Where is Peggy Sue Thomas now? How former beauty queen planned Russel Douglas' Boxing Day murder with her lover
The killing of Russel Douglas was one that baffled the entire nation. On Boxing Day 2003, he drove out to a secluded spot to meet someone and collect a present. Little did he know that his death awaited there and he would never return. Investigators couldn't place a finger on what had happened at the crime scene. And soon enough, another name started doing the rounds.
Peggy Sue Thomas was a friend of Douglas' wife Brenna. She had phoned him asking him to collect a Christmas present she had for his wife. But it was all a trap – what Peggy was doing is putting Douglas in a death trap. Lifetime's upcoming documentary 'Beyond The Headlines: Beauty Queens Gone Bad' explores Peggy Sue Thomas' involvement in the crime by offering a never-seen-before insight.
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With the help of her lover Jim Huden, Peggy Sue Thomas reportedly killed Russel. She invited him to a secluded place to apparently collect a gift. But Huden waited for him with a gun and reportedly shot Russel right between the eyes.
Who was Peggy Sue Thomas?
Peggy Sue Thomas was a former beauty queen having won Ms Washington. She used to be a naval aircraft mechanic. But having lived through several failed marriages and being a single mum to two daughters, she decided to transform herself.
Eventually, she got into shape and participated in the 2000 Ms Washington beauty pageant. And this was a stepping stone in her life After this, she started a new job in Las Vegas as a limousine driver to rich people, where she earned thousands of dollars a night in tips alone. It was in this job that she would meet her next husband. But before that, she would become embroiled in this murder investigation.
Peggy and Jim Huden rekindled their affair after years when she went back home on Whidbey Island, Washington for a reunion. He was already married to Jean, and they lived together in Florida, but he started a long-distance affair with Peggy.
According to reports, Peggy was aware that Brenna Douglas' husband was being abusive to her, and knew that with two children and Russel's nasty comments, their marriage was on the rocks. It's widely believed that Brenna confided in her friend Peggy, even though no evidence ever came to light to support these claims.
When Peggy returned to the island during Christmas 2003, police would find Douglas' body on 27 December in his car on a secluded road on Whidbey Island.
While his wife couldn't be linked to the murder - despite being open about the abusive nature of the relationship - police turned their attention to calls he received from Peggy. She claimed she was calling Russel to arrange a time to give him a present for Brenna.
When police captured Huden in August 2004 after he became a fugitive, they asked him about the case, but he said "I'm no killer". A search of Peggy’s home showed nothing either. The couple was released without charge but authorities told the media that they were prime suspects.
It was now that the media tagged Peggy as ‘Drop-Dead Gorgeous.’
While Huden lived away, Peggy continued to drive limos in Vegas. Then she met an Alaskan multi-millionaire oil tycoon and horse owner Mark Allen who she married. The relationship didn't last long and after seven months, they separated. Peggy got £465,000 and a houseboat called ‘Off the Hook’ in the settlement.
Finally, Huden was arrested in 2011 and returned to Whidbey Island. A month later, Peggy was arrested on her houseboat. She pleaded guilty to rendering criminal assistance under a plea bargain and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Where is Peggy Sue Thomas today?
In August 2016, according to reports, Peggy Sue Thomas was released. Since then, there have been few official reports that detail her whereabouts.
The documentary, which will premiere exclusively on Lifetime on March 6, 2021, at 10 pm ET/PT, might have some answers. It is inspired by Ann Rule’s true crime book 'Practice to Deceive'.