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“Exhumed: Killer Revealed” Featured Walter Gibbs’s Murder
The staggering murder case of Walter Gibbs, an 85-year-old man who was allegedly murdered in his own home on April 1, 1990, was explored by Oxygen episode 6, “Exhumed: Killer Revealed” season 2.
In nearly no time, the horrific case gained a lot of momentum after the release of the episode early this month on June 5, 2022, exclusively on the incumbent true-crime network Oxygen.
In 1990, it was determined that Gibbs’s death was not natural; nevertheless, 13 months later, when his body was unearthed, something more came to light. According to the exhumation, he passed away in the hospital before being brought in.
‘Since no foul play was suspected, no autopsy was performed,’ Perkins County State’s Attorney Shane Penfield explained to ‘Exhumed: Killer Revealed.’ However, later it was found that it was a murder but not a natural death.
Three people were reportedly associated with the 85-year-old Gibbs’ murder, including twin sisters Darlene Phillips and Dolores Christenson and Darlene’s husband Jerome D. Phillips.
Gibbs married five times; he maintained a tight bond with Darlene Phillips, who he’d married and divorced twice. She was living with him in the final year of his life, and they were no longer husband and wife.
Later something surprising was unveiled amidst the investigation that Delores, Darlene’s twin sister, also had wed and divorced him twice. The three remained inseparably tied to each other’s lives.
Robert Overturf, Fmr. Special Agent, South Dakota Attorney General, acquired a call on December 8, 1990, about a woman incarcerated for murder in prison in Springfield that unveiled some intriguing turns in the case.
A South Dakota penitentiary inmate named Gail Baskins purportedly unearthed that one of her fellow inmates, Darlene Phillips, had confided in killing Walter Gibbs, her ex-husband.
Soon, investigators learned that there were not only one but two people in the picture. Jerome, then 38, Darlene’s husband, was also living with Gibbs, and after his arrival, trouble brewed in the household.
Darlene, Jerome, Dolores, and Delores’s daughter Robin moved into Walter Lemmon’s house in February 1989. Regardless of their turbulent relationships, Walter still cared for the twin sisters.
Gibbs had made Dolores Christenson his sole beneficiary. Since then, the three Darlene, Dolores, and Jerome started plotting his murder in different ways to activate his will.
Their initial plan was reportedly to tamper with Gibb’s medication. However, Jerome killed the Gibbs on the day of the murder by suffocating them with a pillow after his initial plan failed to produce the desired effects.
Where Is Walter Gibbs Killer Now In 2022?
Walter Gibbs’s killers, Jerome “Jerry” Phillips and Darlene Phillips, are incarcerated in prison as of 2022. Jerry reportedly pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and was sentenced to 50 years.
After the exhumation report determined that the white material in Gibbs’ stomach was diphenhydramine, frequently found in sleeping tablets, the manner of death was changed to homicide.
Later, the twin sisters went on trial for first-degree murder on June 3, 1991. Jerome testified for the prosecution at the twins’ trial that Darlene, his wife, helped hold down the 85-year-old.
Jerry also told the court that Darlene’s twin Delores stayed out of the room when the murder occurred. Darlene Phillips was convicted of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and was reportedly sentenced to life.
Delores Christenson the twin of Darlene, was cleared of all charges. However, she didn’t acquire any part of Gibbs’ estate because of her involvement in his cold-blooded murder.
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