Murder of Carl Dixon by Mary Dixon and Danny Cannon spotlighted on Sleeping with Death

Sleeping with Death: An Execution in Bigelow is spotlighting the case of Carl Dixon, whose murder was orchestrated by his wife, Mary Dixon, and carried out by her nephew, Danny Cannon.

On April 7, 2013, officers were dispatched to a home on Cedar Lane in Bigelow, Arkansas, following a 911 call about a deadly home invasion.

When they arrived on the scene, Mary was waiting for them on her front porch. She told them that an unknown person entered her home and shot her 57-year-old husband as he was sleeping in their bedroom.

The intruder then fled through the kitchen door.

Mary told the police that the intruder was bigger than her, but she could not provide information about the intruder’s race, height, or other physical characteristics.

Several months later, investigators learned that Carl’s death was not the result of a home invasion; it was something far more sinister.

Witness claimed Danny Cannon admitted to killing Carl Dixon

The girlfriend of Thamous Miller, Cannon’s friend, told the police that during a conversation, Cannon stated that his aunt wanted her husband dead.

The day after the murder, she said she saw Cannon with $5,000, and the day after that, he admitted to killing Carl.

During a police interview with Miller, he revealed that on April 4, 2013, he and Cannon met up with Mary in the parking lot at Dixon Equipment Services in Perry County.

It was there that Mary paid Cannon $5,000 to kill her husband, and she paid Miller $1,000 to drive the getaway car.

Mary allegedly told them Carl would be asleep in the bedroom and that the murder weapon would already be at her house.

When she was ready for Cannon to commit the murder, Miller said she was supposed to send him a text message.

Phone records showed that on the night of the murder, Mary sent Cannon a text message at 9:47 p.m.

They also called each other 13 times.

Confession led to multiple convictions in murder-for-hire plot

On November 1, 2013, Cannon and Mary were arrested and booked into the Perry County Detention Center, where they were held without bond.

They were both convicted of first-degree murder.

Cannon was sentenced to 25 years in prison, while Mary received a 30-year sentence.

Miller was also arrested, but several months later. He was initially charged with capital murder, but he was convicted of a lesser charge: second-degree murder.

A judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Sleeping with Death: An Execution in Bigelow airs Sunday at 8/7c on Oxygen.