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An Idaho man is revisiting among the most painful moments of his life in hopes nobody else will expertise the same tragedy.
Vernon Jensen is reflecting on the true-crime case that without end modified his life for the Investigation Discovery (ID) docuseries “Evil Lives Right here,” which explores how folks throughout the nation have lived alongside sociopathic family and friends members who go on to commit heinous crimes. It options sit-down interviews with family members, victims, investigators and others intently related to the instances.
“It’s been 23 years since the whole lot occurred,” Jensen advised Fox Information Digital. “I in truth didn’t know if I may revisit this or not. However I needed to share my aspect of the story. Issues have been mentioned through the years – various things. So I simply needed folks to lastly perceive what occurred and the way issues went down.”
Jensen was a 20-year-old finding out to change into a respiratory therapist when a registered nurse on the hospital the place he labored struck up a friendship with him. On the time, Jensen was separated from his spouse. After sharing lengthy shifts with Vicki, a divorced mother to a four-year-old son, Jensen determined to take the seemingly pleasant worker on a couple of informal dates.
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Vern Jensen spoke out within the true-crime docuseries “Evil Lives Right here.”
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“I appreciated Vicki,” the 51-year-old recalled. “She was humorous. She appeared extraordinarily pleasant. I used to be drawn to her on the time. When she knew I used to be separated from my spouse, she handed me a word asking if I needed to satisfy up for drinks and discuss. We frolicked. However she grew to become very possessive proper off the bat. It was very clear she needed one thing far more.”
Jensen admitted that he didn’t contemplate the connection to be critical. He was shocked when, after spending an extended weekend with associates, Vicki managed to name his residence and converse to his mom. She later confessed to calling all of the Jensens within the telephone e-book till she reached the suitable home. Quickly after, she declared herself to be Jensen’s girlfriend.
Not figuring out the way to deal with the state of affairs, Jensen immersed himself in his work. He landed a full-time place in Twin Falls, almost two hours away from Boise. He mentioned Vicki introduced she would go together with him. And as soon as the divorce from his first marriage was finalized in 1991, Vicki introduced the pair would get married – and so they did.
After the pair mentioned “I do,” Jensen claimed Vicki grew to become verbally and bodily abusive towards him.
Vernon Jensen recalled how there have been pink flags early on in his relationship with second spouse Vicki Jensen.
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“The one factor that actually made me understand there was one thing mistaken along with her was when she introduced insulin residence to attempt to kill my first spouse, my children’ mom, as a result of she had raised my baby help a few years after she discovered I’d gotten a unique job,” Jensen claimed. “She talked about it and would say, ‘I’m gonna kill that witch.’ I simply thought it was discuss. Nobody of their proper thoughts would commit such a heinous act. However then someday, I noticed the insulin. I requested, ‘What are you doing?’ She mentioned, ‘I’m gonna go handle it.’ That’s after I blew up. I grabbed the insulin and the syringes. I drove off and threw them within the Dumpster someplace.”
“I attempted to persuade myself that she was simply overreacting,” he continued. “I assumed I may management this, I may deal with this. I advised her if she tried this once more, I’d name the police, and I wasn’t screwing round right here. I considered going to the police anyway, however I mentioned to myself, ‘What may they actually do?’ At that time, she hadn’t dedicated against the law. She simply made threats.
“And when she introduced residence the stuff to do it, I threw it out. I felt caught. However I really believed that I may cope with this. And, to be sincere, I used to be all the time afraid of retaliation from her. She was fairly vicious when she felt I crossed her. She might be very bodily and verbally abusive to me. She would punch me, hit me, throw issues at me. However I additionally was raised to not ever hit a girl. And I refused to cross that line as a result of there was no turning again. And I didn’t need to flip again on my religion in Christ.”
Jensen claimed that it didn’t take lengthy for Vicki’s assaults to worsen behind closed doorways. Whereas he didn’t go to the police, he finally moved out and commenced working additional shifts to assist pay for a divorce legal professional. It was throughout that point he started courting Aleta Diane Ray, who labored as a nurse’s aide.
“I bear in mind how extremely variety and caring she was to her sufferers,” mentioned Jensen. “She by no means bought quick with anybody or impatient, even when somebody was being actually ugly in direction of her. She all the time had a smile on her face. I fell in love along with her smile. She had a really soothing voice. She put others earlier than herself. It was such a breath of contemporary air. I simply felt such a pure connection. And as I bought to know her, it felt as if we had been kindred spirits. She was simply the kindest, sweetest individual I’ve ever met. I felt hopeful.”
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Aleta Diane Ray along with her daughter.
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As the connection between Ray and Jensen blossomed, they moved into an house collectively in 1999 with Ray’s daughter. It didn’t take lengthy for Vicki to seek out out. Jensen claimed that when Vicki started stalking the pair, he and Ray had made plans to maneuver out and begin anew in a unique state.
“We began seeing Vicki observe us round,” Jensen mentioned as he choked again tears. “I used to be going to ship Diane someplace 200 miles away so she may really feel protected. I assume I didn’t act quick sufficient.”
Jensen and Ray’s plans collectively by no means got here to fruition.
On the morning of September 9, 1999, Vicki and two disguised accomplices fooled Ray into letting them into her residence after Jensen went to work. It was there when Vicki gave the 33-year-old, with a gun held to her head, a deadly injection of methamphetamine and insulin. In keeping with prosecutors, Vicki ignored Ray’s pleas for mercy after which watched her undergo for almost an hour. The crime was witnessed by Ray’s 3-year-old daughter, who was left alone along with her dying mom.
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Jade Scotton, Aleta Diane Ray’s daughter, reconnected with Vernon Jensen with the assistance of the docuseries.
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Vicki had recruited her niece, then 14-year-old Autumn Pauls, and the teenager’s ex-boyfriend, 17-year-old Matthew W. Pearson, to assist in the killing, in keeping with stories.
“I felt an unimaginable quantity of guilt,” Jensen tearfully recalled. “The way in which I handled it was with alcohol. I took a really self-destructive path. I ought to have recognized. And we had been planning. I used to be on the lookout for work anyplace out of state simply to get away from the state of affairs. I used to be offended. I knew Vicki had one thing to do with it. It sickened me. I felt such rage that I in all probability may have damaged my oath with God. I believe I’d have strangled her. I’m grateful for my religion as a result of that anger may have destroyed me.”
It took an investigation lasting a number of months earlier than Vicki was arrested and charged with first-degree homicide.
“I simply bear in mind watching clips of the interrogation. I felt disgusted,” mentioned Jensen. “Vicki got here throughout like she was the neatest individual within the room, that she may get away with something. It even appeared like she was flirting with the man who was making an attempt to place her in handcuffs. Simply pure vanity. However that’s who she was – evil.”
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Vicki Arlene Jensen was sentenced to life in jail.
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Vicki, then 39, pleaded responsible to the 1999 slaying of Ray, a case prosecutors and judges have known as one of the horrific murders in Twin Falls County. She was sentenced to life in jail. On the sentencing, the choose known as Vicki the evil mastermind of a perverse and horrendous crime. Pauls and Pearson had been tried as adults. Vicki and Jensen’s divorce was finalized in 2001.
With the assistance of the documentary, Jensen reconnected with Jade Scotton, Ray’s daughter. Jensen mentioned he considers her household, and so they converse continuously.
“I needed her to know the story,” he mentioned. “And it felt great to inform her about her mom and who she actually was. Diane was a very good individual, and she or he deserved to know that. She is going to now all the time have somebody in her nook.”
Jensen remarried in 2017. He famous that his church helped him address the tragedy through the years. Regardless of talking out, Jensen admitted that he probably received’t watch the documentary. The reminiscences are simply too painful.
“It’s been 23 years, but it surely’s nonetheless extraordinarily tough to consider,” he mentioned. “I’m grateful that I’ve spoken out as a result of it has allowed me to think about Diane and bear in mind who she was. These emotions have all the time been real for her. The love will all the time be there. I simply hope these in comparable conditions can have the braveness to stroll away and get assist earlier than it’s too late.”
‘Evil Lives Right here’ airs Sunday, April tenth at 9 p.m. on ID. The Related Press contributed to this report.