Suvechha Sarkar
Jennie Lee Allen, lovingly known as Jeannie, was a loving mother and wife whose untimely demise in January 1993 sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community of Little Rock, Arkansas. The devastating loss left her loved ones grappling with several questions. An investigation revealed that the person responsible for her death was one of the people whom she trusted the most. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Twisted Sisters: Her Own Medicine’ uncovers shocking details of a strained relationship and a deadly conspiracy. It also features interviews with her loved ones and the law enforcement officials who ensured justice was served.
Jeannie Allen’s World Greatly Revolved Around Her Family
George Thomas Plummer and Birdie Plummer Fewell were overjoyed when they welcomed Jennie Lee Plummer, affectionately known as Jeannie, into their lives on June 21, 1926. She grew up in Poyen, Arkansas, surrounded by the love of her parents, her brothers, Corbit, Thomas, James, John, and Donnie, and her sisters, Opal, Evelyn, Elsie, and Georgia. Her nephew, Thomas Plummer, described her as someone practical, smart, and often fun to be around. When she turned 18, Jeannie crossed paths with James S. Allen, AKA Jimmie, and they tied the knot on July 31, 1944. Within the next few years, they welcomed their son, Buddy, and daughter, Barbara, into the world.
However, Jeannie and her family faced a massive heartbreak when George passed away on February 2, 1953. According to the show, her sister, Georgia, dropped out of school during that time and married Bobby Gene Lingo. Georgia was still young when she gave birth to their son, Billy Bob. A reporter on the show claimed that when Georgia could not take the responsibilities, she allegedly left home and moved in with Jeannie and her family. Thomas said that the sisters often went out together, but since there was tension between Georgia and Jimmie, she moved in with her sister, Elsie, and her husband, Raborn Tanner. Things seemed to settle down for the three sisters for the next few years. Jeannie even began working as an Office Assistant.
Jeannie Allen Passed Away in the Hospital From Metal Poisoning
In the late 1980s, Birdie’s health deteriorated, and official reports stated that she wanted Jeannie and Georgia to take charge of her accounts. On September 4, 1991, Birdie passed away from natural causes. Not long after, Georgia’s second husband filed for divorce, and she moved in with Jeannie again. Things got messy when, on July 1, 1992, Buddy reportedly called the police and alleged that he believed Jeannie abused Jimmie. Although the situation cooled down over time, another problem arose when, during November and December, Jimmie was admitted to the hospital due to a sudden illness. On December 18, 1992, Jeannie also mysteriously fell ill and had symptoms like nausea, blurry vision, fever, and diarrhea, and she was admitted to the Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock.
Surprisingly, Jeannie’s grandniece, Theresa Allen Tessman, who was then pregnant, also experienced the same symptoms. Doctors initially presumed it was the flu, but as Jeannie’s symptoms worsened, she was put on an induced coma. The urine sampling and heavy metal testing revealed that Jeannie had high levels of arsenic poisoning. Unfortunately, the 66-year-old passed away on January 17, 1993, due to cardiac arrest and late treatment of the metal poisoning. The doctors informed the officials about the situation since the arsenic levels were too high to be accidental. Detectives checked Jeannie’s house and inspected all containers as evidence. Upon testing, they discovered that a pitcher full of punch that was kept in her refrigerator and a NyQuil bottle contained arsenic. It turned Jeannie’s death into a homicide investigation.
A String of Impersonation and Forgery Led to the Arrest of the Killer
At the beginning of the investigation, detectives reportedly discovered that Jeannie’s grandniece, Theresa, who had similar symptoms, also had an elevated level of arsenic in her body. It turned out that Theresa was seven weeks pregnant at that time, and sadly, she had to terminate the pregnancy due to reported fetal damage. Other family members of Jeannie were also tested for the metal, but her son and husband did not have traces of arsenic in their bodies. The court documents reportedly stated that detectives discovered a dispute that occurred between Jeannie and Georgia when their mother was admitted to the hospital. It was reportedly because Georgia wanted to divide Birdie’s money between her and her sister. However, Jeannie reportedly wanted it to be kept in their mother’s account.
When Georgia reportedly withdrew a certain amount of money from that account, Jeannie filed a lawsuit against her sister to retrieve the missing funds. However, by May or June of 1992, they resolved their disputes, following which Georgia again moved in with Jeannie. According to testimonies, Georgia’s relationship with Jimmie and Buddy was strained. On July 16, 1992, Jeannie’s husband called the police to get Georgia out of his house. For a while, Georgia lived with one of her brother’s girlfriends, Sheila Synco. Two months later, Georgia began living with Jeannie again, but Buddy was reportedly reluctant to let her live in that house. At that time, he believed Jeannie had reportedly gone to court to ensure he wouldn’t come by his house. When Jimmie fell ill shortly after, Jeannie got the power of attorney. Detectives discovered that during that time, she reportedly emptied her safety deposit box and closed the account, containing a little more than $1,300.
Another receipt showed Jeannie bought a $3,200 ring using her credit card. As officials tried to verify those events, it turned out that Georgia posed as Jeannie to prevent Buddy from visiting the house. Similarly, the bank authorities confirmed that Georgia claimed to be Jeannie while closing the deposit account. Furthermore, they discovered that Jeannie had pawned the ring at a shop. Official records confirmed that the signatures in those cases were not Jeannie’s but rather Georgia’s. Police also received a call from Georgia’s boss, who informed them that a liquid rat poison was found in the place where Jeannie’s sister kept her belongings. When the poison was tested, it was revealed that it contained arsenic. When interrogated, Georgia claimed Jeannie asked her to do it, and she allegedly didn’t know why. Ultimately, she was arrested in December 1993 and charged with capital murder of Jeannie and first-degree battery for poisoning Theresa.
Georgia Weaver Passed Away While Serving Her Time in Prison
The jury trial of Georgia began in 1995 for capital murder and battery. As per the court records, the prosecution reportedly introduced several chemical tests before the court, which revealed traces of arsenic in items found at Jeannie’s residence. Additionally, they also presented the liquid rat poison that contained arsenic, which was found hidden at Georgia’s workplace. The prosecution claimed that the motive for the murder was greed and revenge that arose from the sisters’ dispute over the guardianship funds. They also alleged that Georgia made efforts to take control of Jeannie’s finances. On the other hand, the defense argued that the evidence was circumstantial. They claimed that Jimmie should have been a suspect since he tested negative for arsenic.
Furthermore, the defense alleged that Jimmie had once threatened to kill Georgia. They argued that there was insufficient evidence to prove premeditated murder beyond a reasonable doubt. Ultimately, Georgia was convicted of capital murder and first-degree battery on May 4, 1995. She was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for murder and 30 years for battery, to be served concurrently. Georgia appealed her sentencing based on the claims of insufficient evidence and trial error. However, the Supreme Court of Arkansas affirmed the original judgment on April 29, 1996. Georgia was serving her time in an Arkansas State Prison when she passed away at the age of 79 in 2017.
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