Betty Neumar, a 76-year old grandmother living in Raleigh, N.C., has recently been charged with hiring a man to murder her 4th husband, Harold Gentry. In 1986, Gentry was shot to death at home. While Gentry’s brother, Al, has been petitioning prosecutors to pursue this case for years, only recently has action been taken.
Thursday, October 16, 2008, Neumar was released from a prison in North Carolina on $300,000 bail. Neumar had been in custody for six months prior to her release.
Although Neumar will likely not be able to leave the state, Al Gentry and other family members of the victim said they are appalled that she was granted bail and released at all. Because Gentry did have a hand in getting Neumar arrested, police and prosecutors have warned him to be especially cautious and keep his distance from Neumar.
According to authorities, Neumar approached three men and tried to solicit each to kill her husband over two decades ago. While prosecutors haven’t specified whether these individuals will testify against Neumar, they have stated that they have hundreds of documents and leads to investigate before they will be ready to present their case.
Along with court documents, witness testimonies and other potential evidence, Neumar’s credibility will also play a big role in this case. Interestingly, Neumar has survived five dead husbands (including Gentry) and one dead child.
Although she has never faced charges for playing a role in any of these deaths, except for Gentry’s, authorities are now re-examining each case to see if Neumar did, in fact, have a criminal part in any of them.
Presently, police are focusing on the death of Neumar’s latest husband, John Neumar, who was cremated after dying in Augusta, Ga. His ashes are being examined at the FBI’s crime lab.
Another suspicious fact muddying Neumar’s credibility is that authorities have uncovered multiple overseas bank accounts in her name. The nature and activities of these accounts is also pending investigation.
In response to this new series of investigations surrounding Neumar, Charles Parnell, Neumar’s defense lawyer, has claimed that his client is being prejudicially portrayed as a “black widow” or a serial murderer. He continues to affirm that his client will have her day in court and that the truth will come out during her trial.
(Source: New York Times)
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Tags: black widow, murder for hire