Jennifer Hyatte fell in love with a career criminal and then murdered so she and her husband could taste freedom, Forbidden: Dying for Love examines the case.
Hyatte started a relationship with jailbird George Hyatte whilst she was working as a nurse at Northwest Correctional Complex in Tenn. In a sort of memoir that she later wrote, Hyatte described it a love at first sight and the pair began a relationship. Prison officials soon found out about the affair and sacked Hyatte from her job.
However, this did not stop the couple seeing each other and just a few months later in May 2005 they were married. This proved to be the catalyst for murder and just three months after they were married the pair broke out of prison.
In August 9, 2005, Geogre Hyatte was making an appearance at the Roane Country Courthouse. Whilst he was leaving the building to be escorted back to jail, Hyatte pulled up alongside the transport vehicle and jumped out, shooting two of the guards in the process.
Wayne “Cotton” Morgan died of his wounds and the other guard survived. Jennifer and George Hyatte then went on the run for 36 hours, before they were caught by U.S. Marshalls staying at a motel in Columbus, Ohio.
In 2007, as part of a plea deal to keep the death penalty off the table, 36-year-old Jennifer Hyatte pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and agreed to testify against her husband. He subsequently admitted all charges against him and both husband and wife were sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelForbidden: Dying for Love – Love Locked Up airs at 10:00 PM on Investigation Discovery.
Jennifer’s sister said that Jennifer regrets what she did and cries for the prison guard she killed every day. I don’t believe that for a second. The only thing she regrets she has is getting caught. The tears are for herself. She told her mother that she shot the prison guard by accident when he grabbed the gun. That is a bold faced lie. Witnesses said she intentionally killed the prison guard.