Carla Hughes
Encyclopedia
Carla Hughes is a former middle school
teacher from Canton, Mississippi
who was convicted of two counts of capital murder for the November 29, 2006 slayings of her lover's pregnant fiancee Avis Banks and her unborn child. She is serving two consecutive sentences of life without parole at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
near Pearl, Mississippi
.
Carl and aunt
Lynda Hughes when she was six weeks old. She was raised in Greenville, Mississippi
. Carla was very accomplished; as a child she excelled in horseback riding and beauty pageants and was an honors student
. After graduating from high school, Carla went on to earn a Master's Degree
in education. She later went on to earn a Ph.D. However, one setback in her achievements was a failed engagement
in 2004 which gave Carla a son.
Carla started out her teaching career at an elementary school
but then took a job as a 7th grade language arts
teacher at a Jackson, Mississippi
middle school
. It was there where she met fellow teacher Keyon Pittman. The two began having an intimate relationship, despite Keyon being engaged to a woman named Avis Banks and expecting a child.
home. Her body was discovered by her fiance Keyon Pittman, and it appeared as if the perpetrator had kicked in their back door. After discovering the body, Keyon called his co-worker Carla Hughes.
Hughes was later interrogated by police, where she initially denied her sexual relationship with Pittman and later denied having access to a gun. However, Hughes's cousin indicated to police, via an attorney
, that he had loaned a loaded .38 caliber 5-shot revolver
to Hughes shortly before the murder, and that she had returned the gun empty. Hughes was originally charged with accessory to murder after the fact, but on December 8, 2006, the charges were upgraded to two counts of capital murder.
Carla's attorney
s Brandon Dorsey and Johnnie Walls continued to deny everything. They called Keyon a "bonafied womanizer" who did not want to be married with a child. They claimed that Keyon had worn Carla's shoes during the murder, and he discounted testimony about how Carla's cell phone records placed her at the crime scene, claiming that Carla had a friend in the area. However, prosecutors continually stated that Keyon had an alibi
at the time of the murder: that he was coaching basketball practice and texting another woman.
On October 12, 2009, Carla pled the fifth, deciding not to testify in her own defense. The case was then handed over to the jury
.
, Hughes's jury announced they had reached a verdict
on October 13, 2009. Hughes was found guilty
on both counts of capital murder. Although Hughes could have faced the death penalty, she was instead sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences without parole.
judge denied Carla's request for a new trial.
This case has been televised on Dateline NBC
, Snapped
, Forensic Files
and Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets
.
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
teacher from Canton, Mississippi
Canton, Mississippi
Canton is a city in Madison County, Mississippi. The population was 12,911 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Madison County, and situated in the northern part of the metropolitan area surrounding the state capital, Jackson....
who was convicted of two counts of capital murder for the November 29, 2006 slayings of her lover's pregnant fiancee Avis Banks and her unborn child. She is serving two consecutive sentences of life without parole at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
The Central Mississippi Correctional Facility is a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men and women located in unincorporated Rankin County, Mississippi, near Pearl. The prison is the only state prison to hold female prisoners in Mississippi, in addition to minimum and medium...
near Pearl, Mississippi
Pearl, Mississippi
Pearl is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 21,961 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
Early life
Carla Hughes was born on June 12, 1981, and was adopted by her uncleUncle
An uncle is a type of familial relationship.Uncle may also refer to:* Uncle , by J. P. Martin* U.N.C.L.E., a fictional organization in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
Carl and aunt
Aunt
An aunt is a person who is the sister or sister-in-law of a parent. A man with an equivalent relationship is an uncle, and the reciprocal relationship is that of a nephew or niece....
Lynda Hughes when she was six weeks old. She was raised in Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
. Carla was very accomplished; as a child she excelled in horseback riding and beauty pageants and was an honors student
Honors student
An honors student is a person recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their course work.Honors students may refer to# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as honor rolls, varying from school to school, and...
. After graduating from high school, Carla went on to earn a Master's Degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in education. She later went on to earn a Ph.D. However, one setback in her achievements was a failed engagement
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
in 2004 which gave Carla a son.
Carla started out her teaching career at an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
but then took a job as a 7th grade language arts
Language arts
Traditionally, the primary divisions in the language arts are Literature and Language, where language in this case refers to both linguistics, and specific languages....
teacher at a Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
. It was there where she met fellow teacher Keyon Pittman. The two began having an intimate relationship, despite Keyon being engaged to a woman named Avis Banks and expecting a child.
Murder and Investigation
On the night of November 29, 2006, Avis Banks, a daycare worker, was found shot and stabbed to death in the garage of her Ridgeland, MississippiRidgeland, Mississippi
Ridgeland is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,173 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
home. Her body was discovered by her fiance Keyon Pittman, and it appeared as if the perpetrator had kicked in their back door. After discovering the body, Keyon called his co-worker Carla Hughes.
Hughes was later interrogated by police, where she initially denied her sexual relationship with Pittman and later denied having access to a gun. However, Hughes's cousin indicated to police, via an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, that he had loaned a loaded .38 caliber 5-shot revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
to Hughes shortly before the murder, and that she had returned the gun empty. Hughes was originally charged with accessory to murder after the fact, but on December 8, 2006, the charges were upgraded to two counts of capital murder.
Trial
Carla Hughes' trial began in October 2009. Prosecutors believed that Carla killed Avis Banks so she could be with Keyon Pittman. Keyon testified for the prosecution on October 6, 2009, stating to jurors how he found Avis Banks' body in their garage and talked about his relationship with Carla. In addition to Keyon's testimony, prosecutors were able to prove that Carla's cousin's gun was the murder weapon and that Carla's shoes were used to kick in the door. Cell phone records also showed that Carla was near Avis and Keyon's home at the time of the murder.Carla's attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s Brandon Dorsey and Johnnie Walls continued to deny everything. They called Keyon a "bonafied womanizer" who did not want to be married with a child. They claimed that Keyon had worn Carla's shoes during the murder, and he discounted testimony about how Carla's cell phone records placed her at the crime scene, claiming that Carla had a friend in the area. However, prosecutors continually stated that Keyon had an alibi
Alibi
Alibi is a 1929 American crime film directed by Roland West. The screenplay was written by West and C. Gardner Sullivan, who adapted the 1927 Broadway stage play, Nightstick, written by Elaine Sterne Carrington, J.C...
at the time of the murder: that he was coaching basketball practice and texting another woman.
On October 12, 2009, Carla pled the fifth, deciding not to testify in her own defense. The case was then handed over to the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
.
Verdict
After eight hours of deliberationDeliberation
Deliberation is a process of thoughtfully weighing options, usually prior to voting. In legal settings a jury famously uses deliberation because it is given specific options, like guilty or not guilty, along with information and arguments to evaluate. Deliberation emphasizes the use of logic and...
, Hughes's jury announced they had reached a verdict
Verdict
In law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge. The term, from the Latin veredictum, literally means "to say the truth" and is derived from Middle English verdit, from Anglo-Norman: a compound of ver and dit In law, a verdict...
on October 13, 2009. Hughes was found guilty
Guilty
Guilty commonly refers to the feeling of guilt, an experience that occurs when a person believes that they have violated a moral standard.Guilty or The Guilty may also refer to:-Law:*Guilty plea, a formal admission of legal culpability...
on both counts of capital murder. Although Hughes could have faced the death penalty, she was instead sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences without parole.
Aftermath
On August 30, 2010, a Madison CountyMadison County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 74,674 people, 27,219 households, and 19,325 families residing in the county. The population density was 104 people per square mile . There were 28,781 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile...
judge denied Carla's request for a new trial.
This case has been televised on Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
, Snapped
Snapped
Snapped is an American true crime television series that airs on the Oxygen Network. Snapped debuted on August 6, 2004 and is produced in conjunction with Jupiter Entertainment.-Synopsis:...
, Forensic Files
Forensic Files
Forensic Files is an American documentary-style series which reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and even outbreaks of illness. The show is broadcast on truTV, narrated by Peter Thomas, and produced by Medstar Television, in association with truTV...
and Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets
Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets
Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets is an American true-crime documentary on the Investigation Discovery Network. The program is different than other true-crime documentaries because the murders are portrayed from the omniscient point-of-view of the victim using "fictionalized dialogue"...
.