The Story Behind Mississippi's Most Notorious Murderer Will Send Chills Down Your Spine
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Daniella DiRienzo
Author
Overall, Mississippi is a pretty safe place. However, the state isn’t totally free of crime. And according to Thought Catalog’s list of the most notorious murderer from each state, one of Mississippi’s worst crimes was committed by Carla Ann Hughes in 2006.
Her heinous crime took place in November of 2006, when she murdered her lover’s pregnant fiancée, Avis Banks.
Hughes was born in 1981 and raised in Greenville. Much of her childhood was spent horseback riding and competing in beauty pageants. She eventually moved to Hattiesburg to attend the University of Southern Mississippi. After earning her Bachelor’s Degree, she went on to Delta State University. She continued her education until her arrest, at which time she was working on her doctorate.
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Hughes began her career as an elementary school teacher. Eventually, however, she accepted a job as a language arts teacher at Chastain Middle School in Jackson.
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While working at Chastain Middle School, Hughes began an intimate relationship with Keyon Pittman, a fellow teacher and basketball coach. At the time, Pittman’s fiancee’, Avis Banks, was pregnant with his child.
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It appeared as if a someone kicked in the back door to gain access to the home. Once inside, the perpetrator shot and stabbed Banks. Immediately after discovering his deceased fiancée, Pittman called Hughes, piquing the interest of investigators.
It didn’t take long for police to find proof that Hughes was lying. Shortly after the murder, Hughes’ cousin told police that he let her borrow a loaded 38 caliber revolver – the same type of weapon used in the slayings. Furthermore, the gun was empty when she returned it.
Aside from motive and the weapon, prosecutors provided some pretty incriminating evidence. In addition to cell phone records confirming that Hughes was near Banks and Pittman’s home at the time of the murder, her shoes matched prints left on the back door.
On October 13, 2009, after just 8 hours of deliberation, the jury reached a verdict. Hughes was found guilty of two counts of capital murder for the deaths of Avis Banks and her unborn child. Rather than the death penalty, which she was eligible for, Hughes was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole.
Over the years, the case has been featured on numerous TV shows, including Forensic Files, Dateline, Snapped, Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets, Scorned: Love Kills, and Fatal Attraction.
Learn about another infamous crime in “This Is The Number One Unsolved Mystery In Mississippi And It Will Leave You Baffled.“
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