Sally Snowden McKay and her cousin were murdered in Arkansas in 1996. Her daughter Martha forgave the convicted killer, gave him a job at her B&B - then he murdered her in 2020.
How it started:
A heartbroken daughter who forgave her mother and cousin's killer and even offered him employment was tragically murdered by the very same man. Martha, devastated by the loss, remarkably reached out to the convicted killer, Travis Lewis, 17, whilst he was behind bars.
In an extraordinary display of compassion, Martha chose to give the teenager a chance, particularly as he had entered a guilty plea but never actually admitted to the crimes. Lewis pointed the finger at another individual for the murders. Tragically, Martha's remarkable act of kindness would prove fatal. After working through her bereavement, Martha decided to reopen the property where her mother had been slain. She transformed and refurbished the grand house into an upmarket bed and breakfast and wedding destination, with the former crime scene becoming the elegant Snowden House.
Martha backed Lewis' early release from custody in 2018, and discreetly provided him with work at Snowden House. Lewis insisted that someone else was to blame, according to Crittenden County Sheriff Mike Allen. Long-time friend Frank Byrd told Martha he didn't believe befriending Lewis was wise, but "she didn't answer me," he recalled. Lewis had been employed on the property for 18 months before her judgement proved misguided when she suspected Lewis might have stolen $10,000 kept in the house from the sale of a chandelier.
Martha was aware he had visited the property that day. Then, in a tragic turn of events, Martha was discovered stabbed and bludgeoned to death at the top of the stairs on March 25, 2020, aged 63. Officers also discovered a cloth bag near Martha containing several valuables and a bloodied kitchen knife. Crittenden County Chief Investigator Todd Grooms stated: "It was determined that he intended to steal these items. However, it was not determined whether his intentions were to burglarize McKay's home and she was killed in the process or if his intention was to murder McKay then opted to steal the items.
A manhunt revealed that her murderer had leapt from a second-floor window upon the arrival of the police, sprinting across the expansive lawn and into the lake, where he subsequently drowned. The police identified "a possible suspect who jumped from an upstairs window and ran to a vehicle that he drove across the yard and got stuck in the yard at the Snowden house, the suspect then jumped from the car and ran and jumped into the lake," The body retrieved from the lake was identified as Lewis'. He had murdered another woman from the same family 23 years later.
A toxicology report discovered a mix of drugs in his system. McKay's sister, Katie Hutton, told People: "She lived life to the fullest," and "She loved her life." Martha's sister expressed their shock, saying: "We are all just in disbelief."
How it started:
A heartbroken daughter who forgave her mother and cousin's killer and even offered him employment was tragically murdered by the very same man. Martha, devastated by the loss, remarkably reached out to the convicted killer, Travis Lewis, 17, whilst he was behind bars.
In an extraordinary display of compassion, Martha chose to give the teenager a chance, particularly as he had entered a guilty plea but never actually admitted to the crimes. Lewis pointed the finger at another individual for the murders. Tragically, Martha's remarkable act of kindness would prove fatal. After working through her bereavement, Martha decided to reopen the property where her mother had been slain. She transformed and refurbished the grand house into an upmarket bed and breakfast and wedding destination, with the former crime scene becoming the elegant Snowden House.
Martha backed Lewis' early release from custody in 2018, and discreetly provided him with work at Snowden House. Lewis insisted that someone else was to blame, according to Crittenden County Sheriff Mike Allen. Long-time friend Frank Byrd told Martha he didn't believe befriending Lewis was wise, but "she didn't answer me," he recalled. Lewis had been employed on the property for 18 months before her judgement proved misguided when she suspected Lewis might have stolen $10,000 kept in the house from the sale of a chandelier.
Martha was aware he had visited the property that day. Then, in a tragic turn of events, Martha was discovered stabbed and bludgeoned to death at the top of the stairs on March 25, 2020, aged 63. Officers also discovered a cloth bag near Martha containing several valuables and a bloodied kitchen knife. Crittenden County Chief Investigator Todd Grooms stated: "It was determined that he intended to steal these items. However, it was not determined whether his intentions were to burglarize McKay's home and she was killed in the process or if his intention was to murder McKay then opted to steal the items.
A manhunt revealed that her murderer had leapt from a second-floor window upon the arrival of the police, sprinting across the expansive lawn and into the lake, where he subsequently drowned. The police identified "a possible suspect who jumped from an upstairs window and ran to a vehicle that he drove across the yard and got stuck in the yard at the Snowden house, the suspect then jumped from the car and ran and jumped into the lake," The body retrieved from the lake was identified as Lewis'. He had murdered another woman from the same family 23 years later.
A toxicology report discovered a mix of drugs in his system. McKay's sister, Katie Hutton, told People: "She lived life to the fullest," and "She loved her life." Martha's sister expressed their shock, saying: "We are all just in disbelief."
