At one point, Barbara ripped the photos that were found in what seemed to be an attempt to hide them from police. (CBS/AP) MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. - An unfriendly Facebook relationship turned downright deadly in northeast Tennessee, authorities say. A Tennessee mother who was one of the three family members convicted in the so-called Facebook Murders case rejected her chance at a new trial and reached a deal with prosecutors that will send her to prison for 25 years. Mountain City crime rates are 69% lower than the Tennessee average. A feud erupted on social media with Curd, Paynes cousin, taking Jenelles side. They also, in the same breath, would say how different she was, and then [she] became unable to make friends normally, Groover told 20/20.Social media became Jenelles life support, though she said her parents monitored her Facebook page. High 57F. The book discusses the police investigation that Brooks said made the crime even more interesting. In recounting the evidence against Barbara during Wednesdays plea hearing, Deputy DA Brooks reportedly described how investigators found hundreds of emails that showed how Jenelle catfished by pretending to be a CIA agent named Chris. "I think that we did it to each other. They kept referring to a guy Chris thats supposedly a CIA operative or something, special agent Lott said. The Rules of Professional Conduct impute the actions of non-lawyers to their attorney employers. Their infant son was still cradled in his dead mother's arms. Jenelles father, Marvin Potter, and her boyfriend, Curd, then broke into the home of Payne and Hayworth and murdered them. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 1. All the trademarks displayed on this page are the property of Location, Inc. Crime, Popular Communities Near Mountain City TN. Shults, who represented Barbara Potter in this part of her appeal, said his client was entitled to due process and independent counsel for her trial. She was thinking of that and of wanting to accept her fault in what actually occurred., [image via Johnson County Sheriffs Office], Have a tip we should know? I dont want people to think, Hes just prosecuting the case to write another book, said Brooks, who does not know whether hell ever write another book. Jenelle spent time with Greenwell and her friends, including Greenwells brother Billy Payne. Jenelles Dad Admits to Being Involved in Murders. Marvin Potter, Barbara Potter and Jenelle Potter are all planning to appeal their convictions. They took no medication. To have that opportunity was important to her. I walked away from that (post-conviction) hearing myself having concerns about that representation.. ", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Potters mother Barbara Potter had a job with Hewlett-Packard, and her father Marvin Potter, known as Buddy, was a former marine who served in Vietnam. Appearing in Washington County Court on Wednesday, Barbara Potter, 69, pleaded guilty to two counts of facilitation of . Whats happening this weekend around the Tri-Cities? The CIA agent Chris had apparently been corresponding with Barbara and warning her about threats to her daughters life. Potter was found guilty in May of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder for the 2012 shooting deaths of Billie Jean Hayworth, 23, and Billy Payne, 36. The judge did not find any fault on the Brady issue, but he did grant relief on the first two issues. Best Places to Live in Mountain City, Tennessee State: Tennessee County: Johnson County Metro Area: No Metro Area City: Mountain City Zip Codes: 37683 Cost of Living: -26.8% lower New! But from Barbaras perspective, shed already had that trial one time. The states evidence hinged on hundreds of emails and Facebook posts and messages sent between Jenelle, her mother, Curd and a mystery man named Chris who was supposedly a CIA agent who wanted to kill Payne and Hayworth but couldnt, so he urged the Potter women to find someone else to do it. . The infamous double-murder was dubbed the Facebook murders after authorities said that the killings were, in part, due to an online feud that was motivated by jealousy and harassment. feet - baths - beds #5 Nc 194 S Todd, NC 28684 - sq. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. In the upcoming months, officials will decide whether the Potter women will receive a new trial, get a chance at an appeal, or be left to serve their sentences as planned. . Choose wisely! The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Mountain City is 1 in 76. Later that week, authorities brought Curd in and asked him to take a polygraph test, which indicated he lied about knowing the identity of Payne and Hayworths killer. Raw data sources: The release states officers found Teddy Allen Street lying on the roadway with a gunshot wound to the neck.. But Barbara, pictured above with Marvin, didnt accept her husbands supposed confession of guilt. Jenelle Potter, pictured above, said she had trouble making friends when she moved to Mountain City, Tennessee, in 2005. Chief Deputy Woodard said investigators found an arsenal of weapons around the home though none matched the murder weapon. She certainly could have. Mountain City, TN - Unfriended Facebook Murders From Every Town 0 0 29 minutes Description You've got a Facebook friend request - or conversely, your friend request has been accepted - and the thrill of having a new virtual friend that may open beautiful possibilities is undeniable. Midway through her interview with "20/20," Jenelle Potter shut down in tears and walked out back to her cell. 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In her amended petition for post- conviction relief, Petitioner argues: A. When they impounded Marvins truck, they found bags of shredded documents, pictured above. They unfriended me, Jenelle said. The jury reached a verdict of guilty on Friday, October 11, 2013 in the trial of Mavin Enoch Buddy Potter, Jr. who was charged with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of Mountain City couple Bill Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth. [Jenelle said] she wished that Bill and Billie Jean and that damn baby would die. She was paranoid about it.. Payne and Hayworth were shot inside their Johnson County home early that morning while Payne was getting ready for work. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee's Adjutant General, confirmed the identities of two Tennessee Army National Guard pilots killed Wednesday af. Petitioner also could have argued that if she was guilty of anything, she was guilty of lesser offenses. The statement also said Buddy Potter was innocent and that it was Curd who planned and carried out the murders. Jenelle Potter's mother, Barbara Potter, told "20/20" that Chris told her in emails that he was watching her family's every move and was monitoring what Payne and Hayworth were allegedly saying on social media about her daughter. In this photo, a rock is pictured found on the front lawn of the Potter family's home. Hayworth died while holding her 7-month-old baby boy. Like her husband and daughter, Barbara was sentenced to serve life in prison. "Match Any Neighborhood" calculates the Match Level of one neighborhood to another using more than 200 characteristics of each neighborhood. The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Mountain City; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 306. Mr. Fallin was not granted power of attorney over the Potter family assets counsels daughter Jessica was. They unfriended me," Jenelle said. Instead of being herself, my parents tried to make her fit in. Crime risk data are updated annually. After combing through them, it appeared there was some type of conspiracy here. The shocking murder left 36-year-old Billy Clay Payne and 23-year-old Billie Jean Hayworth dead. I remember I wrote, Please do not write on Jenelles Facebook. I begged them. ", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. But when an online feud erupted, two of her former friends were found murdered in their home while their baby survived. Jenelle was accused of catfishing, or creating a fake social media account to convince her family that Payne and Hayworth were dangerous. "I didn't hate [Hayworth and Payne]. Winds light and variable. MOUNTAIN CITY Agents of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are investigating the circumstances leading to an officer-involved shooting that took place in Johnson County just after 7 p.m.. Cause I wasnt born and raised here. Data for all 32,900 zip codes in one easy-to-use Excel file Mountain City, Tn Housing Market Highlights ECONOMY Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. She did want to go in there and plead guilty, Schults told the paper. The tragic case rocked the entire town of Mountain City, Tennessee. In previous trials, the prosecutor presented several signs of possible knowledge of the plan, such as an article Barbara reportedly emailed to herself entitled Can God Forgive a Murder? 15 days before the murders took place. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. This is about average for all cities and towns in America of all population sizes. Barbara got it to happen.. Low around 35F. Now, two of the three parties serving two consecutive life sentences for the 2012 murders of Bill Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth are asking for a new ruling. An agent meticulously reconstructed the shredded papers found in Marvin Potter's truck, pictured here, which appeared to be thousands of emails sent to the Potter family. She said she was the victim of anonymous cyberbullying, some of which she believes came from Hayworth. According to a summary from the publisher, when Payne and Hayworth began their romance, they unknowingly set in motion a diabolical plot that would end with them murdered in their own home, Hayworth holding their infant, who was not harmed. And if I have to forgive any of youns to stay out of hell, Ill see you there, Garland said. And I unfriended her.".