The Murder of Avis Banks
I watched an episode of Dateline about this case not too long ago. This is another tragic case about a love triangle gone wrong. A woman lost her life, and her unborn baby just because another person couldn't let go of that relationship.
Background
Avis Banks was described as a smart and beautiful person. She was the first person in her family to graduate from college. She loved working with kids, and she got a job at a daycare in Ridgeland, Mississippi.
Avis Banks
She was in a relationship with a man named Keyon Pittman, who was a teacher at Chastain Middle School, he also coached basketball. Avis and Keyon were engaged, and expecting their first child in 2006. They were planning to get married the following February. However, what Avis didn't know is that Keyon had a wondering eye and had a secret girlfriend.
Avis and Keyon Pittman
Carla Hughes
Carla Hughes
Carla Hughes met Keyon Pittman at Chastain Middle School, where she was a language arts teacher. They started a sexual relationship, even though she supposedly knew that he was engaged to Avis. She also claimed to know Avis was pregnant.
Carla and Keyon would meet at Carla’s house for hookups, and sometimes Carla would even come to Keyon’s, when Avis was not home. She also would pass notes to Keyon at school, and refer to him as “her future husband.” However, Keyon basically said it was just sex and their was no future plans with her.
Keyon said that after he and Carla broke things off, she started stalking him and said that she would tell Avis about their affair. Four days after this alleged incident, Avis was killed.
Murder
On November 29th, 2006, Avis returned home from work. It’s reported that she usually got home around 3:30-4:00pm. Her routine was that she got the mail and entered through the garage to get inside the house.
Keyon Pittman returned home, and even though he didn’t usually enter the garage to get inside, he opened the garage door and found Avis lying on the floor. She had been shot and stabbed, and she still had the mail and her car keys in her hand. She had multiple gun shot wounds, and her throat had been slashed. Her pants were also pulled down a little, but the police ruled out sexual assault.
The door had been kicked in, and it looked like the killer had try to make the house look like it had been ransacked. The drawers in the master bedroom had all been opened.
Investigation
Keyon Pittman was brought in right away, and apparently was wailing and making guttural noises, but not crying or showing any emotion. He also was talking to someone on the phone, and referring to them as “babe.”
They also brought Carla Hughes, Keyon’s girlfriend, in for questioning. At first Carla denied her relationship with Keyon, and later said they did have a sexual relationship, but that that’s all it was. She was also asked if she owned a gun, and Carla said no.
A few days later, a cousin of Carla’s named Patrick Nash came forward and said that Carla had borrowed a .38 caliber 5-shot revolver from him. He said when she borrowed it, it had 5 bullets in it and when it was returned it was empty. He also said she borrowed a knife, but it was never returned.
Arrest
At first, Carla was charged as an accessory to murder, but on December 8th, 2006, she was charged with two counts of capital murder for the murder of Avis, and her unborn baby.
Trial
The trial began in October 2009. The prosecutors believe the motive for murder was so Carla could finally be with Keyon.
There was a lot of evidence that showed that Carla was the murderer. The gun that Carla borrowed was confirmed to be the murder weapon, her shoes were matched to be the shoes that left a mark on the door that was kicked in and Carla had made some calls at around 5:37pm, 6:04 and 6:05pm, that showed she was in the area of the murder scene.
Carla’s attorneys blamed it all on Keyon. They said Keyon was a womanizer, and didn’t want to be tied down with a wife and baby. Keyon testified and said that Carla became a stalker after they ended their sexual relationship, and about how he was at basketball practice when Avis was murdered.
Carla at trial
Verdict and Sentencing
On October 13th, 2009, Carla Hughes was found guilty on both counts of capital murder. She was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison, without parole.
Other
Keyon Pittman went on to marry someone else in 2008, and apparently they had sent Carla a copy of his marriage certificate while she was in jail to get her to turn on him. OUCH.
Carla Hughes still maintains her innocence and thinks someone framed her. Her request for a new trial was denied.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I believe Carla killed Avis, but I still think Keyon was somehow involved. He seemed like he didn’t give two shits about Avis, and that she and his unborn child were killed. He supposedly cared about Avis, and about Carla at one point and didn't show any emotion about what happened. I personally think Carla and Keyon planned it together, or that Keyon said something about wanting to be with Carla or not wanting to be a father, and Carla killed for him. There’s just too much evidence for me to believe Carla is innocent, and not enough evidence for them to arrest Keyon.
I hope one day if Keyon really was involved, some evidence will come to light or Carla will say something about him being involved. I believe Avis got justice, but I think her family believes that Keyon was involved as well. This didn’t have to happen, and unfortunately Avis had no idea who she was going to marry, or what was going to happen to her.
Sources
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/38495104/ns/dateline_nbc-crime_reports/t/deadly-affair#.X4HS-i2ZO9Y
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carla_Hughes
