Evil Lives Here on ID: What happened to Rebecca Murray?

On April 17, 2017, 33-year-old Rebecca Murray was murdered by her husband, Lee Mikeal Cawthon. The assailant stated that it was not his intention to kill his wife as the first bullet he shot was accidental. Cawthon further added that he did not want his wife to suffer, so he shot her multiple times after that.

After Murray died, Cawthon placed coins on her eyes as part of a Greek mythological death ritual. He cleaned the crime scene and fled but soon returned to hide the body. While confessing to his wife's murder, Cawthon also informed the authorities that he placed her inside a 55-gallon oil drum in the oil pit under the tractor on their property.

An upcoming episode of Evil Lives Here will chronicle the murder of Rebecca Murray in detail. The episode, titled Ménage à Terror, will be released on April 2, 2023, at 9 pm on ID.

The official synopsis of the episode reads:

"Genie already knows Lee Cawthon is capable of horrible things when he forces her into a polygamous relationship; she plays along with his twisted demands, but doesn't realize that the consequences of letting him have his way might be worse."

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Rebecca Murray and Lee Mikeal Cawthon were reportedly in an open relationship

Rebecca Murray and Lee Mikeal Cawthon had known each other since the former was eight years old. After Cawthon divorced his first wife, Jessica, in 2002, he began dating Rebecca. They eventually got married in 2006, but seven years into their relationship, they decided to try something new.

The couple decided to enter an open relationship. They met an exotic dancer named Allite Franks through a dating website. While things were going well at the beginning of this polyamorous relationship, things soon took a dark turn.

Murray and Cawthon had a liquor store business that had to be closed permanently. To aid their livelihood, Murray started working as an exotic dancer at the same place Allite Franks worked at. Cawthon was constantly jealous of the attention Rebecca Murray was getting. Soon after, Franks grew distant from Cawthon and ended up falling for his wife.

Rebecca Murray's mother claimed that Cawthon kept tabs on his wife by asking her to send pictures, wanting to know who she was with and where. Their marriage continued, but the couple decided to have another partner in their polyamorous relationship, this time with a man named Thad Sosebee.

On April 16, 2017, the trio reportedly drank together. After returning home, Cawthon assaulted his wife as she ended up getting six stitches in her wound, following which she went to Thad Sosebee’s house.

The same month, Rebecca Murray was reported missing. Her mother had asked for a welfare check after she had missed their Easter dinner together. About sixteen days later, her corpse was found in her home hidden away in a drum.

While the police were investigating the murder, Cawthon turned himself in on May 3, 2017. He confessed to killing his wife on April 17, 2017. After Rebecca Murray went to Thad Sosebee’s house, she returned to her home to collect her things. She wanted a divorce, and Cawthon was furious that his wife wanted to leave him.

Following this, he shot Rebecca Murray eight times, with wounds on her head and chest. He was convicted of murder along with possessing a weapon during a violent crime.

Lee Mikeal Cawthon pled guilty to the murder of his wife in September 2018. He was sentenced to 40 years on the first charge and five years in prison on the second charge. He served at Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, South Carolina, and was scheduled to be released in May 2062. However, in 2021, Cawthon killed himself inside the prison.

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To learn more about this murder case, watch Evil Lives Here on ID this Sunday at 9 pm.