Joan Robinson Hill and Dr. John Hill - Part 1 of 3

0:00 I am Rich and I'm Tina. And if there's one thing we've learned in over twenty years of marriage. Some days you'll feel like killing your husband and some. Days you'll feel like killing your wife. Welcome to love, Mary Killin. Hey, Rich, how are you? I'm great? How are you? God? I've missed you? You have. We just recorded a Patriot episode an hour ago. I know we've been apart for a whole hour. It's really been hard for me. No offense, but I haven't really missed you. But I'm looking forward to missing you this week because you are leaving the country.

0:46 I am leaving the country for a few days. I'm not any way too excited about that. Oh you're leaving. Yeah, I can tell you really about that. Well, I'm finally recovering from whatever ill this I had, and I'm just looking forward to like feeling better and so you can getting back to my life. Yeah, I'm sure you are. Well. You guys were nice and put Christmas away, but you literally and we have like a lot of Christmas things. You just all dumped everything on the floor in the storage room. That's only because we know you are very very particular about where that particular. So that's going to take me at least three or four days.

1:28 But anyway, good luck for that. Are you going to give me the snack that's not chips and salta. I'm going to give you a snack. You know what I made for you? Chips and salsa. No, I made you. I made you a ham. You did not make me a ham. I didn't make you a ham. Well, I saw like I saw a bag of open tea chips in your office, and then I saw some jalapeno and some cilantro stems in the sink. And the last when we were recording the Patriot episode, you ran out of the room screamy. Know you're laughing at my pain.

2:08 But you had a holla pino on your. Hands and to touch my eye, which was really bad. IM sorry, are you feeling better? I am? It's crazy though I had washed my hands like three times. Tell you since I yeah, So what I have for you is not salsa. As much as you it's not him. It is no. Do you know why I was saying it was ham? No, that's a joke. That's it's a good joke. Because on Christmas I made a ham. Because I was sick. And couldn't make Christmas. I was going to make a ham. We also get so when I put away the ham, I put it in a big tupperware container and it wouldn't fit in the fridge, and so I put it out on the back deck because it was cold out.

2:49 And then I promptly forgot about it. Yeah, it's set there for And then I I saw it like a few days ago. I was like, is that the Christmas ham? I'm a deck you hero. I completely forgot about it. So it's like the temperature here has fluctuated greatly in the last three weeks. Yes, So I finally got rid of it yesterday. Okay, happy to know it's distrasing its story. But no, I brought you. We're going to Texas today, so I brought you something called Texas caviat. It's a little like salsa. Okay, you do ens and corn. And black eyed peas Okay, sometimes how many, which I guess is kind of like corn. I guess exactly.

3:29 It's a white corn, yeah, I guess, so. Yeah, And it's got a bunch of other stuff in it too. Probably neck may be my favorite, but we'll see. I left out the bell peppers because I know how much hate. Bell peppers are my very worst food. But I did put the onions in, which I know you're not a huge fan of. But I like onions but not raw on its. But if they're chopped, really never mind, let me just try it. Okay. What did you think about the Texas caviar? Well, I'm going to start by saying that you are adorable and I love when you made like a little you know, state represented snacks and it's just very cute. It's very nice when you when you cook things because you are very good in the kitchen. Thank you. But there's a butt coming. I can tell.

4:10 I didn't love it. No, I don't really, I don't like cold beans. I just I just don't. Yeah, so I didn't love it, Like why would you put beans in your salsa? I think it's really good myself. I really like. I love the cilantro flavor. I'm a big cilantro fan. I know that controversial something like it, I don't. I like the lime flavor was nice, and the chips were really good. But yeah, there's no line of it. No, there's it's Italian dressing is basically okay. I like the acidic nature of it. But you know, I know a lot of people. Like it, But I what are you going to rate it? I'm going to read it, but I don't want to hurt your feelings. Feelings. You don't have to like everything.

4:50 I probably a four, but if it were salsa, I would have rated it a tad. I raid the chips and a nine. Those chips are really good. Those are they're Julio's chips, which are from Texas. We had those ones before, and they're they're really. Oh you went to the store that I don't. I don't know where you get those? Yeah, just a Myers chip with the chip bile. Yeah, yeah, Okay, I guess I need to look a little closer. Usually normally by usually normally the big bag of Costco Turtiat chips. Yeah, those are good too. Yeah. I'm going to give it an eight out of ten because I think it's really good. Well, if you thought it was really good, I think you would give it a nine out of ten. Eight is good. Eight and a half. All right, Well, let's get to the case.

5:31 Before we start, I just want to say we've gotten a few messages lately from people that said they really appreciate when we do longer and even multi part episodes. Wow, which is nice because this is going to be a long one. This was a recommendation from our partner in crime, Elizabeth, and as she put it in her in her suggestion, this is the og of true crime married couple cases go back to the nineteen sixties and seventies. Surprised they haven't heard about it because once I researched it, it's like this is very well known case. We've had a lot of really good recommendations lately, so I think twenty twenty five is going to be a good year for I think very kill. My main source for this case is a book called Blood and Money by Thomas Thompson. It was published originally in nineteen seventy six, and it is a classic of the true crime genre. It's a super deep dive into this case and I loved the book. It was just amazing.

6:23 So I decided to also go deep in my telling of the case as well. So this is going to be a three part episode. I believe you told me yesterday that this might be your favorite case that you've ever done. It might be, but you know, I'm kind of like I have this. Recent yeah, Yeah, definitely me too. Joan Robinson Hill and her husband, doctor John Hill, were the darlings of Houston's high society in the nineteen sixties. Joan was a champion equestrian from one of Houston's wealthiest families, and John was a successful plastic surgeon with a love for classical music. They were young, attractive, and seemed to have it all, a picture perfect cuple moving through a world of horse shows, charity events, and fancy parties. But behind the scenes, things were not as perfect as they seemed.

7:08 Joan and John were opposites in many ways, and their differences caused tension from the start. To make matters worse, Joan's father, Ash Robinson, was a major presence in their lives. He was fiercely protective of Joan and had no problem getting involved in her marriage, which only added more strain. By nineteen sixty nine, the cracks in their relationship couldn't be ignored any longer. The problems in their marriage came to a head, setting off a chain of events that would stretch over six years and leave a trail of heartbreak, betrayal, and tragedy for everyone involved. Our story begins with Ash Robinson born in eighteen ninety eight into a family with deep roots and a lot of history. One of his ancestors even signed the Declaration of Independence. His grandparents owned a plantation, and his father was a doctor who eventually moved the family to the Houston area. Ash grew up with privilege, but at eighteen he learned a hard lesson about money. When his mother passed away, she left him sixty nine thousand dollars, an enormous sum at the time, worth about two million today. But his father didn't sugarcoat things.

8:11 When he handed Ash the money, he said, son, you didn't earn this, and you don't know what it's worth. I can tell you this, it's more than most men earn in a lifetime. My advice, the quicker you get rid of it, the better off you'll be. Then you'll start finding out what life is really like. That's some odd advice. My advice would be saves that money to think. That would be my advice too. But Ash took his dad's advice literally. He headed straight to New Orleans and within six months the money was gone. He spent be hard to spend that much time. It wouldn't, but it would be a challenge. He spent most of it betting on horse racing, convinced that he knew what he was doing, but he did not. By the time he met Rhea, the woman who would become his wife, Ash was flat broke, but he still had his charm. He promised Ria a life of advance, maybe not a stable one, but never a boring one. She must have believed him, because in nineteen nineteen they tied the knot at a simple courthouse wedding.

9:08 Ash was clever and ambitious. He was always chasing the next big opportunity. After scraping together a little money, he made a bold investment with a man who had leased six hundred and forty acres of land. It was the early days of Texas' oil boom, and an oil company quickly offered to buy the lease for ten times what the man had paid. But ashe wasn't one to jump at the first offer, he figured if the oil company was that eager, the land had to be worth even more, so he held out. Sure enough, they came back with a better offer fifty times the original pulse. Ash turned his three hundred and twenty dollars investment into sixteen thousand dollars, which was a small fortune back then. That deal lit a fire in him. He decided he wanted to be a Texas oil man, and within a few years, Ash Robinson was a millionaire. Ash and Rhea Robinson wanted nothing more than to have children, but life had other plans.

9:58 Rhea discovered that she couldn't, and the couple turned to adoption. In nineteen thirty one, their prayers were answered when they adopted Joan, an infant just one month old, born to an anonymous mother near Houston. Joan Robinson grew up believing that she was their biological child until her late teens, when she needed a birth certificate to apply for a passport. That's when she learned the truth that she was adopted. Years later, in her thirties, curiosity about her birth parents got the better of her. She hired a private investigator who came back with a shocking theory, Ash himself might have been her biological father. The investigator suspected that Joan's mother was a young woman from Houston who had been paid by Ash to carry his child so that he and Rhea could adopt her. Now, there's no concrete proof of this, just the investigator's hunch, ashe denied it every time the subject came up. In the end, Joan decided she didn't need the answers for her. Ash and Rheo were her real parents, and that was the end of it.

10:56 From the moment Joan came into their lives, she was the center of Ash's world. Nothing was too good for her. Private nursemaids, elite schools, dance lessons, you name it, Ash provided it. When Joan was three or four years old, she and Ash were riding in the back of their Chaufford Cadillac when they passed an amusement park with pony rides. Joan begged to stop, so Ash had the chauffeur pull over. He paid a nickel for her to ride the pony, probably expecting her to get scared and cry like a lot of the other kids did. But Joan was fearless. She loved it. That first nickel pony ride sparked a passion for horses that would define Joan's life. Every day after preschool, she couldn't wait to be Chaufford back to that amusement park. This cracks me up, just the image of this little four year old girl being chauffored in the back of a Cadillac to an amusement park to go ride a pony.

11:44 Yeah. The manager noticed her natural talent and told Ash, you'd better get that kid a real horse, and of course Ash obliged. He bought her an old, worn out horse named Dot for one hundred and fifty dollars and hired a riding instructor to teach her the basics. The instructor wasn't impressed, stood the horse and doubted it could even learn. But Joan she had not, walking, trotting and cantering in no time. At just five years old, Joan entered her first equestrian competition, going up against riders twice her age. She took third place in the twelve and under category and proudly hung the ribbon on the wall next to her bed. By the time she graduated high school, that wall was covered in ribbons, most of them blew, and her shelves were packed with trophies. Joan wasn't just good with horses, she was exceptional.

12:28 That is amazing. After high school, Joan headed to Stephen's College for Women in Missouri, but leaving home didn't mean leaving her parents behind. Ash and Rhea couldn't bear to be far from their daughter, so they moved to Missouri as well, renting a suite at a hotel near campus. Imagine if you are going off to college and your parents are like, we're coming with you. We're gonna live right next door. Okay, Yeah, I wouldn't love that. No, I wouldn't either. I would love to be close to our children there. I know. Ash commuted back to Texas for work when necessary, just so they could stay close to Joan. Joan did okay in school, but her real focus was her horses. Every day after class, she rushed off to ride the horse that she'd brought with her. Her classmates liked her, but they often felt sorry for her. Joan seemed like she was tethered to her parents in a way that kept her from experiencing college life the way that most students did. But Joan didn't seem to mind. She was just as devoted to her parents as they were to her.

13:23 She wouldn't even go on a date without checking with them first. At one point, Joan got a taste for acting. MGM's studios even offered her a screen test in Hollywood, but ashe quickly shut that down, saying that Hollywood was no place for a good girl. Then came Spike Benton. Joan felt hard. Yeah, guy named Spike. Joan fell hard for him, and Spike went to Ash to ask for her hand in marriage. Ashe said no, too young, too soon, and Spike was about to enter the Navy, but Joan had her heart set on it. She convinced her dad and the two were married. Do you know how old Joan was? I think she was about eighteen at this time. The newly weds moved to Pensacola, Florida, where Spike started Navy flight training. And guess who followed?

14:10 Oh? Ash and Lea. Of course, I was starting to think you weren't going to be able to guess. Yes, Ash and Rhea followed her to Pensacola. They moved into an apartment just minutes away, and Ash came over to Joan's place every morning for coffee. The marriage didn't last. After six months, Joan and Spike went their separate ways. It wasn't long before Joan started seeing someone new, Cecil Burgless. I'm not sure about Cecil's either. He was a childhood friend who shared her love of horses. Cecil asked Ash to marry Joan again, but this time ashe said no, absolutely not. Joan, however, wasn't one to back down. She and Cecil eloped. Ash was furious, threatening to cut her out of his life forever, but that marriage also fell apart, lasting only six months. Years later, Joan admitted to a friend that Ash may have sweetened the de for the breakup. He offered her a Cadillac, a mink coat, a diamond ring, and any horse she wanted if she left Cecil. The marriage apparently was already on the rocks, and so Joan agreed and moved back home.

15:12 By the time she was twenty, Joan had already been married and divorced twice. Yikes. Joan spent her days with her horses, and in the evenings she was out in the town with her best friend, Joan Jaworski. She was a staple of Houston's cafe society, often seen in the society pages of the local newspapers, whether it was for a horse show or simply being out with the city's elite. Ash Ever, Protective regularly hired private detectives to dig into the backgrounds of any man. Joan took an interest in. One of those men was Travers Fells. Oh he's not like a bad guy. Guy I described by one of Joan's friends as, quote the most gorgeous son of a pitch in Texas.

15:56 Do you have a picture of I don't. I couldn't find a picture of him. Travers was the heir to a fortune, but he was wild, a drinker, a frequent bar fighter, and someone who loved speeding around town in his Cadillac with a bottle of bourbon on the dashboard and a loaded thirty eight under his seat. Girls like boy. Joan and Travers were in a long term, off and on again relationship. While she was involved with Travers, she was also seeing other men. Ash absolutely hated Travers couldn't even pretend to be civil. Joan would often try to get Travers to show some ambition, like getting a job, to prove to her father he wasn't just a wild, good looking mess, but it never worked. Around nineteen fifty three, Joan fell in love again, but this time it wasn't with a man. It was a horse, a filly named beloved Blinda. She was a dappled gray beauty, though her parentage was unknown. Joan felt like there was something special about her and begged Ash to buy the horse. Ashed, unable to resist, his daughter, forked over twenty seven five hundred dollars for her. For contexts, that was a lot for a horse, especially one without clear lineage. Joan debuted Beloved Belinda had a major horse show in Louisville, Kentucky, in nineteen fifty three. She had a custom writing costume made to match the exact pearl gray of Belinda's coat.

17:24 When they entered the ring, they were the last to perform, and the crowd was mesmerized. One newspaper wrote, quote, when Joan Robinson rides Beloved Belinda, it is one of the most achingly beautiful sights in the world. It's a poem, a waltz, the sculpture of Rodin and the painting of Suzanne. My goose pimples, Get goose pimples. End quote. Old newspaper articles were written differently. They had so much more detail and panache, and they were just more interesting. He well, I guess they were less visual, so they kind of had to be. Yeah, that's a good point. From nineteen fifty three to nineteen fifty eight, Joan in Beloved Belinda dominated the circuit, winning five world championships together.

18:10 Wow. One evening, while out to dinner, Joan spotted a new handsome face at the table with doctor Riley Foster, a cardiologist, with his wife, Maggie. Joan knew Maggie, so she stopped by to say hello, and that's when she met John Hill. He was new to town, a medical student. In turning with doctor Foster. Later, Joan pulled Maggie aside and asked her to set up a proper introduction, and that was the beginning. John Hill was born in nineteen thirty one. And this small town of ed Couch, Texas. If you're wondering how ed Couch got its name, it's pretty straightforward. The town was named after a local real estate developer, ed Couch. It's about as far south in Texas as you can go without crossing into Mexico. John's parents, Raymond and Myra, owned a farm where they grew vegetables, cotton and grain. Raymond was a quiet, simple man, while Myra was incredibly religious, some might even say fanatically. So over time they turned their little farmstand into a full shop that sold all sorts of goods, and they managed to do pretty well for themselves. John was the middle child of three, born in nineteen thirty one, the same year as Joan. Had an older sister, Judy, and a brother, Julian, who was just a year younger than him. John and Julian were incredibly close, almost inseparable growing up. Religion played a huge role in their lives. The kids memorized Bible verses and went to church and Sunday school every week.

19:35 But religion wasn't the only thing that shaped their childhood. Music was another big influence. All three kids took piano lessons, but John really took to it. In addition to piano, he learned to play the trombone, tuba, flute, and recorder. He dreamed of a career in music, but Myra was worried it wouldn't bring in the money, so she encouraged him to pursue medicine instead, and that's exactly what happened. John and Julian both did deed to go to medical school, much to Myra's delight. After graduating Summa cum lauree from Abilene Christian College, John Hill moved on to Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He completed his four years of medical school and internship. This was when he met Joan before settling into a residency and surgery. In his third year of residency, John decided to specialize in plastic surgery, and let's be honest, the main reason was because of money.

20:29 Plastic surgery was a relatively new field back then, with some exciting breakthroughs happening in the nineteen fifties and nineteen sixties, like internal wiring for facial fractures and the use of silicone plus. In Houston, the booming oil industry meant there was big money to be made and there weren't many plastic surgeons in the area, so it was a smart move if he wanted to make a solid income. Also, John liked the plastic surgeons generally kept regular hours. While there could be emergencies, it wasn't the kind of job where you'd get called in the middle of the night, something that was important to him because music was still a huge part of his life. His dream to work as a doctor during the day and play music at night.

21:10 As for Joan and John's relationship, things moved quickly after they met through their mutual friends Maggie and doctor Riley Foster. Joan and John seemed to hit it off, but Maggie wasn't convinced. She saw them as total opposites. Joan was a spoiled, rich girl who loved horses and going out, while John was a quiet, religious mama's boy who loved classical music and opera. Joan liked to swear like a sailor, while John cringed every time she led a goddamn slip. But love works in mysterious ways. Oh does it? It sure does, Tina. The day after their dinner, John told Maggie quote, She's the most incredible girl I've ever met, And soon enough they were dating. Joan pretended to be interested in classical music, and John acted like he cared about horses.

21:56 Oh boy. When it came time for John to ask Ash for joe Jan's hand in marriage, Joan coached him on what to expect. Just listen to all the reasons he says why we shouldn't get married, and I'll talk to him afterwards, she advised. But surprisingly ashe was nice to John, maybe it was because he saw John as having better prospects than Travers Fells. Ash was curious about John's medical training and his future plans. He figured he would need to help the couple financially for a while, but he gave his blessing. John's mom, Myra, actually turned out to be the more difficult one because of her religion. Myra was completely opposed to divorce under any circumstances. John told her that Joan had been divorced once, saying that she had been young and not ready for marriage. He left out the second divorce, but still Myra objected. A week before the wedding, Myra received an anonymous letter telling her that Joan had been married and divorced twice. The letter also said that her dad, Ash had been to prison for fraud, which was not true. Myra tried to talk John into canceling, but he would not be cowed.

22:57 Do you know who sent a letter? I don't know. It's really weird that someone would even send that. Letter, well, especially with part of the letter being a complete lie. Yeah, I know, maybe it was travers Fels. Sounds like something. Because Joan and John married in September nineteen fifty seven at her parents' home by the swimming pool, The society pages called it a storybook wedding. They were both twenty six years old, but the marriage started off on a rocky note. They lived upstairs at Ash and Rhea's house, and Joan had no idea how to cook. The family had a cook who took care of most of the meals, and John drove a car provided by Ash, often with a chauffeur at the wheel. Ash was an ever present, overbearing figure in their lives, and soon Joan and John were leading completely separate lives. Joan was constantly traveling for horse shows, which John rarely attended, and he was deep into his medical work. When he had free time, he just wanted to play and listen to music. Before they tied the knot, Joan had made it clear that her passion for horses would take up a lot of her time, but John was fine with that. In fact, it gave him space to pursue his own hobbies without feeling guilty.

24:05 On the rare occasions when John did go to Joan's horse shows, he would bring along a paperback mystery to read. One time, he even fell asleep in their box. Joan took it in stride, saying that's okay. I nodded off during Hayden the other afternoon when he was playing. In June of nineteen fifty nine, it was time to retire beloved Belinda, the horse that Joan had poured her heart into for years. It was a huge moment, and the crowd at the pin Oak Charity Horse Show was buzzing with excitement. As Sports Illustrated later put it, quote, the combination of the beautiful mare shown by her equally decorative owner has been one of the most successful and recent show history. Together they have taken more than eighty six Blue Ribbons and four five gated World Championships in the amateur division. The moment was emotional. The band played Allbangziyin and the crowd cheered, many with tears in their eyes as the eleven year old mare, draped in a blanket of red roses, was led around the ring by Joan.

25:00 Ash and Rhea were visibly moved crying as they watched Joan ride around the arena one last time. But as Joan exited the ring, there was one person noticeably absent, John. Joan later found out that John had been in the corridor talking with another music enthusiast about an upcoming musical gathering. Joan didn't confront him about it directly, but she was crushed. Oh boy, that's how I feel when you don't want to talk about my housewife's shows. I'll try to do a better job. I'm sorry, did Well, that's how you feel when you talk about the lions. But I try to act excited. Did beautiful or beloved Belinda? Did she have babies? She did. We will talk a little bit about that later, but yeah, Joan did retire her and she did have some babies. In nineteen sixty, Joan gave birth to a son.

25:45 It was the last year of John's surgical residency, but he still had two years of specialty training left. He wasn't making much money yet, and they were still living with Joan's parents, so he wasn't super excited about the baby. In fact, Ash was the one who did Joan's bidding when she had a craving or needed help with anything. But when the baby finally came, John was excited. He ran down the hospital corridor shouting, it's a boy, It's a boy. John and Joan named their son Robert Ashton Hill, the middle name being a tribute to his grandpa. But when they brought the baby home and Ash held him, he declared, we'll call him boot Boot Hill and that was. That was the name that stuck for many years. It's a terrible nickname, isn't it. Boot. Just as he had with his only daughter, Ash ensured that his only grandson had the best of everything. He paid for diaper service, formula, round the clock nurses because Boot was often sick during his first year. As medical students neared the end of their training, local doctors would often keep an eye out for promising new talent to join their practices. For John Hill, that doctor was doctor Nathan Roth. Roth had moved to Houston from New York and started his own plastic surgery practice, but he faced some hurdles. First, he was seen as an outsider, being a jew from New York. Second, he was not an attractive man, which that shouldn't matter, but when you're a plastic surgeon, people tend to judge based on physical appearances. Meanwhile, John, tall, handsome, and well connected to Houston's elite, had a promising future. Everyone said he had great hands and would make a skilled surgeon. Roth

27:17 had concerns about John's family. His brother Julian was a year behind John and med school, and rumors about his sexual confusion quote unquote were swirling. In conservative nineteen sixties. Houston Julian also had a reputation for being a bit of a ticking time bomb, quiet and full of pent up energy. On top of that, Ash's growing dissatisfaction with his son in law was becoming well known. Ash would tell anyone who would listen that John never even bought baby food for his son. Roth didn't want any of these family issues spilling into his practice, so he offered John a junior partnership with one condition. Joan. John and their son would need to move out of Ash's house and get their own place. John agreed, though he didn't have enough say for a down payment. Roth loaned him five thousand dollars to help him out. Interesting condition, isn't it?

28:06 But I guess your reputation is sort of like everything, and I think Roth could see that there were family issues going on there with the Dynamics. So we think those family issues would be there whether they lived their property or not. Well, yeah, that is true. As we'll find out. Ash wasn't thrilled about his daughter and grandson moving out, but their new house was only ten minutes away. Joan reassured him that he could visit every day and he usually did. John joined Roth's practice in nineteen sixty three, and Roth threw a big party to welcome him. John's brother Julian, had been happy for John's new opportunity, but he didn't show up for the party despite getting an invite. A few days after the party, Julian swallowed a bottleful of pills and died. He was just thirty years old.

28:49 Oh, that is very sad. It is. We'll be back after a break. John start as a plastic surgeon did not go well. His first operation was repairing a patient's broken jaw. It was plastic surgery one oh one, so Roth felt comfortable giving doctor Hill the assignment. The operation seemed to go well and the patient went home satisfied, but he came back in a few weeks complaining of excessive drainage coming from his upper jaw. Drainage is common, but it should clear up after several days. Doctor Roth examined him and everything looked fine, so he told the patient not to worry that drainage would likely stop soon. That sounds horrible, I know. A few weeks later, however, the patient was at his dentist and has had X rays done. The x rays showed a small tip from a drill bid that must have broken off during the surgery and lodged in the man's upper jaw.

29:51 Oh my gosh, that's the nightmare. Huh. The patient returned to doctor Roth's practice livid and talking about a malpractice suit. Was also furious drilbet's break off during surgery. It happens, but there was no possible way that the surgeon wouldn't have known about it. How could he'll just let it go without removing the piece? He brought Youohn in and gave him a severe reprimand John acted apologetic and ashamed. The patient did file a malpractice suit, but luck was on John's side. Before the suit went to court. The man blew his nose one day and the tiny piece of metal popped out of his nose. Problem solved.

30:34 Though John's surgeries improved, Roth was also bothered by his personal I'm sorry, I can't get over the drill bit coming out of his nose, Oh my gosh. But Roth was also bothered by his personal style. Where Roth had tasteful art, John on cheap oil paintings like those you'd find in a motel. The only nice piece he had a photo of Joan on beloved Belinda sat on the floor gathering dust. So he had like velvet elvises and things like that, something like that. John also took his love for music to extremes. He had a piano installed in his office and would serenade female patients with chopin before consultations. In the operating room, he played classical music loudly, with one patient recalling quote, the last thing I remember was this gorgeous doctor bending over me and Beethoven crashing all around me. Despite these quirks, John's skills grew, especially in hand surgery. One patient, a tennis player who had nearly severed his hand and a table saw accident, recovered enough thanks to John's work to win his club championship within a year. John had a routine of waking at five am most mornings to practice his tube. I was guy.

31:54 He would practice his too, but in his office before anyone else arrived. He was deeply committed to his music, dedicating at least twenty hours a week to practicing, taking lessons, and performing with various groups. While John focused on his medical career and his music, Joan embraced the role of a busy housewife. Alongside her passion for equestrian activities, she also immersed herself in charity work, volunteering every Tuesday at Texas Children's Hospital. Joan frequently attended teas, luncheons, and social events with other doctors wives, becoming a well loved figure in their circle. Her friendly and warm personality endeared her to everyone. She often playfully flirted with the doctor's but it was all in good fun and no one saw it as a thread. It was clear to everyone that Joan was devoted to her husband. When John began earning money at his medical practice with doctor Roth, he gave Joan a monthly allowance of one hundred dollars to cover groceries, utilities, a part time made and entertaining expensives. Though it was insufficient, Joan didn't worry too much. Heather was always willing to help out financially. He seemed happy to provide, knowing it kept Joan closely connected to him.

33:07 I give you a much better loss, shut up. Just kidding. At one point, Joan decided she wanted to buy a small farm to breed and board horses. She found a three acre property on the outskirts of town, that seemed perfect. Her father agreed to buy it for her, but only in the condition that he retained control over hiring and firing staff. Hmmm, that's interesting. I wonder how John felt about him always being there and always kind. Of Oh, I'm sure he hated it. I can't imagine he was. It almost seems like Ash was like obsessed with his daughter, like is their only child, and he just seemed like his whole world truly revolved around her.

33:49 Yeah, it's kind of offensive, like, we'll just take care of all your financial needs and your husband, even though it sounds like he was doing well financially. Also, Yeah, doesn't matter. She named it Chatsworth Farm, after her mother's ancestral estate in New Orleans. Joan poured her energy into transforming the property, and by nineteen sixty five it had become a charming little farm with thirty six horse stalls, a regulation show ring, and scenic riding trails. John had no objections to Joan's new project. It gave her a fulfilling outlet while allowing him uninterrupted time for his musical pursuits. So he just wanted her out of his hair all the time. It seems that way. He really visited the harm except for the annual spring picnic that he and Joan hosted for several hundred doctors and their wives, a lavish event generously funded by Joan's father.

34:38 One day in nineteen sixty five, John came home with exciting news. He had spotted a house for sale and the heart of the River Oaks neighborhood. River Oaks was and still is a beautiful residential area of Houston, with palatial homes whose values ranged from one to twenty million dollars. Today, it's one of the wolfiest communities in Texas and the Unit States. The house John found was at fifteen sixty one Kirby Drive, just a few blocks from Ash's residence. Oh that surprises me. I know, thought it was gonna be like, you know, miles and miles away. The house was one of the nicest in the neighborhood, and John wanted to buy it. Initially, Joan wasn't convinced. She thought the house was both financially out of reach and overly ostentatious, particularly for a young couple with just one child. She had been considering building a modest ranch house in the countryside at Chatsworth farm. However, John managed to change her mind.

35:33 The house was just two minutes from her parents home, and he argued it was a perfect fit for a doctor on his way up. With financial help for Mash, who provided a loan for the down payment, they purchased the house and settled in. Although John and Joan had always led largely separate lives, their relationship seemed to deteriorate further after they moved to Kirby Drive. John often vanished for hours at a time, claiming he was at the hospital, making rounds or catching up on paperwork. He would leave the house before dawn and typically return home long after nightfall. Their time together became increasingly rare, limited to public appearances at social events and professional dinners. Joan began voicing her frustrations to friends, making pointed remarks about their lack of intimacy. When the subject of sex arose, she would quip sex, What's that?

36:21 In public, she often directed passive, aggressive comments at John, hinting at his neglect of her. John wouldn't respond to these comments in public, but behind closed doors, he frequently nagged Joan about her smoking, a habit she had tried and failed to quit numerous times. He also made disparaging remarks about her smelling like a horse a jab at her equestrian pursuits. That's so mean, that really mean. Their differences extended to their values and their habits. John remained deeply religious, refraining from swearing, smoking, or excessive drinking, and faithfully attended church every Sunday. Joan, on the other hand, had little interest in religion and lived her life without it, adhering to his stricter standards. Nathan Roth had reservations about John Hill from the very beginning, and his concerns only grew worse with time. Hill's sloppy record keeping was a constant source of frustration for Roth. In a medical partnership, it's crucial to seamlessly pick up where the other doctor left off, but Roth found that impossible with Hill's patients.

37:20 Hill's records were a disorganized mess, stuffed into coat pockets, scattered around the office, or crammed into the trunk of his car. Roth also came to view John as unreliable. Hill frequently asked him to cover shifts so that he could attend musical events or even grade school pta meetings, leaving Roth to shoulder the extra work. After three years of mounting frustration, Roth decided he had had enough. He called Hill into his office and ended their partnership. Hill didn't take the news quietly. He accused Roth of breaching their contract and claimed that he was owed money. The disagreement escalated into lawsuits and lingering animosity. Undeterred, John struck out on his own. He rented a suite of offices in the same building where he had worked with Roth, and quickly set up his own practice with a new staff in place. His business thrived. By the end of his first year, John was earning one hundred and sixty eight thousand dollars, which was a remarkable income for a doctor his age back in the mid sixties. With his income growing, John decided it was time to realize his musical dreams. When he and Joan purchased their house on Kirby Drive, John had already envisioned the large room above the garage as the ideal space for a music room.

38:32 One evening, he casually mentioned to Joan that he wanted to create a dedicated music room in the house. Joan, surprised, responded, don't we already have one? She was referring to the scattered musical instruments, stacks of sheet music and records that seemed to occupy every corner of the home. But John explained that he wanted something entirely different, a state of the art room that would be sound proofed, acoustically perfect, and equipped with a built in high fidelity sound system, and he had the perfect place for it in the unused servant quarters above the garage. When Joan asked how much it would cost, John estimated ten thousand dollars tops. She then asked where the money would come from, and John motioned toward her father's house just down the road. Ash, however, flatly refused to fund what he considered a frivolous project.

39:21 He reminded John that he hadn't even repaid the twelve thousand dollars that Ash had loaned him for the house's downpayment. When John's making a lot of money, why does he need anywhere loans from Ash? I think he's just starting to make a lot of money at this point. But yeah, it's a good point. I mean one hundred and sixty eight thousand, that's a lot of money. Yeah, determined, John secured a bank loan to repay Ash. The twelve thousand dollars, along with an additional ten thousand dollars for the music room. In hindsight, this amount would barely scratch the surface of what the project would ultimately cost. John enlisted a sound engineer to oversee the project, instructing him to design a flawless space where music could be both played, mad and appreciated under perfect conditions. Money is no object, John emphasized. The sound engineer later remarked that John seemed utterly consumed by the vision, as though it had become an obsession. In August nineteen sixty eight, it was time to pick up eight year old Boot from summer camp. The camp's final day was a special occasion when parents were invited to watch their children showcase various activities.

40:24 Joan insisted that John accompany her, but he initially resisted. He claimed that he couldn't make it. His schedule was packed with surgeries, workers were coming to renovate the music room, and he was committed to playing at a church recital. Joan, however, refused to back down. The boy barely even knows he has a father, she said firmly, with no room for negotiation. John begrudgingly canceled his commitments and agreed to join her at the camp that day. One of the other parents there was Anne Kirth, a striking woman near forty who carried an air of mystery and allure. The daughter of a prominent Houston architect, Anne had been married and divorce three times and was raising three sons. People often remarked that she bore a striking resemblance to Elizabeth Taylor. Anne caught John's eye during lunch. He sought her out several times that day, even taking pictures of her with her children.

41:14 As the day wound down, Ann found herself chatting with Joan, who offhandedly mentioned that she couldn't find her husband. Amused, Anne thought to herself, stick with me and he'll show up. What up. Just days after the camp ended, John reached out to Anne. He had developed the photos that he had taken and wanted to show them to her. She invited him over. He arrived at her home around seven pm. That visit stretched into the early hours of the next morning. It did not it did. They talked all night, delving into their lives and dreams. The next day, John called her twice, making it clear that he was eager to spend more time with her. What about your wife, Anne asked. John didn't hesitate. He confessed that he felt trapped in his marriage. Joan's world revolved around horses, while his passions were music and medicine.

42:03 He lamented that his life felt empty because he had no one to truly share it with. By the end of August, John and Anne were lovers. One day, Joan returned from a horse show to find a note on her dresser from John. It read quote, things are not good between us. I've gone away for a few days to find myself. Did he go by himself? I guess we might find out. Confused and hurt, Joan called John's office but was told he was in surgery. She left messages, but he didn't call back. As the days passed, her emotions swung between anguish and fury. Finally, she confided in her father, admitting that John had left her. Her father suggested hiring a private detective to uncover what John was up to, but Joan said no, not yet. Distress took its toll. Joan couldn't eat or sleep, relying on friends to console her as she tried to make sense of John's actions. After two weeks of silence, John finally called, asking to meet and talk things over. When he arrived at their house, Joe noticed he was followed by a blue Ford. John came inside, but their conversation quickly turned into an argument.

43:11 Within ten minutes, he stormed out, with the blue Ford trailing closely behind. Determined to get answers, Joan called her friend and neighbor, Van Maxwell. The two decided to follow John, though they initially lost his trail. They spotted the blue Ford in a drug store parking lot. Pulling in, Joan caught sight of John inside the car with another woman. John approached Joan's car as Van tactfully stepped away to give them privacy. When Van returned, Joan appeared dazed and in shock. Quote her name is Anne Kurth, Joan said. John told me he's in trouble. He said he's having an affair with this woman's husband and is being blackmailed.

43:54 Van was incredulous her husband. Are you sure? Joan nodded. He repeated it twice. What in the hell do I do now? Soon after, anonymous notes began arriving, claiming that John was living with Anne Kirth. They were these anonymous notes. Again, they were seen together at restaurants and concerts. With more digging, Joan discovered the truth. Ann didn't even have a husband. For some reason, John had lied about having an affair with Joan's husband, but. The most bizarre lie, Like you're lying and saying I'm having an affair with this woman's husband. Like, I don't understand the purpose of that lie. I don't know if he just like like it would be easier on her if it was a man.

44:36 Maybe, I don't know, It's just it's bizarre. Determined to uncover more, Joan hired an off duty cop to spy on John. He confirmed that John was staying at Anne's house every night. Joan, desperate for details, decided to search John's car trunk with Van's standing watch at the parking garage of John's workplace. She rummaged through it. Inside, she found a receipt from an upscale apartment for lizard shoes and a matching handbag. The son of a bitch never bought me anything, Joan affumed, you, sir, had better not be buying any lizard bags, belts, or accessories for women. No, or you're in trouble okay, I won't. Weeks later, Joan's father hired a private detective, who revealed that John had rented a bachelor pad. So the amount of people here that are like hiring private detectives is just baffling to me.

45:29 It's world. One day, Joan came home to find John's car in the driveway. Hope sparked in her chest, but it was short lived. Inside, she found John packing his sheet music. Oh he's packing a sheet and this is serious, She begged him to stay. Quote why are you so unhappy? Is it the horses? I'll sell them, I'll sell the farm. I'll do whatever you want. I think women in the nineteen sixties and seventies are different than women today, because I feel like, see, uh. I know Joan had a lot going for I think she could done just fine without him. But John was unmoved. Quote Anne won't let me go, he said, even if I wanted to. Boy, John really thinks highly of himself, doesn't he.

46:10 Yeah. Desperate, Joan called Anne directly. When Anne answered, Joan blurted out that she knew everything. She accused Anne of keeping John from returning home. Anne, however, remained calm and assured quote. On the contrary, she said, I've encouraged John to go home to talk things out with you, to see his son, to make a decision. I don't like this hidden, secretive business either. I know how much respect John has for you. Oh sure, did John ever spend time with her son? Uh? Not a whole lot. It doesn't seem. Stunned by Anne's composure, Joan hung up more confused than ever. By the fall of nineteen sixty eight, John no longer bothered to hide his relationship with Anne. He paraded her around town openly. At a charity gala in October, he even introduced as his fiance. Even with John out of the house, work on the music room continued. In his mind, John must have seen himself getting the house in a divorce.

47:09 By October, John had spent over seventy five thousand dollars on renovations, far exceeding his initial ten thousand dollars budget, and he wasn't finished. He decided to order a Bo'sendorfer is how he's saying, sounds good to me, the world's most expensive piano, handmade in Austria. Fewer than one hundred were produced each year. John placed an order for one at fifteen thousand dollars, a staggering sum at that time and at this time. Yeah. Today, top tier bosendorfers sell for over three hundred thousand dollars. They're really nice via oh my Yeah.

47:51 In mid November, Joan was served with divorce papers. In them, John accused her of having quote commenced a course of unkind, harsh and tyrannical conduct towards him, while portraying himself as the victim who had conducted himself with propriety and treated his wife with kindness and forbearance. What a piece of work. Joan's friends urged her to let go and accept the divorce. You'll be better off without him, they said. But Joan still loved John, and the prospect of a third failed marriage must have weighed heavily on her, especially now that she was thirty seven. Determined to fight for her marriage, Joan decided to stall the proceedings and hopes of reconciliation.

48:36 She hired an attorney who sent John a registered letter firmly stating that she would not consent to the divorce. Not when to sit back and let events unfold, ashe decided to take matters into his own hands. In early December, he called John and delivered a stark ultimatum, if you ever want to see your son again, you'd better get over to my house now. John was out the door with an OS few minutes. What exactly transpired during the meeting between Ash and John remains unclear, but the outcome was a signed document from John that laid everything on the line. The letter read quote, Missus Jan Hill, I asked that you become reconciled with me and forgive my transgressions.

49:17 I want to come back home and be a good husband to you and a good father to Robert, and the event of any additional separation between us, no matter what the cause of reason, I will deed you all of my interest in our home at fifteen sixty one Kirby Drive. I will make all payments on same until it is completely paid for. I will pay all taxes and insurance on same until it is completely clear of all encumbrances. I will pay all up keep on the same during this time. Also, I will further give you one thousand dollars per month for your household and personal expenses. That's quite a raise from her one hundred dollars I will take a life insurance policy and sufficient amount to pay off all of the indebtedness of the house at fifteen sixty one Kurby Drive. In case of my death, I will place seven thousand dollars into your account at once.

50:07 It is distinctly understood that it is not my idea or intention to influence any judicial action now pending or that might be instituted against you or by you. Signed Robert John Robert Hill, MD, December ninth, nineteen sixty eight. With the document in hand, Ash dismissed John and immediately called Joan quote. He's come at home if you still want him, He told her, Wow, you know. It's going to I'm really curious what Ash said to John or how he got him to sign that document. But it's yeah, kind of weird. Huh. Yeah, So this is like an official document that Ash had John signed saying that he is in the marriage.

50:50 Yeah, basically, it's really it's really odd. It's like Ash wrote it himself and forced John to sign it. He tried to make it sound like a very legal document. But yeah, it's really kenn of bizarre. And what's going to happen to Anne? I guess we'll have to wait and find out. After signing a letter, John went straight home to Joan. He admitted that he was too afraid to retrieve his clothes and belongings from Anne's house, citing her fiery temper. Joan called Clyde Wilson, a family friend and private investigator, to accompany John and help with the task. When they arrived at Anne's house, John refused to leave the car, leaving Clyde to handle the situation. Anne, unaware of the letter that John had signed, initially refused to let Clyde in, demanding an explanation from John. With no other option, John reluctantly entered the house, silent and brooding. He allowed Clyde to gather his things while avoiding Anne's questions. That evening, Joan and John joined two other couples for a celebratory dinner marking their reconciliation.

51:49 Oh that's weird. Joan seemed radiant, but John's demeanor was markedly different. Their friends couldn't help, but notice how subdued and defeated he appeared. So you see, to their friends, Hey, John's affair is over. Let's go out to dinner and cele it. Rate everything's all good again. Later that night, John called Anne and acted as though nothing had changed. Furious at his behavior and demanded answers, John apologized for how he had handled the situation and asked her to meet him for lunch the next day, promising to explain everything. Two days before Christmas, John officially withdrew his divorce petition. Joan eagerly planned a festive holiday, hoping for a fresh start.

52:29 On Christmas morning, John spent an hour with Joan and their son before claiming he had to make hospital rounds instead. He met Anne at a motel, where he assured her that his marriage was over. I just need some more time, he insisted. Desperate to win back John's affection, Joan embarked on a rigorous self improvement campaign. Determined to quit smoking, she tried everything, a hypnotist, medication, and sheer will power, but nothing worked to hide the habit. She brushed her teeth, gargled with mouthwash, and used breath fresheners religiously. Before John came home. Joan also focused on her appearance, meticulously counting calories in an effort to get her weight down to one hundred and ten pounds. She sought beauty tips from a younger, more stylish friend, hoping to recapture some of the spark that she thought John desired. Meanwhile, John was walking a tightrope, juggling the demands of two women. He tried to keep Joan content and unsuspecting while continuing his relationship with Anne, who had grown increasingly impatient. Anne demanded a decision her or Joan. On Valentine's Day, John's priorities became painfully clear. He bought Anne a lavish box of chocolates and small gifts for her three sons. Joan, on the other hand, received nothing. The bozen door for piano was finally delivered and installed, marking the completion of John's opulent music room. The space, the size of a hotel ballroom, was nothing short of breathtaking. It featured a soaring double height ceiling adorned with glittering chandeliers, a grand fireplace carved from ornate marble, and gilded candelabras framing an antique clock.

54:04 The walls held a touch of mystery, gold panels that opened silently with a hidden mechanism, revealing shelves lined with John's vast collection of treasures. Two thousand record albums, hundreds of music books, and an array of musical instruments. I'm guessing this didn't match the decre of the rest of their house. No, I think it actually did. I seen a lot of pictures of the inside of the house, will post some, but it was a very just a beautiful, elaborate mansion. The whole thing was very fancy. A highlight of the room was its state of the art sound system, at a staggering cost of over twenty thousand dollars. It included one hundred and eight speakers seamlessly built into the walls, making it one of the most advanced and expensive privately owned sound systems in the world. To crown the extravagance, a movie screen could descend from the ceiling at the push of a button, turning the space into a private theater.

54:56 The total cost for the music room exceeded one hundred thousand dollars, close to a million of today's dollars, more than the price John had paid for the entire house. So I'm guessing he would do just about anything to hold on to the house that had his elaborate music group. I would guess the same thing Joan's passion project, Chatsworth Farm was struggling. Despite her dreams of breeding championship horses, the farm had yet to produce any winners. Instead, it had become a modest operation, catering to little girls taking riding lessons and boarding their ponies. Financially, it was a sinking ship. Part of the problem was Ash. He clashed with the trainers that Joan hired, and his tight grip on the purse strings made things worse. Trainers had to plead with him for every expense, whether it was a new piece of equipment or basic maintenance. Many quit in frustration.

55:45 Fed Up with the constant hurdles, Ash, frustrated with farms mounting losses, threatened to sell. Joan, desperate to save her dream, begged him to reconsider. Determined to turn things around, she came up with a plan. She would ask her old friend to Diane's Setagast to take over management. However, since Ash controlled the finances, his approval was essential. To secure his blessing. Joan invited Diane and her roommate and companion Eunice, to visit from Dallas for a few days to discuss the particulars. But when Diane and Eunice arrived, they discovered that Ash had left abruptly on a business trip to Florida. Instead of a brief visit, Diane and Eunice ended up staying at the house for a week, a week that would prove pivotal in the chain of events that followed.

56:30 During their week at the Hill mansion, Diane and Eunice quickly realized that John and Joan's reconciliation wasn't going well as many believed. John frequently disappeared for hours, sometimes staying out all night, leaving Joan frustrated and suspicious. He often promised to join Joan and her house guests for dinner, but he would show up late, if at all, only to skip the meal and retreat to play music with friends. Diane and Eunice witnessed frequent arguments and simmering tension between the couple. On Friday night, March fourteenth, nineteen sixty nine, the Hills attended the annual Wild Game Dinner, a lively charity event where local hunters served up their catches. Joan had always enjoined the rocous affair in previous years, but this time was different. The couple arrived late, and Joan seemed uncharacteristically subdued. She barely drank, picked at her food, and remained quiet throughout the evening. As the party began to liven up with a rock band preparing to take the stage, John announced that he needed to leave because he had hospital rounds to make. Joan begged him to stay just a little longer, but he refused. A friend offered to drive Joan home later if she wanted to stay, but Joan declined, whispering I'd better do what he wants.

57:46 I'm still trying to make it work. On the drive home, Joan asked if John would be out laid again. His vague reply sparked an argument that escalated quickly. Furious, Joan snapped, twice this week, you've been out all night. If you stay out tonight, don't bother coming home. When they pulled into the driveway, John dropped Joan off, put the car in reverse, and prepared to leave. Joan, overwhelmed with anger and hurt, shouted loud enough for the neighbors to hear. You've blown it, John, You've lost your wife, your son, and your goddamn music room. She ran into the house, sobbing as John drove away on Saturday, Jones slept until nearly four p m, an unusually late start for her, as she was typically up at seven a m. Around two thirty, Eunus grew concerned and asked John if they should check on her. John dismissed her worries, explaining that Joan had been upset when he returned late the previous night after his house hospital rounds. To help her relax, he said he'd given her a sleeping pill. When Joan finally emerged, she was visibly embarrassed and apologized to her house guests for oversleeping. That pill John gave me really knocked me out, she admitted. Later that afternoon, John took eight year old Boot for a much needed haircut. They were gone for more than two hours, not returning until seven p m. Curious about the delay, Joan asked Boot what had taken so long. The boy hesitated, clearly uncomfortable,

59:16 before finally admitting that they had stopped by John's apartment to pick up some music. He added that John had asked him not to tell her. Joan was devastated. She had believed that John had given up his bachelor pad when they had reconciled and now she realized that he had lied. Distraught, she confided in Diane and Eunice, sharing her growing suspicion that John was still seeing Anne, or perhaps another woman. She called her close friend and neighbor, Van Maxwell, who rushed over to support her. Joan prepared strong drinks for everyone and suggested they play bridge in the music room. The atmosphere was tense. The women sat on one side of the room, sipping their drinks and playing cards, while John stayed on the other side, engrossed in his music, playing it loudly. Joan made pointed remarks loud enough for John to hear, like I'm going to the lawyer on Monday. It's just about over between us.

1:00:11 The tension became unbearable, her Van, who excused herself to use the restroom. Van as a woman, Yes, this whole time I was thinking Van was a man. Maybe there was a little old yeah. Meanwhile, John switched the music to a slow, romantic ballad. Diana and Unis noticed Joan looking up at him, tears welling in her eyes. Sensing the opportunity to diffuse the situation, Diane suggested they dance. When Van returned, she was shocked to find Joan and John dancing slowly, Joan's head resting on his shoulder. Unnerved by the scene, Van quietly slipped out of the room and left. Diana and Eunice retired to their room as well. The next morning, Ash returned from his business trip and called Joan to ask if she could pick him up from the airport, as she usually did. Diane answered the phone explained that Joan wasn't feeling well, so ashe took a taxi home. Not long after, Joan came downstairs. She appeared cheerful, but mentioned that her stomach was upset. Despite her discomfort, she told her friends that she was optimistic.

1:01:13 Quote I think things are going to be okay between me and John, she said with a smile. But just moments later she was hit by a wave of nausea and hurried to the bathroom, spending the rest of the day in bed. John checked on her several times throughout the afternoon. That evening, one of John's musician friends came over and the two played together in the music room for an hour. Afterward, John, Diane, Eunice, and Boot went out to dinner, leaving Joan at home to rest on the way back. They picked up some orange juice for her later that night. As Diana and Nunas packed for the return to Dallas. Next morning, John left to visit another musician friend. He returned after midnight to find Joan still unwell. While he was gone, Joan had been sick several more times. On Monday morning, March seventeenth, Diana and Eunice woke up early, eager to hit the road and avoid traffic on their return to Dallas. In the kitchen, Diane encountered John, who was preparing to leave for work.

1:02:11 He looked tired and mentioned that Joan had been restless throughout the night. Probably just a virus, he said, I'll order some medication for her. You can't order. Medication for a virus, that's true. Before leaving, Diana and Eunice went to Joane's room to say good bye. Joan was pale and visibly weak. Can you bring me some water? I'm so thirsty, she murmured while Eunice fetched the water. Diane leaned in and asked, do you want us to stay? We don't mind. Joan shook her head. No, I'll be fine, she assured them, though her voice lacked conviction. Diana and Eunice exchanged uneasy glances but didn't press further. After saying their good byes, they left the mansion. Effie Green and her husband Archie, who had been working for the Hills for a couple of months, returned to the estate that Monday morning after spending the weekend with their daughter. Effie handled cooking and cleaning, while Archie managed house maintenance. They lived in the servants quarters at the back of the house. Upon their arrival, John informed Effie that Joan wasn't feeling well. She's sick and needs to rest. He instructed, let her sleep, don't disturb her unless she calls for you. By midafternoon, Effie started to feel uneasy. It wasn't like Joan to go all day without summoning her over the intercom, even when she wasn't feeling well. Effie shared her concern with Archie.

1:03:28 She doesn't seem right, she said. Unable to shake this feeling, Effie decided to check on Joan. When she entered the bedroom, Joan barely managed to lift her head. I'm so sick, Effie, she whispered faintly. Effie gently reassured her, saying don't worry. Doctor Hill will come home soon to take care of you. But inwardly she was deeply concerned. On the morning of Tuesday, March eighteenth, Doctor Hill summoned Effie Green to Joan's sick room. Joan lay limp and unresponsive, her head resting in John's arms. His tone was cle, un detached as he instructed e Fie clean up Joan's mess. Without waiting for her response, he handed her some medication he had brought for Joan and added, I'll be back later to check on her.

1:04:12 Moments later, he left the house to play a tuba solo at a school concert. I'm going to be really mad if Joan dies. Just so you know, okay. Effie turned on the lights and gently rolled Joan on to her side, only to discover that she had soiled the bad It was clear that she had been laying in the mess for hours. Shocked but composed, Effie helped Joan to the bathroom. Joan's voice was faint but desperate. I'm burning up, I'm so sick. They barely made it to the toilet before Joan was overcome by another bout of diarrhea. Afterward, Effie gave Joan a sponge bath and changed the soiled bed. Lindens. Joan looked at her with tears in her eyes and whispered, I don't want to die.

1:04:52 You're not going to die, Effie said, grasping Joan's hand. Let's pray together. God answers prayers. Deeply Concerned and Effie called doctor Hill's office, only to learn that he wasn't there. She left a message. Joan was gravely ill and needed to go to the hospital immediately. It was just after ten am. Meanwhile, John was on stage at a local elementary school performing his tuba solo. Why was he performing in an elementary school? I guess he was in some band and they must have brought the band into play. I don't know. When his performance concluded, a clerk handed him a message from his office. Joan was critically ill and required his attention. As John exited the school, he was surprised to see Anne waiting for him. Frustrated with John's continued stalling, she had confronted him with an ultimatum. She was her or Joan.

1:05:43 He had promised her decision by that morning. John sighed and apologized. Joan's very sick. He explained, I need to go home. He reassured Anne he would call her later and hurried off. Later that morning, Joan's mother, Rhea, stopped by to check on her daughter. She found John at Joan's bedside, his expression unusually grave. I think we'd better take her to the hospital, Ma, he said, somber lee. That is where we're gonna stop for today. I'm sorry. I know it's a cliffhanger. You're not sorry at all. Okay, I'm not sorry at all. You're right. They went to the hospital, and Joan dramatically improved, and John decided to stay with his wife and son, and they all live happily ever after the end.

1:06:28 Do you think that's it? Huh? Yeah, I just wrapped it up for you. I know it's very typical of most of the stories we do. What do you think of the story so far? Sad? Yeah? What do you think of John? I think John is I don't know if I have the right word. He's a weird guy. He's spineless. Yeah, he's kind of a coward, it seems like, Yeah, but he's also very quirky, like just a very strange guy. Like he's obviously talented, he's a surgeon. But at the same time he's like this slob who keeps records everywhere. And then he's just like his obsession with music. I mean, I love music, but you do. I'm not going to get up at five am to go play my two bas in my office.

1:07:10 You know, No, you wouldn't do that. It was very few hobbies. I can imagine getting up at five am to practice. But I don't know. Yeah, he doesn't come off as a good guy. It seems like Joan, like you said, could do better. Yeah, Joane seems like a really I don't know. She seems it's not easy being a woman, just so you know, and finding a good mate. No, I mean I got lucky, did I sure did. What do you think about Ash Joan's dad. I don't know, Like, I am probably a dominating parent who would do anything for their kids, so I kind of get that a little bit. I know it's not right to want to do everything for your kids, but I mean, what do you think.

1:07:51 Yeah, I mean he's it's just his uh, his obsession with Joan just seems a little extreme. I guess. Oh yeah, I know the rest of the story too, So I don't want to say too much, but. I've already you already have. Yeah, we'll hear a lot more about Ash in part two. He definitely seems like he likes to have his way, and you definitely should give your kids more space to grow up. And you know, yeah, it's not it's not healthy to have that close up relationship with your kids. I think when you're an adult, you have separate lives. If our daughter was married and was having marital problems, would you drag her husband over and make him sign a legal docum? Yes? Yes, I would do that, Yes I would. I mean if you have I think when you have that much money, too, it just taints your the way you walk through the world.

1:08:39 I think you think you can buy anything and make anything better with your money. And it seems like Ash definitely wasn't afraid to do that. Yeah. Absolutely. You talked about how John and Joan were opposites, right, do you think that that opposites attract I don't. Do you think that we're opposite? No? I think, well, and we're not alike in every way for sure, but I think we're more alike than we are opposite. And what ways are we alike and what ways are we different, and not just for us, for married people in general. What do you think the things are that you can be different in and the values, the core values that you should have that are the same.

1:09:23 Oh, jeez, I don't know. That's a big complicated question. It's a really hard question for me to answer. But I think we both have like similar views on how to work together, how to raise a family together. Like, I think the big decisions were usually aligned on. The always surprises me when we go furniture shopping or things like that, and we usually tend to agree. Yeah, and you don't necessarily defer to me, No, I definitely, but we do tend to have like similar aesthetics or like we've lived at a lot of houses, but we always kind of agree on the same one we're gonna Yeah, So things like that, decisions that can be really hard, we've I think are fairly easy for us.

1:10:05 Yeah. I think we're different, and you know, we have different styles of kind of how we approach things. I'm probably a little more laid back than you are. It's because we're laid back in different ways. We've talked about this recently, Like, I'm not a neat freak, but I really like things neat and organized where and you don't. I'm a neat friend, but you I don't know. I think over the years, I don't this is offensive to say this, but you're kind of well trained, like you never leave your socks anywhere but the hamper or you know, like things let other women complain about like you don't really do. Yeah, I think that's true. I like things neat as well, but I'm also a little lazier when it comes to like keeping things neat.

1:10:47 Like your office drives me nuts, yeah, and I don't. Yeah, generally like it's just always dusty and yeah, yeah it's very dusty, but but it's kind of your domain, so I try to let you. Yeah, how do you think we're alike? And I think we're both generally nice and I think I think I've said this before, but you know, if you care about someone and you don't always have to be right, and that's how we're similar. And politically like in today's world, I think it really I you, if we didn't agree politically, I'm not sure if we could be together. Well. A lot of people don't have strong views on politics, but I think if you do have strong views on politics, it's probably good to have those be similar.

1:11:27 So yeah, yeah, that's true. Especially in today's world. Yeah, I think if you're married to someone and you generally like them and respect them, your things are just a little bit easier. And I think that you are very respectful of women, and not all men are, so I do really appreciate that about you, and like John in this case, didn't really seem to be very respectful of Joan. No, no, no, You're gonna have different likes and dislikes, and that's good because you shouldn't always have the same, you know, interest. It's good to have separate interests, but you should resp try to respect your partners interests. Very well said. We're recording this on Saturday, January eighteenth at five thirty ish, and tonight's a big night. I'm gonna did you want to talk about that?

1:12:14 And a half hours from now, the Lions are playing first playoff game of the year, okay for them, first. Place, Like how many games left until the super Bowl? Always get so if. They win this weekend, they'll play again next weekend. If they win next weekend, they will go to the super Bowl. So really they've just got to win to two games they got to skip. The first week. Yes, the playoffs okay, sorry, a big night. Yes, very exciting. You do have your Lions Allions sweatshirt on, of course I do. Yeah. Interesting fact for Christmas, you've got two different Lion shirts and you wanted to return both of them. Yeah. I just love this one that I have so much, and you know, I don't really need that many Lions shirts. Well one of well one of them was too small and the other one was kind of ugly.

1:12:56 Yeah, that was really good. Yes, that was also that was important as well. Well. I know we left today's episode on a bit of a cliffhanger, but here's the good news. If you'd like to hear all three parts right now, you can join us on Patreon dot com slash Lovemrykill. We have one tier five dollars a month. You get early ad free access plus a monthly bonus episode. Thank you so much for listening, and thank you for your support. We appreciate it very much. Please rate, review, follow and subscribe, find us on social media, or send us an email at Lovemarykill at gmail dot com. Until next time, don't kill your husband and don't kill your wife.

1:14:07 Accompany the comp