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listen bill how mad when they were in high school. on sixteen. Neither had very much money. They start Eighty and they were married by eighteen four this hall is someone that you wish was in your family, she's very selfish carrying and really always thinking about other people, bill hall, loved frances and his children. Bills. Fatal flaw is that he also lies the attention of younger women bonnie contours is bill halls mistress. He had been dating her for about three years and by most also was a pretty open affair. I'm trying to think of the most flattering way to describe bunny contreras by contrast, is almost like a master manipulator. She would take compromising

does Canada gather all these nuggets that if things ever went south she had all the proof she needed to kind of force you to do what she wanted. Mother, was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, because Bonnie was taunting. Her constantly Bonnie contreras put francis through Hell. she's texting and calling francis body we collar every explicit name in the book. To say, you're, so fat disgusting we have this toxic glove triangle multimillionaire, husband and wife, and this mistress trying to wait her way between them. I get a phone call from my mom and she said I just saw your dad and I just saw Bonnie frances, foresees her husband bill and then body she's about two miles down the road and that's when she makes the decision to make a? U turn and finally confront this woman, that's been, you know, wreaking havoc in her life

husband and mistress their driving toward us on this. I they're in this way they're still eighty five. Ninety miles an hour, I believe, intended to kick Bonnie's ass that day. Okay, that's what she wanted to do. She wanted to go over and she wanted him to beat up on. Francis hall took a two ten def tank to what should have in a fit state. Francis was out for blood I don't think anyone imagine that by the end of the day there would be a dead body and someone in handcuffs Peter Van said tonight on forty hours, driven to extremely high,

lindsey, Graham the host of wandering podcast american scandal. We bring to life some of the big controversies. In. U S, history, presidential lies environmental disasters, corporate fraud. In our new a serious, we look at the kids for cash scandal, a story about corruption inside america's system of juvenile justice. in northeastern pennsylvania residents had begun noticing and alarming trend. Children were being sent away to jail in high numbers, often for committing only minor offences. The f b I began looking to local judges and when the full picture emerged it made national headlines. The judges were earning fourchan carrying out a brazen criminal scheme, one that would shatter the lives of countless children and force a heated debate about punishment and america's criminal. Just

system follow american scandal. Wherever you get your upon guests, you can listen ad free on the amazon, music or wondering app At the and and so Nicky. Where are we right now Peter aware and my parents home? This is where a lot of memories were made. Nicky hall is bill and Francis halls, daughter she and her brother justin had great times during her parents, thirty. Two year long marriage we spend christmas is thanksgiving, almost every holiday was spent here in this room during chris

That's my mom loved watching every one open their gifts, and this is the home that they built together he says, being a member of the whole family meant having loads of fun sense of what kind of mother Francis was, and what kind of a purse She is just too loving kind, hearted, honest individual. She is, always willing to lend a hand, especially when it came to my brother and I she was more of the disciplinary. My dad was the one that said. Let's just spoiled and let's give em, you know whatever they want and bill home could spoil his children because he and Francis who got married when they were just eighteen, had built an empire on wheels

human Francis hall bought their first struck in the early nineteen eighties, and then they grew. bill whole junior trucking into a Multi million dollar business at its height worth fifteen million dollars, my parents work together oh at times, you know it wasn't all love, but into the day they came home together. Mom could dinner. I was there after Nicky in her brother became adults and moved out of the family home bill began to indulge his own winds. He bought a harley davidson streak. Bike that he customize and painted powder blew his company. Color he's a dare devil, He liked to drive crazy, fast cars, bikes, eighteen wheelers, he loved life in the fastest

fast cars and lots of women bill had He turned on his wife for years and Francis knew it but forgave him as bill confided to his best friend and cousin, hang call of fellow trucking. In our duty bill still loved francis, or was he ready to move on now bill adored francis bill love francis, so much it unbelievable. What happened is and tell me if I'm wrong right when you cheated and pass and she stood with you right kinda makes it seem like it's. Ok right, so we gets caught again in all. He might get another pass in. All I'm saying,

the new someone in bills. Life was Bonnie contreras, then a twenty eight year old, former exotic dancer and when she met the aging play boy with the well stuffed wallet at a spinach festival. Yes, a spinach festival. It was a match made in texas. Heaven Hearst is that she was helping her aunt dirt, someone's chicken on a stick. But tourney lee cutter and she just happened to see these five guys and he was just really nice communities met her supposedly for two minutes, I think she said we locked eyes and I knew ever. I knew right then building on these relationship lasted for three years and she told the local cbs station all about it. I love this now everything I have. I still do and he knew that bill was married with children and

and children, but she claims bill told her. He was getting a divorce. I wanted to have a family with him. I prefer to get married to have a home. To live the rest of my life. What this man in many ways been treated bonnie as a true love. He showered her with money, pain, her rent by her two cars, a Bmw and a mercedes, and even pain for her breast enhancement surgery He was excited by herman beginning no, she was an attractive younger women that you know wanted to do everything she could to be the centre of his attention, but by tooth thirteen bills. Friends say he was losing interest and trying to avoid body that strategy backfired in a big way. On one friday, the thirteenth she kept kind

and bill would decline or cause and all the while bonnie. Sixteen, both thing, I'm going to tell your wife I'm going to talk about us and ultimately calls francis well now had to contend with two angry women, his wife, Francis and his girlfriend body after she makes the con. She really takes it up a notch and she starts going to francis and bills house shall take pictures, outside of the house and in short text to bill lynch text it to the wife and say you know, ugly ugly, nasty Thanks to the wife, the to win began engaging in a vicious texting war, exchanging hundreds of nasty messages. I was just defending myself and never once did I threatened her. I never once threatened that woman but that's not how it seemed to Francis whose daughter Nicky was it a little, frightening on this and be getting these kinds of communications and,

those and anger expressed even pictures taken of the family vehicles, letting you know I'm here, yes, very scary. Is she had over four thousand pictures of him in her and she was gonna just put those out on facebook? She had addressing ameliorate destroys reputation. Yes, yes, I'm a good person for me, no harm on anybody and never once confronted his kids. I would never threatened anybody in that way. bill on France's decided to get away for a long weekend to try and patch things up. But hank says any ruin the trip with her relentless text. she were a hundred miles, an arm like another, I'm not gonna loses god, because he was going back to more family and trying to get away from her heading.

Bonnie unleashed a torrent of angry and inappropriate texts, including naked photos of her having sex with bill. France has lost it. She physically assaulted bill kicked him out of the house. She does got up and walked in it. Get out get out of my house. Bill spent the night at bodies place. The next day was Ober tenth, two thousand thirteen, francis and Bonnie, were about to unexpectedly meet on a two lane. Texas highway called loop. Sixteen o four Francis user has been dry by on that big blue motorcycle. He now a few seconds later, for the first time where she laid eyes on Bonnie contrast. This woman is ruining her life branches had finally had enough and was about to take a turn that led to an accurate,

vision of mirth and she drives a steering wheel, you just goes? I'm gonna go confronted and. october tank, two thousand thirteen this dredge of texas highway. Sixteen o four became a crime scene where jealousy and rage would intersect and someone would soon be in handcuffs that day began simply enough francis wisdom, been home after watching a volleyball game which she spotted her husband's mistress

At this point in time, twenty eight days have passed and she's found out about the affair, Lee cutter frances Hence attorney, says that by this time francis was sick of Bonnie interfering in her marriage. I think at one point two billion just go to the movies. And she knows about it and literally sits three rose back behind them, watching them the entire time texting bill just going crazy. It's pretty insane so in France's notice body on the road that october day her mode. Was reading. What made it worse was that Bonnie was driving all family range rover a vehicle frances. Often drove francis, makes a u turn and floors it in this way. There's someone eighty five ninety miles an hour, so Francis is getting behind body.

Every time she gets close to her body will break checker over and over again it's this cat and mouse game. I'm one one. What is your location frances gave chase at a high rate of speed different witnesses called nine one one and indicated that two black suvs are racing and probably appeared that that was the case. A turn Adam Cortez also represents francis hall. No one knows exactly what happened. Not francis hall, by contrast, definitely does not. Actually Bonnie says she knows exactly what happened and she told her version of events to attorney lee cutter in this video. deposition. Bonnie says she was driving down the highway when out of the blue. Something hits her back bumper at first, I thought it was an act

I didn't. Maybe somebody had hit me from behind by accident, but then, when I looked back and I looked to the view mirror, I saw that it was MR hall, Francis Francis was driving a cadillac escalate, a giant The then she hit me more times. got thrown onto upcoming traffic after I got there and to oncoming traffic I was fighting cars coming at me- bill, was riding on his hardly motorcycle. All racing down the highway Bonnie, as he somehow got in between the two women's suvs. Bonnie was in the lead vehicle, I see her clearly behind the bell and I'm thinking to myself she's not going to hit bill like she. She didn't think she had the heart to do that.

So then I was describing and then I was started screaming because I saw the escalate getting closer and closer to him ass Bonnie to demonstrate with toy cars, but is that, while car set an example, She says happened on the road bills, We here, I'm speeding up in. I see bill in wanting to stop it. I dont stock rearing, life. I don't know what she's thinking, what she hasn't a vehicle to chechnya, weapons of sheep- I don't know, what's she's thinking in her head, and I see As we come in and she does she hit fellow, he flies off. The bite flies out. Who was not wearing a helmet and suffered major blunt force injuries. She doesn't stop in her trial.

At all. Neither woman called nine one one and then she starts to hit me from behind again. I I to a really really fast. You turn right there. I almost had a pool and she did the utah really quickly behind me. Then I started speeding backup towards where the said it had happened, and then she was speaking behind me. She then continuously was hitting me. I sped up the ranger over up to like a hundred bonnie clean. Frances rearing ended her up to fifteen times. Eventually, both women pulled over at the spot, where bill had been knocked off his harling, the police were called as dusk turn. to night, hank hall and other family members alerted by phone calls from Bonnie and francis we're at the sea just a few miles: from bill's trucking company bill was laying on the ground. He was breathing, like you know, real

my screamed honestly. What the what the hell's going on you know like mad, and there was a police officer. Gonna tell me I come back when he heard my voice, those started breathing faster and he was trying to Can I say something, but he was breathing hard. You know they look at. Yeah. He knew I was there. I know that he knew that france's there. He knew that I was there Nicky their family members had to the hospital where hours passed before they are told the devastating news. They told us. You know he has passed away, so we were just completely in shock. I thought. Maybe he'll have couple of injuries. You know a broken arm, broken leg, somethin like that, but never never death. I never expected that in shock. Nicky goes to find her mother only too. Shocked again, where is my mom? How do I get a hold of my mom Well, I learned that she's arrested in jail for answers being interrogated by police after bill dies. She is read her.

it's an she request, an attorney, but she cannot help learning out what's racing through her mind, There is nothing more to say: Francis hall was charged with felony murder and aggravated assault on bonnie contreras. By was without both in my parents we. Finally, car around five in the morning. It was her mom she's like. I know what happened to your dad and I can't believe this happened. I just can't believe it. The tragic turn of events toward the close knit hall family apart hank hall bills, closest friend, blamed francis for his death. I was upset her. I was really really mad at the point that she took my best friend bill was gone.

but francis swears. His death did not happen. The way Bonnie described to police and positively did not hit bills motorcycle with her front bumper It was an accident by one of the many years of work by us, but will anyone leave her. If not, she could spend the rest of her life behind bars. during their two year long, marriage, life for bill and Francis hall was,

filled with family wealth and happiness. France's had everything money could buy, except her. spends fidelity after bill. Whole junior died on October tenth, two thousand thirteen francis hall hadn't spoken with the report raises I'm peter Van sant until she met with forty eight hours to tell her version of what happened on that stretch of highway I'm your perspective. This was what I don't that I dont even know how, but it was an accident

many years of work by has, but you did not murder, you never would have Remember in the weeks leading up to the confrontation, Frances had received dozens of insulting taunting messages from her husband's mistress, bonnie contreras, including photos of the two of them having sex on that I told her day. Francis is driving home from her nieces volleyball game, and I see him in his pipe is motorcycle. This motorcycle and I hate her a few currently in back I pulled over and I stopped. I get a phone call from my mom. She said I just saw your your dad and I just saw Bonnie I'm turning around I'm gonna come from her. I said

Go ahead. You do what you gonna do what we're planning to do when you made that? U turn I wanted her to pull over, I wanted her to pull over. I want it to come from this one. I wanted to tell leave me the freak alone. Already, that's enough, I can take you. I want it and you can have it just leave me and my family out of this. Immediately after we got off the phone I called bonnie. I left her a message told you to watch your back and be light francis floors, it quickly catching up to her husband and his mistress. It's at this moment that France's bonnie stories part ways wasn't frightened she was in the back and I was in the back. I would come up to her pull off to the site and tell her to pull over sheet

no. Are you gesturing like what was your window down now? Pilots, jesting I'd go off to the yellow line and tell her to pull over. She would know. No. I could see her. She kept breaking on me As soon as I come up next to her she break and not break, and you bob, back of recall, never did I touch the car again. Bonnie claims France's hitter back bumper, multiple times while this is going on, will actually comes to this unfinished shoulder right here and close to the side of the cars like him. I saw him for my passenger window I saw him as a driving ban I look to the french she breathed miles an hour down here, bonnie breaks and it creates a chain reaction. Exactly bill has to react, elastic

acting while he's reacting. Remember Frances is reacting in that escalate body swears that at that moment she saw in her rearview mirror france's hit bill head on, knocking him off the highway francis says: that's a lie: already seen him pass me solely in full for the way they said that hit him, and then I knew what I was doing. I never hear him head on leak or has studied every inch of the accident seen and the three vehicles involved, She is certain of what unfolded from france's per se. As far as stealing a little bit more she's doing. It has failed to sign in big all harley and they they make contact. right about here and fill out millions of actually right behind you in this big tall rest and yet, according to francis in the chaos of the moment. She

or saw felt or heard bills. Crap you're. Looking look in mirror, you didn't see us behind you as you drove oh, no, no, I didn't see it they lie focused was in the front cause she kept breaking on me and breaking and break so based on what you are telling me right now was this and accidents or is this some form of murder that occurred on this? I Peter, if one is guilty of anything, I would say its body, contrary of reckless driving, because everyone how to react to her actions by knows just a tragic accident and Lee is ready for battle. She's, a former marine rotc, with a history of winning on the big stage. She was once a teen beauty queen nothing harder than defending someone that you know.

Believing your heart is innocent attorney. Adam Cortez of former boxer will also represent francis. He brings brawlers attitude into the courtroom. Francis hall is. a nurture she's everyone's mother, she's, everyone's rock to say, She was intensely trying to her bill. All man she's love, still loves and always will love. I mean that's just a ludicrous idea francis. What do you want people to know about you, but I am not the person they portrayed me to be very compassionate, sincere woman. He is the love of my life. always be the love of my life, who do you believe, is ultimately responsible. The most responsible for your husband's death

I would say it was The. the I got, a black blade and a black range rover driving on the road or traveling at a high rate of ninety hundred miles an hour. The This case is one simple question is what happened on this rural highway in texas and accidents or an active murder. I sympathise wanting to confront your has. his mistress but engaging and rode rage as unacceptable.

Four prosecutors, stephanie policies and the deadly confrontation that occurred along this dusty stretch of highway was nothing short of murder and her cold council scott simpson, knows they will have to convince jurors that this was not a justifiable killing. We knew is gonna, be a difficult case, but not because of the facts. All I have female friends kept telling me throughout the trial. They they were kept, keep saying he had it coming. I don't think that he had death coming. He had a divorced coming if everybody were sentenced to death for being a philanderer. What would the population look like on august thirtieth, two thousand and sixteen nearly three years after bill halls, tragic death, the murder trial of his wife, Francis got under way, and for the first time since that deadly chase francis came

face to face with the woman she blamed for all of this. Her husband's mistress, bonnie contreras, right away. Bonnie tells the jury she and bill were targeted that day a new model in hungary. deposition. Bonnie demonstrated She says she saw in her rearview mirror. I see that as clay coming. She does she hit fellow. He flies off the life, The bite flies off. Adventure pity me and hitting me, and I kept going faster and faster bonuses. Francis continued her attack ramming. suv as many as fifteen time

screaming to disprove Bonnie story. The defence calls Listen. Reconstruction, expert, charles rouble. This is the black moreover, or landrover, who all who uses toy cars to demonstrate what he says happened. Male hall was following his wife your travelling at seventy eighty miles an hour. Ruby believes that wind bill maneuvered around the escalate to avoid colliding. He veered right, hit the shoulder and then tried to correct himself by veering left. That is when he acts gently struck, France's rear window bill, lost control and was thrown off the highway so, based on your analysis, there is absolutely no evidence that bodies claim that Francis rear ended. Her husband is true. There's no evidence no evidence,

whatsoever. There is no evidence from the rear, the motorcycle of any contact, there's no evidence on the hook, the escalate, the prosecution concedes that bodies recollection of events is not supported by the evidence. I wouldn't characterized her testimony is untruthful. I would just characterize it as an stake at the right rover, prosecution, collision, expert, Timothy love it, oh, I don't think Bonnie contreras is intentionally lying about this collision. She's excitable she's gus body this just like a raging bowl behind love. It says the evidence clearly shows that francis rammed bodies car multiple times. I have damage on this side of the bumper and I

damage on this side of the front bumpers. Well, that's too that at least one more than just an accidental. As for why the damage on the bumpers appears so minor. The prosecution has an answer to vehicles are moving at a high rate of speed and they're going to the same speed. You're not gonna, see huge damage when they climb and ask how build died, prosecutors believe Francis sides, wiped bills. Motorcycle knocking him off the road ass she pursued Bonnie, it doesn't make sense to say this is an accident when you look at this around these outcomes. Tat prosecutors, point to the day before the crash, when Francis physically assaulted and furthermore, they play the phone message that Francis his daughter, Nicky left on bodies cell phone during the chase carried you to watch your backing lie to me

and I want to think to any woman that would speak very much to france's intend to hurt bonding. She was out for so you take the stand as a prosecution. Witness the prosecution calls bills cousin hank, who they believe is about to cap off their case by telling jurors Francis murdered bill. after hearing all of the evidence and seen Francis in court hank has a change of heart, but you end up saying something on the stand that the prosecution doesn't want you to to say in front of this jury. They asked me if, if I thought that francis had killed bill and Matt took a moment, I told them. No, today, the melee. Are you kidding me kind of lobbyists and did you look?

word francis after you send them? She grabbed herself and started crying in a way. At that moment, that's when the whole family comes back to get back together, qana got everybody close again after really a three week trial, Francis chooses not to testify leaving her fate in the hands of a texas Europe as a result of her range, and justice is holding us. Women are sensible That means- she's been living in the where the yeah.

For all his fifty years. Bill hall lived to the max, building and taking everything, and in thing he want right till the the multi millionaire Two women fighting for him. I miss him tremendously. I just wish he was here. The only man I've ever been with don't bother my jumper bills. Hunger for life grew into an appetite destruction and then out on a rural, texas, highway. Everything good was gone. this is a story of of loss by Miss my family for Nicky, who believe

this was an accident, not a murder. It comes down to this. Her father dead. Which he now lose her mother. To would Francis hall be put away by a jury sworn to justice? she's, a strong, strong, strong woman. That being said, Wasn't gonna, go murder, her husband and say: if I can have, no one can have him. That's just not francis but the state of texas. argued hard bill may not have been francis is intended target, but her actions that day resulted in his day. and now she had to pay the price this dangerous intersection of emotion and betrayal. humiliation in because you made that? U turn yes! This and with that I will live for the rest of my life. Testimony lasted seven days, then it was in the chair

rees, hands they deliberate a single day and on September eighth, two thousand sixteen they spoke as one it's all guilty of the convicted of both aggravated assault and murder. Francis hole faced a possible life sentence for a million years bill. Never I am very happy on the conviction she got on both counts They gave me peace, but, along with the guilty verdict came one must step a separate,

Sentencing trial, Francis had a final opportunity and her legal teen conjured a bold defence, sudden passion. If ever there was a person that the sudden passion provision was written for its francis are absolutely sudden passion, a league term for a profoundly human moment, a wife chasing down her cheating husband and his unrepentant mistress said and passion that you were sold entrenched. You know stuck in the heat of the moment that you are unable to think clearly now, if you can, death, its murder, but at punishment you can get a lower punished. When you get basically manslaughter punishment. That lowers it to twenty huge huge differ, Lee cutter and Adam Cortez made their passionate case for sudden passion and this time france

hold, took the stand in her own defence Nah evil Sid. I m sure you can't get off and you been big middle finger to the jury. The prosecution fought back say: france's side, swiped her car into bill halls powder blue, hardly in a mad, Less attempt to confront Bonnie contreras, see this for someone who says I did wrong you'd be mercy that, for somebody says you ve got it wrong, but giving mercy any for days After her conviction, francis learns her fate That's a party finally, institutional division on the text, part of justice, return to

I felt like wow. Yes, only two years by there goes my mom off. She goes, and I know that I could have done this forefront that I was grateful, but it's two years away from my honour. It tends to be here. I will be there for my grandkids kill my vampire never do that. Passion is what this tale came down to and for at least one texas family love for a man whose passions for life led him down the wrong road, brilliant guy, smart but I say you know you can be the smartest man in the world and guess what you make mistakes too.

some three years after his death, his family is shattered and bill hall trucking has filed for bankruptcy As you stand here in this jail talking to me, do you still love hold you in all my heart. That they're, like I love, Why. Bunny contreras filed a lawsuit against francis hall, alleging infliction of bodily injury and emotional distress She is seeking to point five frances hall is expected to be released from prison in September. Two thousand. Does it forty eight hours? Don't come to your more of body? Contreras deposition, hey Brian,

First, you can listen to the forty eight hours podcast ad free on amazon music download. The amazon music ab today or you can listen ad we were wondering, plus an apple pie. Gas before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey of wondering dog com, sledge survey.