Suvechha Sarkar
In November 2013, Gene Michael Hart found himself at the center of a horrifying crime that nearly took his life. The loving father and dutiful husband discovered that his wife, Diane Marie Hart, and her older sister, Vickie Lynn Brill, had plotted to hire a hitman and kill him. The horrific crime shocked the community of Ravenna, Michigan, and stunned their loved ones. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Twisted Sisters: Murder Has Two Faces’ sheds light on how the investigation revealed a string of manipulation and betrayal. It also features interviews with their close people and the officials who helped serve justice.
Vickie Brill Moved in With Diane Hart After Her House Burned Down
Vickie Lynn Brill was born on January 4, 1963, and just five years later, her sister, Diane Marie Hart, came into this world. Their family lived in Wisconsin before they moved to a farm in 1977, in Ravenna, Michigan. According to court records, in 1986, Diane was convicted of burglary, breaking and entering, and receiving and concealing stolen property. By August 1994, Vickie resided in Ravenna with her boyfriend and two children after being divorced three times. On the other hand, Diane lived in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan with her two daughters, Angela and Clare. In 1994, she visited Vickie after getting divorced from her childhood sweetheart, Eric. The former met Gene Michael Hart during that visit, and they grew close. They tied the knot in May 1996, and shortly after, he adopted Diane’s children. Their relationship was going well until he got promoted and his workload increased.
According to one of their family friends on the show, Vickie and Diane began spending time together, and the former allegedly influenced her little sister to spend more money. When Gene reportedly set a limit to Diane’s allowance, she began working at a Dollar Store in 2002 as a cash register clerk. However, according to the show, she allegedly allowed Vickie to take items without paying. In 2007, her daughter, Angela, got pregnant and gave birth to a son, Ford. She gave custody of her child to Diane since she couldn’t take care of him at that time. According to reports, when a customer alerted the store management that Diane allegedly allowed Vickie to not pay for items, she was fired. Around Labor Day 2013, Vickie’s house reportedly burned down. So, she moved in with her boyfriend and her children to Diane’s home.
An Encounter With a Fake Hitman Led to the Arrest of the Sisters
On September 27, 2013, Diane visited her parents at the UP, where she reconnected with Eric, who was also the father of her daughters. When she returned to Ravenna, she reportedly revealed to Angela that she would divorce Gene and move to UP with Ford. However, that didn’t bode well with her daughter, who informed Gene about the situation. On November 8, he removed Diane from all their joint accounts and credit cards. The following day, Vickie called Diane’s twin brother, Dean Wilson, who was an ex-convict on parole, to find someone to kill Gene. Although he offered to find someone to commit the act, he reportedly informed Gene about the sisters’ plan. On November 10, Gene contacted the detectives with the concerning information.
It was also revealed that Gene had a $401,000 investment, around $200,000 in a life insurance policy, and the house’s valuation was approximately $170,000. As per an official on the show, Dean had reportedly claimed that Vickie and Diane had allegedly tried to poison Gene with over 20 viagra pills and several sleeping pills. However, Gene only felt sick and slept throughout the weekend as a result. Two days later, Dean introduced Vickie and Diane to Bill, who was actually an undercover police officer. When Bill asked for $5,000 for the murder, the sisters even offered Diane’s rings as a down payment.
Bill asked them to meet face-to-face at the parking lot of Lakes Mall in Muskegon to discuss their plan. On the morning of November 13, Diane filed for divorce and met with Bill around 1 pm. According to a video that captured their conversation in Bill’s car, they reportedly said they would keep their home’s garage door open, which can help the fake hitman shoot Gene. Moreover, the video reportedly showed that when Bill asked them what time worked for them, Diane answered, “Uh, I put my grandson to bed at 9.” Officials were already surveilling Vickie and Diane, and both were arrested as soon as they exited the mall. They were charged with solicitation to murder.
While Diane Hart is Seemingly on Probation, Vickie Brill is Under Supervised Release
Following their arrest on the charge of solicitation to murder, Diane and Vickie did not go to a contested jury trial. The former entered a no-contest plea on March 20, 2014, and was sentenced to a minimum of 6 years up to 30 years in prison on April 28, 2014. Speaking on the matter before her sentencing, she stated, “Sorry for all the mess. I wish I wouldn’t have gotten drug into it.” Vickie also entered a no-contest plea on April 1, 2014, and on June 17, 2014, she received the same sentence as her sister. Right before her sentencing, Vickie apologized, saying, “The only thing I can say is that I’m so very sorry to my family.” Since she had pleaded no-contest, she wasn’t allowed to appeal the judgment directly but instead had to seek permission to appeal. On January 23, 2015, the Michigan Court of Appeals denied Vickie’s request.
That was because they found no valid reason to hear it. The Michigan Supreme Court once again reportedly denied her request to appeal her sentencing on July 28, 2015. According to prison records, Vickie was discharged on November 13, 2020, on probation for the conviction of solicitation to murder. However, she was reportedly charged with Controlled Substance – Possess Analogues, which is illegally having a drug that is chemically similar to a controlled substance, which was committed on February 16, 2023. She was convicted and sentenced to 1 year in prison on September 20, 2024. Vickie was discharged on May 29, 2025, and maintains a low profile today. On the other hand, it appears that Diane may have been discharged because there are no public records of her incarceration.
