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In 1993, 67-year-old Betty Gardener adopted her two granddaughters, 12-year-old Wendy and 10-year-old Kathy, and took them into her Saugerties, New York, home. A year later, Wendy met 15-year-old James Evans, a local hoodlum.

The two started dating, and soon, Wendy began to act out. Betty saw she was losing control of her granddaughter and wanted the state to intervene.

Wendy, fearing separation from James, took drastic measures and convinced him to take out her grandmother.

On December 28th, 1994, James strangled Betty with a yo-yo string. The duo held Wendy’s sister hostage for three days while they ate junk food and made love.

On December 31st, 1994, Kathy escaped and ran to a neighbor’s home. They called the police, and when they arrived, they searched Betty’s vehicle and found her dead body in the trunk.

James and Wendy were arrested and taken to the station. It’s unclear if James talked to the police, but Wendy confessed to the crime with her father present.

Both teens were charged as adults with second-degree murder.

James went to trial in 1997. He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 9 years to life in prison. He was released in 2014 after serving 20 years.

Wendy was also convicted of second-degree murder at her 1997 trial. She was sentenced to 7 years to life in prison. She was released in 2004 after serving ten years.