Jimmy Don Beets was a retired Dallas firefighter. He was murdered by his wife in 1983. His body was found buried in their yard two years later. His wife was Betty Lou Beets. Her story is featured on the TV show “Killer Grannies.”
The new episode aired on December 28, 2025. It is available on the Oxygen network and app. The case is old but continues to draw public interest.
Who was Jimmy Don Beets?
Jimmy Don Beets was 47 years old when he died. He lived in Gun Barrel City, Texas. He had a career with the Dallas Fire Department. This career came with a pension and life insurance.
He married Betty Lou Beets in 1983. It was her fifth marriage. Their marriage lasted only nine months. Neighbors knew him as a quiet man who liked to fish.
How did Jimmy Don Beets die?
Jimmy Don Beets died on August 6, 1983. Betty Lou Beets said he went fishing on Cedar Creek Lake. She told police he never came back. She suggested he may have fallen from his boat.
His boat was found days later. Nitroglycerin pills for heart trouble were scattered inside. This made his disappearance seem like an accident.
The truth was much darker. Betty Lou Beets shot Jimmy Don while he slept. She used a .38 caliber pistol. She shot him twice in the head.
Her adult son, Robert Branson, helped her bury the body. They wrapped it in plastic. They hid it under a wood pile in the backyard. They also buried the body of her previous husband, Doyle Barker, in the same spot.
How was the murder discovered?
Betty Lou Beets reported Jimmy Don missing. She collected about $100,000 from his life insurance. She also tried to claim his firefighter pension.
For almost two years, no one suspected her. Then, in June 1985, police got an anonymous tip. The tip came from one of Betty Lou’s own children.
Police dug up the yard of her mobile home. They found two bodies. One was Jimmy Don Beets. The other was Doyle Barker, who had disappeared in 1981.
Who was Betty Lou Beets?
Betty Lou Beets was born in 1937. She had a difficult life. She married five times. She had five children.
She had a history of violence. In 1972, she shot her second husband, Bill Lane, in the arm. She pleaded guilty and got probation.
She claimed she was abused by her husbands. Her lawyers later used this in her defense. Prosecutors said she killed for money.
She was called the “Black Widow.” This nickname is given to women who kill their husbands.
What happened at the trial?
Betty Lou Beets went on trial in 1985. She was charged with the capital murder of Jimmy Don Beets. The motive was financial gain.
Her children testified against her. Some said she confessed to the shooting. Financial records showed she benefited from both husbands’ deaths.
Her defense argued she killed Jimmy Don in self-defense. They said he was abusive. The jury did not believe this story. They found her guilty after three days.
The sentence was death by lethal injection.
What was the final outcome?
Betty Lou Beets appealed her sentence for 15 years. All appeals were rejected. She asked for clemency. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles said no.
Governor George W. Bush denied a last-minute stay. On February 24, 2000, she was executed. She was 62 years old.
She was the second woman executed in Texas since the Civil War. Jimmy Don Beets’ family witnessed the execution. They said it brought them relief.
Where can you learn more?
The full story is explored in “Killer Grannies.” It is Season 1, Episode 6. The show examines crimes committed by older women.
It looks at Betty Lou Beets’ life, her marriages, and the murders. It features the details of Jimmy Don Beets’ death and the investigation.
