF MACON WERE THE STREETS OF IN THE 1950S, 4@IN THE 1950S, THE
STREETS OF 4@MACON WERE
HOPPING... DOO WOP PLAYED ON
THE RADIO... AND LIFE MOVED AT
AN EASY PACE. LIFE MOVED AT AN
4@EASY PACE. MACON, AT THAT
TIME, HAD A 4@SMALL TOWN VIBE..
PEOPLE WERE VERY CLOSE.AND AT
THE CENTER OF THE SMALL
SOUTHERN TOWN SAT A DINER--
RIGHT HERE ON 4@MULLBERY
STREET... CALLED ANJETTE'S
LAWYERS, ATTORNEYS, 4@JUDGES--
ALL KIND4@S OF FOLKS WOULD COME
AND EAT DINNER AT THE DINER.
OWNED BY A "BUXOM BLONDE,"
WITH A PERSONALITY TO MA4@TCH--
ALMOST EVERYONE IN TOWN KNEW
ANJETTE LYLES. SHE GREETED
CUSTOMERS WITH TIGHT HUGS AND
WARM CONVERSATION... AN ADDED
BONUS TO HER DELICOUS SOUTHERN
FARE. IT WAS WHAT WE CALL
COUNTRY KI4@TCHEN FOOD. 4@GOOD
WHOLESOME VEGETABLES AND
MEAT... JUST EVERYDAY 4@SOUTHER
FOOD.BETWEEN THE FRIED CHICKEN
AND MASHED POTATOS... IT WAS A
POPULAR JOINT FOR MANY
YEARS... UNTIL PEOPLE 4@
DISCOVERED áMURDER MIGHT BE ON
THE MENU IN MACON.á 4@. I WAS
SHOCKED, LIKE EVERYBODY!OVER
THE COURSE OF 6 YEARS, 4 OF
ANJETTE'S IMMEDIATE 4@FAMILY
MEMBERS HAD DIED... FROM WHAT
APPEARED4@ TO BE NATURAL CAUSES
HER FIRST HUSBAND, BEN LYLES.
HER SECOND HUSBAND, JOE
GABBERT. HER MOTHER-IN-LAW,
JULIA LYLES. NO ONE GREW 4@
SUSPICOUS, UNTIL THE DEATH OF
ANJETTE'S OLDEST DAUGHTER,
MARCIA. TO KILL A 9-YEAR OLD
CHILD TAKES A VERY SOCIOPATHIC
MIND, THAT GOES BEYOND ANY
PALE OF THE IMAGINATION AND
NARCISSISTIC BEHAVIOR.4@IN MAY
1958, BIBB COUNTY DEPUTIES
ARRESTED ANJETTE LYLES AND
CHARGED HER WITH THE MURDERS
OF ALL 4 FAMILY MEMBERS... 4@
BUT.... HOW HAD 4@SHE DONE IT?I
4@WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT ANYON
COULD BUY AT 4@THE HARDWARE
STORE.WHEN INVESTIGATORS
SEARCHED HER HOME, THEY FOUND
"VOODOO PARAPHENLLIA"--
CANDLES, POTIONS, AND
POWDERS... 4@ALONG WITH BOTTLES
OF TERO ANT KILLER... A
PESTICIDE CONTAINING ARSENIC--
THE SAME CHEMICAL FOUND IN THE @
BODY OF EACH OF ANJETTE'S DEAD
FAMILY MEMBERS AFTER FRESH
TOXICOLOGY TESTS. TESTS.
TOXICOLOGY FRESH 4@TOXICOLOGY
TESTS. IT WAS HARD TO IMAGINE
ANYONE KILLING PEOPLE THAT
THEY WERE 4@SUPPOSED TO LOVE.A
MEDICAL EXAMINER LATER
TESTIFIED THAT SMALL DOSES OF
ARSENIC HAD BEEN ADMISTERED TO @
ALL 4 VICTIMS OVER TIME-- MOST
LIKELY 4@DISGUISED IN FOOD AND
DRINK. 4@WELL HOW COULD SHE DO
THAT? WELL IT WAS MONEY. THE
ROOT OF ALL EVIL. MONEY. 4@THAT
OCTOBER, ANJETTE'S TRIAL BEGAN
HERE AT THE BIBB COUNTY
COURTHOUSE. DRAWING HUNDREDS
OF SPECTATORS... AND REPORTERS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD.4@WELL, I
WAS ON THE NEWS AND IN THE
PAPERS. IT WAS 4@EVERYWHERE.
MANY, MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE
THIS WAS A SENSATIONAL TRIAL,
BECAUSE ANJETTE WAS CHARGED
WITH 4@MURDERING HER DAUGHTER
WITH ARSENIC POISONING4@FORMER
STATE JUDGE, BILL ADAMS'
FATHER CO-4@PROSECUTED THE CASE
IN 1958-- AFTER THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY RECUSED HIMSELF FOR
BEING A DISTANT RELATIVE OF
ANJETTE'S. THE THEORY OF THE
CASE4@ WAS, ANJETTE WAS DOING
THIS FOR THE MONEY. FOR LIFE
INSURANCE MONEY.DURING THE
WEEK-LONG TRIAL, THE
PROSECUTION 4@PRESENTED THE JUR
WITH EVIDENCE THAT ANJETTE HAD @
SPENT MONEY LIKE, QUOTE, "A
DRUNKEN SAILOR"... REPORTEDLY
BUYING HERSELF A NEW WHITE 4@
CADILLAC WITH HER SECOND
HUSBAND'S LIFE INSURANCE 4@
PAYOUT. THEY WERE ABLE TO
PROVE SHE HAD DONE SOME "FUNNY @
BUSINESS," IF YOU WILL, WITH
THE WAY SOME OF THE INSURANCE 4@
MATTERS HAD BEEN HANDLED.4@THE
PROSECUTION ALSO BROUGHT IN A
HAND-4@WRITING EXPERT, WHO
4@
PROSECUTION ALSO BROUGHT IN A HAND-4@WRITING EXPERT, WHO TESTIFIED THAT THE SIGNATURE
ON JULIA LYLES' 4@WILL HAD BEEN
FORGED. SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD
CHARM THE ALL-MALE JURY INTO
BELIEVING HER WHEN SHE SAID 4@
SHE DID NOT DO THISBUT, IN THE
END, SHE COULDN'T. 4@ANJETTE
CLUTCHED HER SMALL, WHITE 4@
BIBLE IN A BIBB COUNTY
SUPERIOR COURT ROOM AND
LISTENED TO THE GUILTY
VERDICT... BEFORE BEING
SENTENCED TO DEATH. SHE WAS
NEVER EXECUTED THOUGH, BECAUSE
THE GOVERNOR, 4@SOME SAID, DID
NOT WANT TO SIGN A DEATH
WARRANT FOR A WHITE WOMAN.4@
ANJETTE WAS LATER DEEMED
"INSANE" BY A GROUP OF
PSYCHOLOGISTS... AND SPENT THE
REST OF HER DAYS AT CENTRAL
STATE HOSPIT4@AL IN
MILLEDGEVILLE... WHERE PEOP4@LE
SAY, IRONICALLY, SHE WORKED IN
THE KITCHEN. I FEEL LIKE IT'S
PART OF MACON'S TARNISHED
HISTORY THAT PEOPLE DON'T LIKE
TO TALK ABOUT VERY MUCH.4@IN
1977, AT AGE 52, ANJETTE 4@LYLE
DIED OF A HEART ATTACK... AND
EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR HER FIRST
HUSBAND AND OLDEST DAUGHTER'S
DEATHS DECADES BEFORE-- THEY
ALL LIE TOGETHER, ETER4@NALLY,
AT 4@COLEMANS CHAPEL CEMETARY I
WADLEY. IN MACON, CHELSEA 4@
BEIMFOHR, 13 WMAZ NEWS.
4@
WADLEY. IN MACON, CHELSEA 4@ BEIMFOHR, 13 WMAZ NEWS. @
WADLEY. IN MACON, CHELSEA 4@ BEIMFOHR, 13 WMAZ NEWS. TO READ MORE ON ANJETTE
LYLE'S TRIAL... LOOK FOR THIS
STORY 4@ON 13 WMAZ DOT