By Two and Two: The Shocking True Story of Twins Torn Apart by Lies, Injustice, and Murder

by Jim Schutze

Book Overview

In "a solid account of what appears to be a shocking injustice" an award-winning journalist uncovers the bias that led to a woman's conviction for murder (The New York Times).When a prominent Alabama... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380721775
• ISBN13: 9780380721771
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 321 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Riveting True-Life Tragedy!

Author Jim Schutze has written some terrific non-fiction books in the past but this is his best one! Unlike most true-crime books, this one uncovers a judicial travesty where one twin sister was sent to prison for life and the other one acquitted for a crime they didn't commit. The first twin to be tried, Betty Wilson, was a controverial figure,in that she lived a life of luxury, had numerous affairs, some with black men, and cussed a lot. These traits were instrumental in paving her way into prison for the horrific beating death of her husband, a wealthy dentist. She was convincted on the incredible testimony of a known psychotic and drug addict,James White, with a rap sheet a mile long. He was given a written contract by the district attorney, that assured him of avoiding the electric chair if he would testify that the twin sisters were behind the murder of the dentist. Betty was painted as a promiscuous, alcoholic "slut" in the Tuscaloosa, Alabama courtroom and this is basically what sealed her fate. Her twin sister, Peggy, whose case was tried in Montgomery, Alabama, was acquitted on the basis of the identical testimony that doomed her sister. This time around, her lawyers pointed out the bizarre lies told by the killer who, by the way, was sent to a dentist to have his teeth capped for his trial appearance. In the jailhouse, he was awarded the status of mascot while he smirked and grinned at the imprisoned Betty. The author says frankly that he considered the twin sisters to be guilty of something when he first started covering the courtro testimony. But he said he gradually became outraged that the district attorney used a known psychopathic criminal to railroad the twin sisters into prison. The fact that it was election year and the DA wanted a high profile case to impress the voters for his re-election, contributed to this travesty. Betty Wilson is now serving life sentence without a chance of parole in the Tutwiler Prison in Alabama. Her twiwn sister, Peggy, is still working with attorneys to have her case appealed. In the meantime, the real killer, James White, is free after savagely murdering a man. The state of Alabama has been good to him for his crime.

Shocking Injustice

I should be surprised, but am not, by two so-called reviews of the book. What they present are not reviews but personal opinions. This is largely what the book lays out as a reason for the conviction of Betty Wilson. This woman was not convicted on any evidence or fact but on the testimony of a proven liar, schizophrenic, alcoholic, drug-addicted man that turned on his own men in Vietnam. Whether people agree or disagree with the verdict, people are supposed to be convicted on fact and not opinion. This book is eye opening and needs to be read by those possessing skills of discernment and reason. One can only hope that justice will prevail in the end although it appears that will not happen in this case.

Questions ?

I want to know some background on Betty and Peggy. Maiden name and parents, and siblings?? What city and state they were born in? childhood pictures?

A disturbing book about a miscarriage of justice

I like to read crime books in which, at the end, justice has been done, but such is not the case in Jim Schutze's *By Two and Two*. It tells the story of two Alabama sisters charged with conspiring to murder the husband of one of them. Although apparently neither woman was involved in the crime, one was found guilty and the other was not, because of personal, social and racial issues tangential to the case. In pursuing the investigation, well-meaning police were evidently manipulated and deceived by a career criminal who sought, and won, preferential treatment by helping them make a case against the women. The author himself was clearly disturbed by the outcome