Murder and Mimosas Podcast
A true crime podcast with a focus on lesser known crimes and the background of those who commit these heinous acts. Each case is told with a bit of southern sass, but with tons of in depth research and respect for those lost. Join this mom and daughter duo as they sip their mimosas while diving into tragic cases. New episodes every Saturday, just in time for brunch (and a mimosa of your own)!
Murder and Mimosas Podcast
Red Flags Ignored: The Francine Hughes Story of Survival and Silence
Can recognizing the red flags in a relationship save someone from a lifetime of trauma? Join us as we unravel Francine Hughes' compelling story, examining how her journey from Kentucky to Michigan led her into a toxic whirlwind romance with Mickey Hughes. Her tale serves as a crucial case study in understanding how early signs of an unhealthy relationship, like impulsiveness and dependency, can often go unnoticed, especially by young individuals thrust into adult decisions too soon. We dissect the societal norms that keep victims silent and emphasize the importance of intervention, as demonstrated by a rare moment of action from Mickey's father.
Witness Francine's desperate struggle for independence within a nightmare of abuse and manipulation. Her story highlights the daunting cycle of hope and despair faced by victims trying to escape abusive relationships, only to be pulled back by emotional, familial, and societal barriers. Despite numerous attempts to break free, Francine's journey is a sobering reminder of the complexities involved when love, manipulation, and survival intersect. We dive into her courageous yet heartbreaking attempts to seek welfare assistance and the relentless manipulation she faced, offering a candid look at the societal expectations that trap many victims.
Additionally, we broaden our discussion to a less recognized aspect of domestic violence: male abuse victims. We shine a light on the resources available for men, breaking down stereotypes that hinder them from seeking help. By providing crucial information and support contacts, we hope to empower all victims to recognize coercion and prioritize their safety. Engage with us on our social media platforms to share your thoughts and stories as we continue to raise awareness and foster a community of support against domestic violence. Remember, support is available, and no one should suffer in silence. https://www.thehotline.org/
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanity_defense
https://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2015/10/15/domestic-violence-in-the-1970s/
https://www.themarysue.com/francine-hughes-the-mixed-legacy-of-battered-woman-syndrome/
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/battered-woman-syndrome
Faith McNulty, The Burning Bed, 1980
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DarkCast Network. Welcome to the dark side of podcasting.
Speaker 3:Welcome to Murder and Mimosas a true crime podcast brought to you by a mother and daughter duo.
Speaker 2:Bringing you murder stories with a mimosa in hand. With a mimosa in hand, murder Mimosas is a true crime podcast, meaning we talk about adult matters such as murder, sexual assaults and other horrendous crimes. Listener discretion is advised. We do tell our stories with the victims and the victims families in mind. However, some information is more verifiable than others. However, you can find all of our information linked in the show notes.
Speaker 3:Welcome back to Murder and Mimosas. I'm Shannon and I'm Danica. Not only is October for the spooky season, it's also about domestic violence awareness. We want to shed some light on that and how it can lead to true crime. Today's story is an old one, but one that first shed some light on domestic abuse. It's the story of Francine Hughes.
Speaker 3:Francine grew up as Francine Moran. Her family was from Kentucky but, as many did back then, her family moved to Michigan for a better life, or hopes of one anyway. Family moved to Michigan for a better life, or hopes of one anyway. She was one of five children and her parents worked at various farms, which these farms provided housing. While you worked there Actually, my mother and her family did the same thing. The housing was sparse and small, but it came with the job, so you really couldn't complain.
Speaker 3:The family was poor and her father, walter, had a drinking and gambling problem which didn't help the money situation at all. He later got a job at a factory, making more money, but you would never know it, since most of it went to gambling and booze. When Francine was 15, her parents left her to babysit as they went out and she invited friends over to listen to records. One of her friends brought an 18-year-old guy named Mickey Hughes. He definitely caught the attention of Francine. She saw him a few more times around town before he asked her out. They were going to go on a double date with her friend Sharon and his friend Bill. She was impressed because Mickey had a car that his parents had got him if he promised to finish school, which he didn't.
Speaker 2:Sounds like he should have been like a graduation present rather than a bribe. But you know, to each their own.
Speaker 3:Yes, or take it back. When he dropped out I realized school wasn't that important back then. I mean, my mom was one of eight kids and all of them dropped out of school. The jobs they were going to have didn't really require much education and he also had a job that meant money for a date. Since he lived at home To Francine, he felt so grown up and completely in a different league of the teen boys at school. Their first date was to McDonald's and then they drove around listening to music with Bill and Sharon in the back.
Speaker 2:I can just imagine, like in today's time, if someone took you on a first date to McDonald's, probably would be the last date for a lot of people. That was probably like a big deal back then that's true.
Speaker 3:Plus, I mean a lot of people I hear like go Dutch too, so you never know. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So the two continue dating and of course Mickey begins to pressure her to have sex.
Speaker 3:She wants to wait until marriage. So what does he do? He asked her to marry. Him turned 16 by this time and it's 1963 and she has just entered the 10th grade. And almost as quickly as she entered the 10th grade, she decided to drop out. Not long after she dropped out, she finally gave in to mickey's advances and had sex in the back seat of his car, in a car field or a cornfield it sounds not to sound corny or anything.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, that was a good one, that's so romantic.
Speaker 3:So we see the tv shows with the cigarette asking was this good for you as it was for me? Or something to that effect. But the first first words out of mickey's mouth was now we don't have to get married if you don't want to girl run.
Speaker 2:that's. That's red flags. I need like a little red flag and I'd be waving it right now.
Speaker 3:Yes, Right, and while he is saying I got what I wanted and you can go, she's thinking I gave this guy my body, so now I have to marry him. Since she has now agreed to marry him, he up and quits his job.
Speaker 2:I mean, for what reason Is there one?
Speaker 3:No, he just said he was tired of it and she didn't know then. But this would be a constant in their lives.
Speaker 2:So are they going to wait to get married, since neither of them has a job? I mean, they can't really support themselves without any type of work.
Speaker 3:No, Mickey says they can live with his parents. In fact, since Mickey isn't working now, he can't even afford to buy her an engagement ring, much less a wedding ring. But have no fear, mommy is here. His mother takes them to the jewelry store and puts wedding rings on credit to be paid out monthly, and the two aren't married yet. But this is something that is a major red flag to me.
Speaker 2:Again, I need one to wave around.
Speaker 3:Yes, so Mickey, bill, sharon and Francine were going to a wedding shower, but once they arrived, sharon and Francine didn't want to go in because they saw exes of Mickey and Bill's and they sat in the car. Okay, yes, this was immature on their part, but they are only 16. So Francine decides she's going to drive Mickey's car around the block and, mind you, she doesn't know how to drive. As she's coming around the block, mickey is coming out and she's being playful and just waves. She drives two more blocks to Mickey's house and parks. While he is trying to run her down, she's running in the house giggling, and parks. While he is trying to run her down, she's running in the house giggling, thinking how funny all this is to her. Mickey grabs her on the sidewalk by the shirt and pulls the buttons off her shirt and then puts his hand around her neck and says Don't you ever take my car.
Speaker 2:Okay, I mean, guess I can understand him being mad. Seems kind of like an overreaction. What she did was a little immature, whatever. Like that is not the way that should be handled and it really speaks to like his character Right.
Speaker 3:So girl run, do not get married. This is not okay. So it didn't seem like a big issue to her then and the two got married November 4th 1963, and moved in with his parents. While the two of the Hughes children had already moved out, there were still three at home, not including Mickey and now Francine. The house was already small and now Mickey and Francine needed their own room. Mr Hughes is the only one working and while Mickey claims to be looking for a job, he spends more of his time doing what he wants. Not long after the marriage, the clothes that Francine used to wear, mickey claims, are too sexy and prerogative. Now she's just trying to get the attention of other men, he says.
Speaker 2:So is he going to like buy her some new clothes, or is he going to ask his daddy?
Speaker 3:to yeah, right, I mean, they have no money for clothes. But Francine starts wearing her ski pants and blouses tucked in. Mickey thought that this was too revealing, having the shirt tucked in, and told her to wear her shirt loose.
Speaker 2:Okay, so now this shirt can't even be tucked in. That just seems asinine.
Speaker 3:Right, and one day she decided to tuck it in while she's working around the house with Ms Hughes. But she did pull it out. Before he got home he noticed how it was wrinkled around the waist and she admitted she did have it tucked in at one point and he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her upstairs to the bedroom. While screaming and cussing her, he rips her clothes from her body. Francine is thinking she wished she had just obeyed him and then this never would have happened. She is telling him she loves only him and he shouldn't be jealous, as a mama to a boy, this would not fly in my house.
Speaker 2:It wouldn't fly in any house. But if you are my son, grown or not, and you're living in my house, with or without a job, makes no difference to me. You are not going to come talk. You're not going to talk to your wife like that, and I will come into that room. I don't even care if it's my house. You it can be your house. I'm still coming in your room.
Speaker 3:Right, this is not okay, but no one there does anything. No one says a thing during all this or even after and this isn't a big house, mind you, so you know they can hear what's going on. And that night, as they lie in bed, mickey apologizes and says it's only happened because he loves her so much. The honeymoon phase after acts like this is what usually keeps the other person around, and Francine says she will be more careful with how she dresses.
Speaker 2:I mean what is left for her to wear. That's not going to set him off, I know it's Michigan.
Speaker 3:But does he want her walking around in a parka all year? Funny, you should ask that she doesn't have many clothes left. And he ripped up her ski pants and top. She went with Miss Hughes to the store and found a pair of pedal pushers or what we would call capris for a dollar. They were lavender and green with flowers and she found a beautiful lavender blouse to match. She rushed upstairs when she got home, excited for the new outfit and we all feel our best in a new outfit, right? I mean, she puts it on, fixes her hair and can't wait to impress her man.
Speaker 3:Once he walked in the door and saw her, he grabbed her by the blouse and asked where she got it. She said she got it at Kmart. When she went with his mother, mickey tore at the blouse. And asked where she got it. She said she got it at Kmart. When she went with his mother, mickey tore at the blouse until it ripped off. Her then ripped her pants off and threw them in the floor and said there, I bet you'll never wear that again. And let me remind you she's downstairs in the doorway when this occurred and now she's in her panties and raw, with his family around, and no one said a freaking word. She runs upstairs to the bedroom crying and, I'm sure, humiliated. He comes up later and tells her it was all her fault for looking too good. She shouldn't provoke him, though, because he's the boss and he tells her what to do.
Speaker 2:I hate all of this for her. I despise how he's treating her, but I'm probably even more mad that his family is like just turning a blind eye to his behavior, like she is a young girl who hasn't really had a relationship before this and they're just letting him act like a total monster to her and they're saying nothing, doing nothing. I mean that's just crazy to me. Can't imagine what they would be like if they had a daughter of their own yeah, it's, it's crazy and I can't believe that they would do that.
Speaker 1:But I think that is part of the problem, is partly how he was raised, but I don't think that's the entire problem welcome to the bell witch podcast, a show that covers the infamous legend of the historic bell witch haunting in southern united states in the 19th century, where the Bell family experienced frightening happenings within their home. Hang on a second. No, no, no, that's the wrong Bell Witch. This is a podcast about being a witchy pagan in the 21st century, airing bi-weekly, with different guests on each month sharing their pearls of wisdom and gems of knowledge from their very own witchy businesses. I call it a moot loot.
Speaker 1:Here we cover a wide range of pagan and witchcraft related topics, from sigils, spells and spirits to reiki rituals and pagan parenting, while camping in the bell tent named Delilah. It's got nothing to do with the bell witch from the 19th century in Tennessee that scared people to death in a little townhouse, which may or may not be true. Pretty cool story, but yeah, it's the wrong Bell Witch. This Bell Witch podcast is brought to you by Swales, the friendly green witch from Leeds, uk, a northern witch with a strong Yorkshire accent, a love of all things weird, spooky, magical and a smelly dragon named Dave. So tune in every two weeks for a sprinkling of Yorkshire magic. Listen to the Bell Witch podcast with me, swales of Friendly Greenwich, wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3:Like I said at the beginning, this case changed some things, and domestic violence wasn't as talked about or shunned then, which is crazy to me, but it would seem more of a marital thing, and most women were told just to stay in the marriage, mainly because so many of these families couldn't take on more financially, and it also made their family look bad if it failed, or at least that was their assumption. That wasn't always the case, though, and let me tell you about a time that his family actually did intervene. His parents had company at the house and Francine didn't know them, but they were visiting and having coffee that night. Mickey accuses Francine of looking at the man. She denies looking at him other than his large hands. He punches her and she's knocked over the bed and she fell to the floor and he hits her again and Francine tries to fight back. Mr Hughes yells from downstairs to knock it off up there, then proceeds upstairs. Mickey begins cussing his father and telling him to mind his own business. Mr Hughes tells him while living here he better get it together, but Mickey breaks the chair and then threatened his father with it, and Mr Hughes called the police. At that point which the police arrived, and one of them put a hand on Mickey's shoulder and he swung at the officer. He was then handcuffed and put in the back of the car, cussing his parents all the way there.
Speaker 3:That night, while he's cooling off in jail, she calls and asks her mother can she come spend the night there? And Mr Hughes drove her to her home or her previous home. She tried to explain to her family what happened that night, as most battered women do. Francine began to blame herself for looking at the man's hands and also felt horrible for being home and burdening her family. They already could barely feed the family and kids that they had Once Mickey was released from jail. That night he went to the Moran's and Miss Moran said you can stay for a little while, but you have to get a job and you have to get an apartment and you have to take care of your wife.
Speaker 2:Somebody finally stands up for her and he just gets to walk back in like into her life, that like same night.
Speaker 3:Yes, and he did finally get a job. They got an apartment, if you want to call it that. The couch turned into a bed. It had a kitchenette and shared a bathroom with another tenant. But they were finally on their own.
Speaker 3:Francine was so excited about having their own place and setting up house. Maybe now Mickey would just know how much she loved him and the abuse would stop. But of course this wasn't the case. The couple went on to have three children. Francine left a time or two, but her father's drinking was as bad as it had ever been and he began to beat his own wife. So what could he really say about Mickey beating her when he didn't even care about beating his wife? Plus, mickey would always call and say how he would never do it again and he loved her so much and he just couldn't live without her. But that was always a lie.
Speaker 3:Once she returned, things always went right back to the way they were. Mickey's work history was spotty at best and Francine couldn't keep a job long with Mickey. They struggled, to say the least. Francine had tried to get welfare many times, but they always said, as long as she was married, there was nothing they could do While Francine was pregnant with their fourth child.
Speaker 3:Mickey was out of work, the rent was past due and at times the only thing in the house to eat was mustard. She was starving. Her children were literally starving to death and she went to the welfare office again and she told them that she would do whatever she had to do to become eligible for assistance. Her caseworker advised her to talk to legal aid about separate maintenance papers. As soon as she signed them she would be eligible. She went right away to legal aid that day and a man named Baker told him about the the situation and he asked could he ever hit her? Embarrassed, she advised him he had. He drew up the papers right then and asked for seven dollars. She said she didn't have seven dollars and he pulled the money from his own pocket and said sign here. She read it and it said decree of divorce.
Speaker 2:Thank goodness, but could divorce really be that easy? You don't have to go back and forth or go into court or fight over custody or fight over child support.
Speaker 3:No, she just signed the paperwork and this was good enough to get the welfare that she desperately needed. But she still had to go to court in six months. But she had food for them to eat that night and Mickey didn't ask how she got it. She was also making plans on how she was going to leave. Since welfare would help pay for her to have a place to stay, she was going to have to get what she could when he wasn't home. So she found an apartment and got away. She cried nightly, wondering if Mickey was okay. Did he feel deserted? After several weeks she called her in-laws and told them the address of where she and the children were. Her in-laws came the next day to see the kids and Ms Hughes told Francine that Mickey wanted another chance and he would never, ever hurt her again.
Speaker 3:They had highs and lows and she accepted him back at one point again she's still pregnant at this time, right like hormones, will mess with your emotions yes, she's pregnant and he comes back, but he starts being out all night and then nights let's go into knots at a time and she didn't know where he was or what he was doing. But she could only assume the divorce was finalized and in my opinion Mickey was okay with this because it meant Francine was eligible for welfare, so she had housing paid for food and I mean it met the basic needs. They didn't have any extra money but this kept her off his back for looking for a job and he came and went as he pleased because they weren't married and that meant if he wanted sex he got sex, whether she wanted it or not. All right.
Speaker 2:we need to stop for a minute there and let anyone out there know that if someone is forcing you to have sex, even if it's your husband, that is rape and you need to get help and get out of that situation. I know that sounds really easy. There will be some links for some places you can get support if this is happening to you, but I just wanted to throw that out there real quick.
Speaker 3:Right. So Francine gets a call. One day that Mickey has been in an accident and was in the hospital, francine rushed to be by his side the whole time wondering was this her fault? They said something about a collision and she thought had he been upset? And was it her fault that this happened? He was probably thinking about all of this, all of the issues they were having, when he had a wreck.
Speaker 2:I mean, I highly doubt that's what the man is thinking about, but you know okay, yeah, I can't imagine that's what's going through his mind.
Speaker 3:So he went into emergency surgery and when done, they were told his condition was very critical. Francine was at the hospital all the time. He slowly recovered and after about a month in the hospital he was released. Of course Francine felt she needed to be the one to care for him and she brings him to her house to fully recover. He gets his strength back. But he's got a good thing going on here. He doesn't work, he has a place to live. He beats her whenever the mood strikes and he has her conditioned to always feel like it's her fault. Well, because he tells her it is and she provoked him, which is very classic abuse behavior. Yes, and they are on welfare and Francine wants more and starts taking classes to be a secretary.
Speaker 3:It was March 9, 1977, and Francine had arrived home from classes. She doesn't know what started it. It never really took much, to be honest, but the kids were outside playing and Mickey began to beat her. She yelled for her daughter to call the police. He ripped her school books up and had her watch him, put them in the burn barrel outside and burn them. He told her he was going to take the sledgehammer to her car and smashed it so she couldn't drive to school anymore. The police arrived and they couldn't do anything because they said they didn't see him hit her.
Speaker 2:What do you mean? They can't do anything.
Speaker 3:Well, I did say this case changed a lot of things, but yes, not only that. While they were there he threatened to kill her, but they said they couldn't do anything about that either. Oh my Lord, I know that just really got me when I was researching this. So the kids are cold and hungry and she tells them to wash up and they all try to be quiet and they're literally like not literally, I'm sorry they're just walking on eggshells. They don't want to poke the bear.
Speaker 3:So he comes in the kitchen while they're eating to get a beer. He pounded the table with his fist and knocked over the milk. The children jumped up from the table. He then begins to dump their plates of food into the floor, then told Francine to pick it up. She got it all cleaned up and he dumped the garbage can on the floor and told her to pick it up again, and all the while yelling and cussing her and hitting her in the head. He then stops and says he's going to the bedroom to watch TV and he wants something to eat. She fixed him food and took it to the bedroom.
Speaker 2:The way I'd be putting rat poison or something in there so fast, no joke.
Speaker 3:So once he ate it, he summons her to the bedroom because now he wants sex.
Speaker 2:You mean he wants to rape her because it's clear she doesn't want this from him?
Speaker 3:Yes, and after he passes out, francine and the children watch TV for a little while while she's thinking on how she just can't handle this life anymore. She told the kids to get in the car and she poured gasoline around the bed as he lost sleeping and lit the house up. She went to the car, drove herself to the police station and told them what she did. They called the fire station to dispatch the truck to the house, but it was too late. She's sitting in jail until her trial is assigned to a public defender, aaron Graydenson. He tells her he's going to do all he can for her case, but there isn't really a defense.
Speaker 3:He began by going to their neighborhood and knocking on doors looking for witnesses to the abuse. The neighbors said they didn't know anything, nor were they aware of anything. She told Aaron to talk to their old neighbors and he spoke to Laura Eifert. She had seen bruises on Francine and her husband had pulled Mickey off. Francine before Laura told him all she knew and he asked her would she be willing to testify? She was apprehensive, but Aaron talked her into it. He began to find others that would testify, but none of them really wanted to at first. He also got copies of all the police reports that had been filed over the years, when Francine had called or, as you may remember, also his parents had called the police on him at one time. In a world where anything can happen, being prepared with critical information can make all the difference. That is why we've partnered with Help you Find Me, which is a platform where you can securely share your private information with loved ones.
Speaker 2:They have so many different features, such as the live location, travel itinerary, medical information and more, All important to have, especially if you go missing.
Speaker 3:As a murder and mimosas listener, you can get 20% off the power plan using code MMPOWER20. That's MMPOWER20. So head on over to helpyoufindme and get your setup. Today Aaron had her evaluated by a psychiatrist at the end of the findings and he stated Francine had a psychological breakdown during which she had been overwhelmed by her most primitive emotions and unable to make a rational judgment or decision. She had been, in short, totally out of control. End quote. Thus Aaron decided on temporary insanity defense.
Speaker 2:Okay so people talk about that defense a lot, but it's actually really rarely used and it's hard to prove. Well, it's honestly rarely used. People do try to use it a lot. It's rarely effective. It's great if you can, though, because if you get just to use the insanity plea, if found guilty, you still aren't free. You're going to go ahead and do your time in a state hospital instead of a jail. Temporary insanity means you are free if found guilty because it was just temporary and something or someone caused the issue. True.
Speaker 3:But he went with it and after all the witnesses and doctors, it worked for Francine and she was released from jail in November of 1977. They went on to call this the burning bed defense, which was for any female partners who killed their significant other because of prolonged abuse, and it was dubbed the burning bed defense.
Speaker 2:This call it that anymore, though. Do you know, I call it like the battered woman um, they don't even call it battered woman.
Speaker 3:Now it's intimate partner violence, okay, but it was battered women's syndrome at one time, okay, but yes, so anybody dubbed this, it was called that. So this case paved the way for other battered women and in 1975 to 1978, more than 170 battered women's shelters were opened. And in 1979, psychologist Leon E Walker suggested the idea of battered women's syndrome, like I said, which is now called intimate partner violence. So, because men are abused too and this seems to still not be widely talked about, shelters for men are far and few between, and I would like to say that Arkansas does have one for men, which really surprised me. Yeah, the Deep South, that's a crazy thing, I know. I was like I wish they had some for men and I looked it up and I was like, oh, we have one. I had no idea. But if you are being abused, there is help and resources. This is one of the few stories that the victim actually walked away, and most of the time it's the other way around actually walked away and most of the time it's the other way around.
Speaker 2:If you're being abused, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, and that information, again along with you know if you're being raped by an intimate partner or a spouse, will also be linked in our show notes so that you guys can have access to that if you need it, or can provide that to someone that you know who may need it.
Speaker 3:We always recommend more bubbly and less OJ Cheers.
Speaker 2:If you'd like to see pictures from today's episode, you can find us at murdermimosas on Instagram. You can also find us at murdermimosas on TikTok, twitter, and if you have a case you would like us to do, you can send that to murdermimosas at gmailcom. And lastly, we are on Facebook at Murder and Mimosas Podcast, where you can interact with us there. We love any type of feedback you can give us, so please write and review us on Spotify, itunes or wherever you listen to your podcasts.