Snapped: Killer Couples is examining the murder of Susan Bailey, a hardworking mom of two from Roanoke, Texas, who was beaten and stabbed to death by her daughter, Jennifer Bailey, and Jennifer’s boyfriend, Paul Henson.
The 43-year-old Susan was worried about 17-year-old Jennifer dating 16-year-old Henson, who she saw as a bad influence, so she barred her daughter from seeing him. Unfortunately, the young couple decided the only way they could be together was if they murdered Susan.
According to some reports, the duo hatched a plan with Jennifer’s younger brother, 13-year-old David, and their friend, 14-year-old Merrilee White, to all kill their parents and then flee to Canada.
The kids had allegedly set a date to kill their parents in the fall of 2008. However, both Henson and White’s attempts to kill failed. Henson had waited, armed with a gun, for his parents to come home, but they had stayed out to watch a movie. Meanwhile, White had raised a knife to her sleeping mom, only for her to wake up and confiscate the deadly weapon.
Unfortunately, Susan came home and was surrounded by Paul and her two children, who beat and stabbed her to death.
Jennifer, Henson, and David then stole their mother’s car and began driving toward Canada. They made it as far as South Dakota, where a suspicious traffic cop pulled over the car full of teenagers in the early hours of the morning.
Cops found Susan Bailey lying dead in her home
The car was registered to Susan, and when the police tried to contact her, they found her remains lying in a pool of dried blood. The cops also found an electrical cord dangling into a bathtub and a bowl of poisoned pudding. Apparently, the teenagers had conflicting opinions on how to kill Susan.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelJennifer and Henson both faced charges of capital murder. Due to their young age, they would have avoided the death penalty but would have received life sentences. They both took separate plea deals.
Paul Henson and Jennifer Bailey convicted of Susan Bailey murder
Paul Henson and Jennifer Bailey pleaded guilty to murder and were sentenced to 60 years. Following the guilty pleas, the killer couples were treated the same as adults.
Denton County prosecutor Jamie Beck said after Henson’s sentencing, “We had significant evidence,” before adding, “The crime was extremely brutal, extremely violent [and] resulted in the death of one of the defendant’s moms.”
The authorities believed David Bailey was led astray by his big sister; the siblings were close, and Jennifer spent a lot of time looking after him because their mother was working. The younger sibling faced some juvenile charges.
Snapped: Killer Couples airs Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen.