Naman Shrestha
When Billy Payne Jr. and Billie Jean Hayworth were found dead inside their house in Mountain City, Tennessee, in late January 2012, the entire community was rocked to its core. More shocking truths about the case were revealed as the detectives uncovered a murder plot that involved the Potter family — Jenelle, Barbara, and Marvin Potter — and Jenelle’s boyfriend, Jamie Lynn Curd. Jealousy and hatred were believed to be the primary motives behind the double homicide of Billy and Billie, which is covered extensively in the episode titled ‘Billy & Billie Jean’ of CBS’ ‘Harlan Coben’s Final Twist.’
Jenelle Potter and Jamie Lynn Curd Were Dating When They Got Involved in Billy Payne and Billie Jean’s Murders
Born to Marvin E. “Buddy” Potter and Barbara Potter, Jenelle Leigh Potter grew up in Pennsylvania with her older sister, Christie Groover. While in school, Jenelle reportedly struggled a bit as she was diagnosed with multiple learning disabilities at a young age. In 2005, the family moved to Mountain City, Tennessee. As a result, Jenelle found it challenging to adjust to the new city and make new friends. Things became better when she crossed paths with Tracy Greenwell, Billy Payne’s sister, at a grocery store, and the two became good friends. Not long after, she also became acquainted with Billy as she joined Tracy and him on parties and rock climbing. It is alleged that around that time, she had become attracted to Billy, who didn’t reciprocate her feelings. Instead, through Billy, Jenelle met his cousin, Jamie Lynn Curd, in late 2009.
Their friendship soon turned into something romantic as they regularly spoke for long hours over phone calls, behind the backs of her strict parents. Meanwhile, Billy began dating Billie Jean Hayworth, who eventually moved in with him. When Billie became pregnant with Billy’s child, Jenelle began disliking the couple, especially Billie. Around the same time, Jenelle began receiving harassing messages and comments on her Facebook account, for which she placed the blame on Billie. In order to get back at Billy and Billie, she pretended to be a CIA agent named Christopher “Chris” Tjaden and contacted her parents, claiming that Billy and Billie had been plotting to rape and kill Jenelle.
In the following days, Jenelle, posing as Chris, convinced her mother, Barbara, to take action before it was too late. According to prosecutors, Jenelle’s actions and communications played a significant role in the planning of the murders. They asserted that Barbara Potter assisted in the events leading up to the killings of Billy and Billie, while her husband, Marvin, and Jamie carried out the killings on January 31, 2012. While Marvin shot them to death, Jamie manned the gate. The day after the couple was found dead in their Mountain City, Tennessee, residence, the authorities interviewed Jenelle, Barbara, and Marvin Potter at their home.
Since Jenelle was romantically involved with Jamie, the detectives also brought him in for questioning soon. Jamie failed a polygraph test, and after questioning, he admitted to his involvement in the crime alongside Marvin’s. Thus, he was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in February 2012. Eventually, the investigators also found evidence that Jenelle had posed as Chris and was a significant part of the crime. Thus, in August 2013, she was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit premeditated first-degree murder.
Jenelle is Currently Incarcerated at a Tennessee Prison, While Jamie Has Been Paroled
Jamie Lynn Curd ended up pleading guilty to the lesser charge of facilitation of first-degree murder for two concurrent sentences of 25 years in prison. In exchange, he agreed to testify against Jenelle and Barbara Potter. In May 2015, Jenelle and Barbara’s joint trial commenced. During the trial, Jamie testified against them and told the jury about their involvement in the murders of Billy Payne and Billie Jean. Consequently, Jenelle was found guilty of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Around July, she received two concurrent life sentences for the same.
During a conversation with ’20/20,’ Jenelle maintained her innocence, stating, “I didn’t hate (Hayworth and Payne). I just disliked them. I wanted (them) to quit. I wanted the harassment to stop.” In September 2018, she also filed an appeal to get her conviction and sentence overturned, but was denied by the Court of Appeals. In 2024, Jamie Curd was released on parole as part of his plea deal; however, he has kept his life out of the limelight. Meanwhile, Jenelle is serving her sentence at West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Henning, Tennessee, with her release date scheduled for March 2068.
Read More: Billie Jean Hayworth and Billy Payne Jr. Murders: Where Are Barbara and Marvin Potter Now?
