Anjette Lyles

Case details

Name: Anjette Lyles Also known as: Anjette Donovan Lyles Status: Sentenced to death in 1958. The Board of Pardons and Paroles commuted her death sentence, and Lyles was sent to the State Hospital for the Insane in Milledgeville. She died on December 4, 1977.

Timeline

• 1958 — Authorities in Macon received an anonymous letter charging that Lyles’ daughter Marcia was being poisoned at home and investigated.
• 4 April 1958 — Marcia Elaine Lyles died; autopsy found lethal traces of arsenic.
• 6 May 1958 — Lyles was arrested and charged with four counts of murder.
• October 1958 — Lyles’ trial was held; she was convicted and sentenced to death.
• June 10, 1959 — A grand jury in Bibb County by a special presentment charged and accused Mrs. Anjette Donovan Lyles with murder.
• 7 August 1959 — The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed her sentence.
• December 1977 — Lyles died of heart failure at age fifty-two; she had been treated in Milledgeville for life.

Background

Anjette Lyles was born in Georgia during 1917. She later lived in Macon, Georgia, where she owned and operated a restaurant in downtown Macon. Her husband, Ben F. Lyles Jr., owned Lyles Restaurant in downtown Macon, which his late father had begun.

Lyles married Ben F. Lyles Jr. in 1947. They had two daughters: Marcia, born in 1948, and Carla, born in 1951. Lyles and Ben operated the restaurant together, and she was successful in dealing with customers.

In June 1951, Ben F. Lyles Jr. sold the restaurant due to failing health, without consulting Lyles. Ben later died on 25 January 1952 after doctors decided on encephalitis as the cause of his death. After Ben’s death, Lyles moved into her parents’ home, found work in another local restaurant, and saved while learning the business.

In April 1955, Lyles bought back the restaurant she believed her husband had stolen from her, renamed it “Anjette’s,” and ran it. Her clientele included businessmen, judges, attorneys, and civic leaders.

In the late spring of 1955, Lyles began seeing Joe Neal Gabbert, a pilot for Capitol Airways. She traveled with Gabbert to Texas and New Mexico later that year, and they married in Carlsbad, New Mexico, on 24 June 1955. After the marriage, Gabbert moved into the Donovan household.

Gabbert entered Parkview Hospital for minor surgery on his wrist; after he developed a spiking fever and a painful skin rash that spread over his entire body, doctors were unable to locate the cause. Gabbert was transferred to the Veterans Hospital in Dublin, Georgia, where he died on 2 December 1955.

After Gabbert’s death, Lyles appeared in Bibb County Superior Court to change her name from Gabbert back to Lyles. With Gabbert’s life insurance, she bought a new car and a house and later began dating another Capitol Airways pilot.

Lyles’ mother-in-law, Julia Lyles, moved in after the purchase of the new house, wanting to be closer to grandchildren and spending much of each day at the restaurant. Lyles found a bankbook showing that Julia had considerable wealth. Lyles pressured Julia to make a will, and Julia refused.

When Julia became ill in August 1957, Lyles stayed with her and cared for her during her month-long hospital stay. Julia suffered nausea and severe edema, but doctors did not isolate the cause of her symptoms. Julia died on 29 September 1957 and was buried beside her husband and son. A week later, Lyles produced what she claimed was Julia’s will and presented it for probate.

Lyles was described as superstitious, frequented fortunetellers and root doctors, tried to cast her own spells, and pressed her maid Carmen Howard and her mother-in-law to participate in ceremonies. Staff found her burning candles in the kitchen and speaking to the flames.

In March 1958, Marcia grew listless, developed a bad cough, and had a temperature of 106 degrees. Marcia was sent to the hospital, and she later died on 4 April 1958.

The offence

Lyles was charged with murdering her daughter Marcia Elaine Lyles by administering and causing to be administered deadly poisons, specifically arsenic and arsenic trioxide, and other poisons of like deadly character. The presentment alleged that she enticed Marcia to swallow and take internally the deadly poisons “at a time and times, and in a form and forms, and in a dose and doses” unknown to the grand jury but likely to produce death. The presentment alleged Marcia died on the 5th day of April in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Fifty-Eight.

During the trial, the jury convicted Lyles of the offense charged without any recommendation, and she was sentenced to be electrocuted. At sentencing, the court imposed a death sentence.

The prosecution was permitted to present evidence showing that, in addition to murdering Marcia in 1958, Lyles had previously poisoned and killed three other persons: Ben F. Lyles Jr., Joe Neal Gabbert, and Mrs. Ben F. Lyles, Sr. The evidence was offered to show motive, plan, and scheme.

The prosecution’s evidence described arsenic poisoning for each of the deaths: Marcia (the charged victim) and the other three victims. The evidence described patterns including close relationships to Lyles, multiple doses building up to lethal levels, Lyles as the only close personal attendant to all four victims, little or no grief shown by Lyles, collection of money as a result of each death, and similarities in burials.

Investigation and evidence

In 1958, authorities in Macon investigated an anonymous letter charging that Lyles’ daughter Marcia was being poisoned at home. The girl died before police intervened, but an autopsy revealed lethal traces of arsenic.

Lyles was arrested and charged with four counts of murder while she was being hospitalized for phlebitis. Miss Della West was one of the guards while she was at the hospital.

A search of Lyles’ house turned up boxes of ant poison containing arsenic and “voodoo paraphernalia,” including candles, written spells, potions, powders, and roots.

After Marcia’s illness and death, an anonymous letter was received and passed on to the coroner of Bibb County; the coroner contacted Dr. Campbell, who performed a second autopsy. Dr. Campbell removed tissue from the liver and kidneys and parts of hair for testing for poison by the State Crime Laboratory in Atlanta. Two bottles of Terro ant poison were also forwarded.

An expert examiner testified that the purported will of Mrs. Ben Lyles, Sr. and the burial instrument were forgeries made with tracing paper. Tracing paper was found by investigating officers in Lyles’ home.

The State introduced documents, including canceled checks and other instruments. Some documents were alleged to be dated after the death of Marcia Elaine Lyles. The State contended the documents were relevant to the money motive and to show forgeries.

A handwriting analyst pronounced Julia’s signature on a funeral note and will forged.

The State offered evidence showing financial transactions and insurance benefits connected to each death, including income from life insurance policies and Veterans Administration payments after Ben’s death.

Arrest

Lyles was arrested and charged with murder while she was being hospitalized for phlebitis. She was charged with four counts of murder in May 1958.

In a separate narrative of her encounter with jail officials, she told a guard that she had all the “brass hats” in Macon behind her and would easily get the whole matter straightened out, and she said she had a letter from Mrs. Ben F. Lyles, Sr. that would clear her.

Trial

Lyles’ trial was held in Macon in the first week of October 1958 and attracted worldwide attention. Huge crowds stood outside the courtroom. Newspapers referred to her as “the glamorous, platinum-haired widow.”

Before arraignment, Lyles filed demurrers to the presentment generally and specially. She argued that the allegations were insufficient to charge her under the laws of the state and, specifically, that it alleged no specific date or dates of assaults and no allegation of any date on which she allegedly murdered Marcia Elaine Lyles. The demurrers were overruled.

At trial, a jury convicted Lyles of the offense charged without any recommendation and she was sentenced to be electrocuted. Her conviction relied on evidence that she poisoned Marcia and that the other poisonings were connected as motive, plan, and scheme.

Lyles did not rely on an insanity defense and did not put witnesses on the stand. Her defense consisted of a lengthy unsworn statement she made personally and orally to the jury.

After her conviction, she filed a motion for a new trial on general grounds later amended by special grounds, and she excepted to a judgment denying the motion as amended.

Verbatim quotations from the proceedings and witnesses (as given)

• The court described its view of the evidence in the appeal decision, stating it “shows nothing short of a deliberate, premeditated, well-concocted plan and scheme . . . to murder an innocent child for no cause except to satisfy [Anjette’s] desire for money.”
• Lyles addressed the jury in her unsworn statement, declaring: “Gentlemen of the jury,” “I have not killed anyone,” and she attempted to refute the testimony against her.
• In the same context, Lyles said: “when I get upset, I laugh. I can’t help it. I have done it all my life. Instead of crying, I laugh.”

Evidence and testimony (details preserved)

The trial evidence described a money motive for multiple poisonings through insurance benefits for which Lyles was a beneficiary. It described:

• Ben F. Lyles Jr. being permanently disabled by the Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society on December 1, 1951, and being admitted to a hospital on January 23, 1952.
• Ben’s condition on admission, including being comatose, bleeding from the nose and mouth, generalized edema, hemorrhage in the conjunctiva of both eyes, deliriousness, vomiting, and twitching of his extremities accompanied by rapid respiration.
• Ben’s death on January 25, 1952.
• Insurance details described for Ben’s death and payments made to Lyles and her children.
• Joe Neal Gabbert being an airline pilot described as 26 years old, weighed 200 pounds, and was six feet tall.
• Gabbert’s medical course after a minor wrist operation, including a rash and injuries described by witnesses.
• Evidence described that Lyles had administered fluids and juices to Gabbert at the hospital and later refused an autopsy until the doctor indicated he could go over her head.
• Evidence that Gabbert was buried in Macon then later exhumed and moved to Texas at the insistence of his parents.
• Evidence about Lyles’ relationship with Julia Lyles, including threats made toward Marcia and the alleged use of ant poison in feeding during Julia’s illness.
• Evidence describing forgeries, including a purported will and burial instrument, and a tracing method described by experts.
• Evidence describing threats and abusive statements to Marcia, including threats to kill her and calling her “Lyles-looking son of a bitch.”
• Evidence describing Marcia’s illness beginning Sunday, March 2, 1958, and the administration of whisky over sugar to Marcia.
• Evidence describing Marcia’s vomiting, hospitalization beginning March 5, and later lemon juice incidents involving sores and rash after contact.
• Evidence describing “doctor and nurse” play with Terro ant poison prior to Marcia’s death, as related by witnesses.
• Evidence describing the initial autopsy that revealed nothing from gross material inspection, followed by a second autopsy with liver, kidney, hair, and poison tests.
• Evidence describing Lyles’ behavior before and after Marcia’s death, including preparation of a casket and church choir involvement, and lack of grief.

Sentencing

Lyles was convicted and sentenced to death. The sentence was described as being to death by electrocution and as a death sentence.

After appeals were exhausted and the trial results were upheld, Governor Ernest Vandiver appointed a sanity commission consisting of a psychiatrist, psychologist, and medical doctor to examine Lyles. The conclusion presented to the Board of Pardons and Paroles was that the prisoner was insane.

Lyles later died of heart failure.

The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed her sentence on July 8, 1959.

Appeals and legal rulings

Lyles appealed her conviction and sentence. The Georgia Supreme Court case name was LYLES v. THE STATE.

The decision addressed her demurrer arguments regarding failure of the presentment to allege specific dates. It held that an indictment or accusation failing to allege some specific date on which the offense was committed is defective as to form and subject to timely special demurrer. It also held that evidence of distinct, independent, and separate offenses was relevant for showing plan, scheme, and motive with respect to the crime charged.

The appeal decision discussed the evidence admitted by the trial court showing prior arsenic poisonings of Ben F. Ben F. Lyles, Sr., and held admission was proper for showing plan, scheme, and motive.

The Georgia Supreme Court also addressed additional special grounds, including disputes about introduction of canceled checks, letters, and documents, and held they did not require reversal of the judgment refusing a new trial.

A special ground alleging the jury was not sworn as required by law was denied because the trial judge’s certificate expressly recited that the jury was sworn before the trial started.

Outcome

The Board of Pardons and Paroles commuted Lyles’ death sentence after psychiatrists found her insane, and she was sent to the State Hospital for the Insane in Milledgeville. She lived the rest of her life in the hospital and died on December 4, 1977.

Aftermath

Lyles’ death in the hospital was described as occurring at age fifty-two. She was buried beside two of her victims, her husband Ben and her daughter Marcia, at Coleman Chapel in Wadley.

Her condition was described by psychiatrists as chronic paranoid schizophrenic, and one doctor’s statement included hallucinations involving “angels flying around the room.”

Lyles later worked and studied in the hospital, including studying magic arts and telling fortunes with playing cards. She told a friend: “They think I’m crazy as hell and I’m going to let them keep thinking it. Because if they don’t, they’re going to fry my ass!”

People and roles mentioned in the case

• Anjette Lyles — defendant; mother of Marcia Elaine Lyles and Carla; accused of poisoning victims
• Marcia Elaine Lyles — daughter and victim; died on 4 April 1958
• Carla — younger daughter of Lyles
• Ben F. Lyles Jr. — husband of Lyles and victim; died on 25 January 1952
• Joe Neal Gabbert — husband of Lyles and victim; died on 2 December 1955
• Mrs. Ben F. Lyles, Sr. (Julia Lyles) — mother-in-law and victim; died on 29 September 1957
• Carmen Howard — maid pressed to participate in ceremonies
• Lester Chapman — Bibb County coroner mentioned as taking tissue samples
• Dr. Charles Ireland — doctor called in on Marcia’s case on March 12; described improvements and predictions
• Dr. Leonard Campbell — pathologist and Bibb County Medical examiner; performed autopsy
• Hoke Smith — embalmer and funeral director who testified about embalming fluid
• Michael Newton — named author in a cited book title included in the record
• Jaclyn Weldon White — author referenced in the record
• Governor Ernest Vandiver — appointed sanity commission
• Board of Pardons and Paroles — commuted death sentence
• Della West — guard while Lyles was at the hospital
• Miss Jennie Ingle — registered nurse mentioned as caring for Gabbert
• Cleo Hutcheson — restaurant employee who remonstrated and was mentioned in testimony
• Cleo Hutcheson (spelled within record) — employee remonstrating with Lyles
• Nora Bagley — referenced as receiving an anonymous note in Cochran
• Eugene Cook and other attorneys listed in the appeal text — named in the record
• William K. Buffington, Jack J. Gautier, Roy B. Rhodenhiser, Jr. — listed in the appeal text

Other details

Lyles was described as having voodoo paraphernalia, fortune-telling practices, and burning candles associated with specific intentions, including statements that:

• “White candles were for peace, red candles were for love, green candles brought luck or money, and orange candles kept people from gossiping about you. Black candles were burned when you wanted someone to die.”

Lyles’ background and relationships were described in multiple narrative strands within the record, including employment at Bell House Restaurant, buying the original Lyles restaurant for $12,000, and community gossip about her relationships.

In the record, the grand jury presentment alleged Marcia died “on the 5th day of April” 1958, while other parts of the narrative stated Marcia died on 4 April 1958, and trial narrative included hospitalization beginning March 5 and later death in early April 1958.