Buried Memories
Irene Pence
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1981–1985 · Texas, United States
Betty Lou Beets
The story behind Buried Memories
Photo credit
Bruce W. Moore / Oldsclphoto13 / Texas Department of Criminal Justice / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped/resized. Adaptations use the same license.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
Investigators searching Betty Lou Beets’s Texas property found the remains of two of her husbands, Doyle Wayne Barker and Jimmy Don Beets, buried near the home. Prosecutors said financial gain motivated Jimmy Don’s killing. Beets was convicted of his capital murder; the discovery of both bodies turned a missing-person investigation into a widely reported case.
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The Story
When1981–1985
WhereTexas, United States
In this collection27 resources
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Evil Lives Here — Momma Made Me Help
Investigation Discovery · Season 8, Episode 4 · Listed air date 2020-09-13
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Till Death Do Us Part — Jimmy Don and Betty Lou Beets, Part 1
Apple Podcasts
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Nicknames & media names
1 itemsMedia label · subtitle of Buried Memories
Texas Black Widow
A label used in the book’s subtitle, not a legal name.
ReferenceCatalog / Availability
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Blogs & Essays
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
True Crime Stories · Blog / essay
Betty Lou Beets
An outside blog or essay discussing Betty Lou Beets. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription.
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Books
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Books
1 itemsIrene Pence
Buried Memories
A nonfiction account of this case. See the linked edition for publication details and available formats.
BookCatalog / Availability
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Movies & TV
Movies
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TV & documentaries
3 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
Investigation Discovery · Season 8, Episode 4 · Listed air date 2020-09-13
Evil Lives Here — Momma Made Me Help
IMDb episode reference connected to the Betty Lou Beets case. Listed release: 2020. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate. Includes coverage of Betty Lou Beets.
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Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
IMDb · TV episode
Killer Grannies — Granny's Wishing Well (2025)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Betty Lou Beets case. Listed release: 2025. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
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IMDb · TV episode
Deadly Women — Behind the Mask (2009)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Betty Lou Beets case. Listed release: 2009. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
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Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
Buried Memories : The Bloody Crimes and Execution of the Texas Black Widow
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
No verified fictional adaptation or inspiration has been identified in this collection. Nonfiction coverage is listed in the other media sections.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
14 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
Till Death Do Us Part — Jimmy Don and Betty Lou Beets, Part 1
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
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LOVE MURDER
Betty Lou Beets & Her Husbands’ Buried Bodies
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released January 27, 2021. About 109 minutes.
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Ray William Johnson: True Story Podcast
She Killed BOTH Her Husbands - The Betty Lou Beets Story
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released February 8, 2026. About 9 minutes.
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True Crime All The Time
Betty Lou Beets
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released November 5, 2018. About 74 minutes.
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Once Upon A Crime
Black Widows: Betty Lou Beets
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released January 15, 2019. About 60 minutes.
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Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén
“The Black Widow” Betty Lou Beets Pt. 1
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released August 26, 2024. About 41 minutes.
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Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén
“The Black Widow” Betty Lou Beets Pt. 2
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released September 2, 2024. About 38 minutes.
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Till Death Do Us Part Podcast
Part 2: Jimmy Don and Betty Lou Beets with Doyle Wayne Barker
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released December 17, 2024. About 62 minutes.
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Till Death Do Us Part Podcast
Part 3: Jimmy Don and Betty Lou Beets with Doyle Wayne Barker
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released December 17, 2024. About 63 minutes.
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The Guilty and The Ghostly
The Black Widow of Henderson County - Betty Lou Beets
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released June 23, 2025. About 43 minutes.
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Talk Deadly To Me
The Curious Case of Betty Lou Beets, Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released October 9, 2020. About 97 minutes.
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Crimes and Consequences
EP 251: Betty Lou Beets, The Black Widow
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released December 9, 2024. About 59 minutes.
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Texas Wine and True Crime
Betty Done Did It! (Betty Lou Beets)
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released October 31, 2020. About 35 minutes.
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The Creepy Burrito
Episode 43: Betty Lou Beets - Texas's Black Widow
Podcast coverage of the Betty Lou Beets case. Released February 3, 2021. About 38 minutes.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
3 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
OverDrive · Library Access
Buried Memories — Audiobook
Irene Pence. Related reading for Betty Lou Beets. This library catalog lists the edition. Borrowing depends on membership in that library and current availability.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Buried Memories
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Buried Memories
Irene Pence. Related reading for Betty Lou Beets. Book information and any pages made available by Google Books; this is not a promise of full-text access.
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Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Newspaper clippings
1 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram · 1985-10-12 · Page 32
Jury convicts Beets of capital murder
An Associated Press report covers the verdict in Jimmy Don Beets’s killing and the competing trial accounts.
Historical reporting; read in the context of its publication date.
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Internet Archive
1 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · Library record · 2001
Buried memories : the chilling true story of Betty Lou Beets, the Texas Black Widow
Pence, Irene. A library catalog record for a book connected with Betty Lou Beets. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
2 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Court opinionArchive copy
Beets v. Johnson — federal habeas appeal
Federal habeas decision examining Betty Lou Beets’s capital conviction, including the murder-for-remuneration provision.
- Court / agency
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Document date
- 1999
- Hosted by
- FindLaw
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Court opinionArchive copy
Beets v. State — conviction and rehearing opinions
Texas appellate opinions reviewing the prosecution for Jimmy Don Beets’s murder, including the court’s rehearing analysis.
- Court / agency
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- Document date
- 1987–1988
- Case / citation
- 69583
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
3 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Dr. Todd Grande
Five Husbands, Two Murders | Betty Lou Beets Case Analysis
Video from Dr. Todd Grande covering the Betty Lou Beets case. Length: 14:57.
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True Crime All The Time
Betty Lou Beets
Video from True Crime All The Time covering the Betty Lou Beets case. Length: 1:17:56.
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True Crime Brewery
Down the Wishing Well
Video from True Crime Brewery covering the Betty Lou Beets case. Length: 1:51:43.
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