Introduction

It all began in 1985 in Salem Mass. James and Betsey Willard were sweethearts as long back as high school, now married and living on a horse farm left to Betsey by her deceased parents. James Willard was a commercial fisherman and Betsey Willard a school teacher.

The Night of the Incident

A cold January night, James Willard and shipmates had just docked after two months out at sea fishing. Their catch had been very profitable this trip, so all decided to go celebrate at a local bar called Snyders. The crew ordered rounds of drinks for hours. James was leaving to get home to Betsey, his love of his life, when a man approached him in the parking lot of the pub. The man demanded James give him his money and car keys. James refused and fought with the man. The man's gun went off in the shuffle with James holding the gun.

Aftermath

James had been sentenced to five years in prison for the man's murder. Betsey, very distraught, did not know how she could keep up their horse farm without him.