TV show tells story of 1990 triple homicide in Washington
Published 5:46 pm Tuesday, January 19, 2016
A triple homicide in Washington in 1990 will be the focus of an “Evil Twins” episode on Investigation Discovery at 8 p.m. tonight.
The episode is titled “Hell Hath no Fury.” Investigation Discovery may be found at channel 59 on the Suddenlink cable television lineup in Washington, channel 107 on Belhaven Cable, channel 285 on DIRECTV, channel 192 on Dish and channel 252 on Tri-County Communications.
The story of the involvement of twins Doris and Yvette Gay and Renwick Gibbs in the murders of Louise Briley Farris, her daughter, Shamika Farris, and her son, William Farris Jr. on May 30, 1990. They were killed at their home off John Small Avenue. Gibbs and Yvette Gay were convicted on three counts of first-degree murder. They also were convicted of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary.
Yvette Gay is incarcerated at the Southern Correctional Institution near Troy. Gibbs is incarcerated at the Hyde Correctional Institution. Since he was imprisoned, Gibbs has been cited for 21 violations of prison rules, including assault, attempted possession of drugs and several verbal threats, according to the N.C. Department of Correction.
Doris Gay pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder. Doris Gay was paroled April 14, 2007. The sisters were 27 when arrested, and Gibbs was 26, when arrested.
The day after the bodies were found, Yvette Gay, now 52, told investigators she and Gibbs, now 51, killed the three people, but during her trial she said Gibbs pulled the trigger and threatened to kill her if she did not help him carry out the crimes. Trial testimony indicated she knew about the plans to kill the three people, used her car to drive to the crime scene and at times held the rifle on each of the victims before each was shot in the back of the head. Defense attorneys argued Yvette Gay was “brainwashed” by Gibbs and not fully responsible for her role in the crimes. She and Gibbs were living together when the crimes occurred. Gibbs was married to another daughter of Louise Farris, Ann Gibbs. The Gibbses had an on-again, off-again relationship, according to people who knew them. Ann Gibbs was working the midnight shift at National Spinning at the time of the murders.
Yvette Gay and Gibbs were sentenced to death, but their sentences were later reduced to life in prison. Gibbs’ death sentence was reduced to life in prison because a court determined he was mentally disabled when he committed the crimes. The N.C. Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing hearing for Yvette Gay, citing “reversible error” in the first sentencing hearing. Subsequently, she was sentenced to life in prison.
The episode includes interviews of law-enforcement officials (former) who investigated the crimes and local journalists familiar with the crimes.