What are the names of Beatrice Six? HBO's Mind Over Murder to revisit 68-year-old grandmother Helen Wilson's murder

A still from Mind Over Murder (Image via HBO)
A still from Mind Over Murder (Image via HBO)

HBO's upcoming six-part documentary series Mind Over Murder is all set to look at the infamous case of the "Beatrice Six," who were convicted of murder and assault by the authorities of Gage County, who by the use of force, convincing, and flawed scientific logic, allegedly convinced five out of six suspects that they had committed the crime and somehow repressed the memories of the night.

The six odd civilians from Beatrice, Nebraska were Joseph White, Thomas Winslow, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Debra Shelden, James Dean, and Kathy Gonzalez. Out of the entire wrongfully charged group, only Joseph White remained unconvinced of the accusations, while the other five cracked under pressure, persuasion, and threats of a death sentence.

After nearly two decades, another round of DNA testing revealed that the real killer was Bruce Allen Smith, who was already dead by then. The six of them were released and later won a civil lawsuit against the Gage County that amounted to $28.1 million.


Who are the Beatrice Six and where are they now?

After a 2008 ruling overturned the Beatrice Six's sentence, the group, led by Joseph White, filed a hefty lawsuit for their wrongful conviction against the Gage County, which had previously convicted the six of them purely based on manufactured memory and arbitrary links to the crime.

While the other five confessed to the crime under pressure and threats, White never faltered in his stance, maintaining his innocence to the very end. He was convicted purely based on the other five suspects' false memories. White went on to fight a 20-plus year-long battle to prove his innocence, and after finally being free, he went on to file a civil lawsuit against the Gage County in 2009.

Joseph White was the only one from the Beatrice Six who was sentenced to life for the murder of Helen Wilson after his compatriots allegedly sold him out in exchange for reduced sentences. After getting out in 2008, he filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of the Beatrice Six. Sadly, Joseph did not live to see the end of it as he died in a work-related accident in 2011. His family was awarded $7.3 million.

Thomas Winslow was sentenced to fifty years in prison after pleading no contest to second-degree murder. After being regularly assaulted in prison, Thomas began to feel that he was guilty, according to sources. He later received $180,000 for his wrongful conviction and $7.3 million as a part of the settlement. He has maintained a low profile since the time he got out, and little is known about him.

Ada JoAnn reportedly moved to North Carolina after her release and patched things up with her daughter. She, too, received $7.3 million from the lawsuit, with which she wanted to buy a house.

Debra Shelden was the first one to plead guilty to the charges. She received a ten-year sentence. She got out of prison after serving four and half years. Shelden received $1.8 million and moved to Lincoln with her husband.

James Dean also received a ten-year sentence and got out of prison after serving about five years. He received $2 million from the lawsuit and has since then stayed away from the spotlight. Kathy Gonzales was similarly sentenced to ten years in prison but was released after only five years. But she stated that some people still believed she was a murderer. Kathy received $2 million from the lawsuit and moved back to her house.

The upcoming docu-series from HBO will cover all the events before and after the wrongful conviction of the Beatrice Six. Mind Over Murder will start streaming on June 20, 2022.

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Edited by Babylona Bora
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