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Carla Hughes Sentenced to Life Without Parole

by Scott Wu | October 14, 2009 at 04:36 pm

2072 views | 3 Recommendations | 8 comments

Carla Hughes will serve a life sentence without parole for two counts of capital murder. Hughes killed her lover's fiance Avis Banks and her unborn baby in 2006. A Madison County jury returned with the verdict after less than one hour of deliberation.

Prosecutors were seeking for death penalty. They called Dr. Stephen Hayne, a state pathologist, as witness. He explained how Banks and her baby died after the injury they suffered.

Defense attorney called Hughes' aunt, Linda Hughes, as witness. Linda Hughes raised Carla since her birth, and described her as the perfect child.

Hughes described Carla as the perfect child, who later on earned two masters degrees, and a P.H.D..

She asked jurors to spare Carla's life, for all the good things she had done, and people she helped as a teacher.

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endtourp (not verified)

at 05:44 on October 15th, 2009

My heart is saddened by the whole event concerning Avis Banks, her unborn child, Carla Hughes, and Keyon Pittmon. I watched the trial on Tru TV and was not convinced that Carla committed this crime. However I do believe that she helped Keyon cover up what he did. I am thinking that she doesn't for now want her family and friends in Mississippi to know that she did help him cover it up. I pray that in the future she will tell the whole and true story of how she showed Keyon the gun when she got it from her cousin, but he used it to kill his fiance. I even think that he called her and she did go to him, took the shoes back to her place at his instructions, took the gun after he used it and the knife. My theory is that they both were involved, but who but God knows the whole story.

d lawrence (not verified)

at 06:44 on October 15th, 2009

maybe she did help hiv by getting the gun and knife, but with all her education comman sense should kick in at some point now, it no way i would set in prison while he marry and remarry going on with his life, at this point life given i would sing like a bird. i think she work alone. hearing that she lost another man the father of her son, she was already torn from that so she could not see loosing another man. but she open that door when she alloud a relationship with a man that had a girl friend she had just waited she would have known he was not going to be with either one of the ladies. i known men like that father kids and still move on start a new family move start again. he is not the only man that do that and he is still not done with women. so Carla need to tell her story. as a fact write a book let your story be told to scared women

veda (not verified)

at 13:36 on October 15th, 2009

There is no doubt in my mind that Carla had at least something to do with the murders. Keyon Pittman was the instigator behind the whole thing.I wanted to punch him in the face watching from my living room. What a devil.I think Carla, as confident and successful as she appears, really has low self esteem. The beauty pageants were a means to cover that up.Helping others may be a way for her to feel better about herself.(Ego). I think the "loser" who walked out on her before her wedding hurt her more than anyone comprehended. When Keyton paid her all this attention, it made her feel sexy, even if he was "engaged". She felt in control and had a false sense of "power" over the Avis Banks.She may have realized Keyton was going to "leave her" too, and snapped, or he put it in her head that he wanted Avis "gone".He definitely started the spark that started the fire. I believe the law will go after him in time too and he will pay for his part.What comes around, goes around...

jazzyzazzy

at 16:29 on October 15th, 2009

Pray her and her wee baby rest in peace.

ED D (not verified)

at 18:45 on October 15th, 2009

Carla, is "GUILTY", and she did what she felt she knew in order to keep the man, but as most woman she went after the wrong person. She knew what type of man Keyon Pittman is, not was because he hasn't changed, he just moved on to another prey (woman). Unfortunately, Carla emotions took control of her, and two precious lives were taken. Now she will have the rest of her life to think about what she has done. My only suggestion to her is to pray, and get a relationship with "GOD"!!

Galveston Girl (not verified)

at 12:41 on October 19th, 2009

I feel that it wasn't all her fault, Mr.Pittman played a part in his fiancee and their unborn child murder. I feel as tho Mr.Pittman should be charged with both murders also, he is not innocent. Mr.Pittman is as GUILTY as Ms.Hughes they both deserves life without parole.

brensmom72 (not verified)

at 17:39 on October 19th, 2009

i feel that carla hughes is guilty! please remember that love and lust are the worst habits to ever get hooked on. Carla evidently had unfinished business in her emotional state and when she met this character keyon, she allowed him to take he down that road leading to nowhere. In the final analysis, she began to obsess over what could never be hers and allowed evil to overtake her in order to get what she wanted. Keyon, although being morally bankrupt, however has not been accused or convicted of a crime. Keyon is gone on with his life, it carla could have offered testimony to save herself, now that keyon is no longer an issue, i believe she would have done so. Although she had a right not to testify, constitutionally, one can only wonder why someone who is so eloquent and educated would not want to shout to the rooftop that she was innocent, if that were the case!

A Victim of Murder (not verified)

at 01:28 on October 23rd, 2009

I read all of the responses to Carla's conviction. Exactly CON-Viction. Carla is an educated CON-artist and so is that snake (Keyon) claiming to be screwing both Carla and Avis. For the people siding with Carla, please spare me. What the "h" does education have to do with someone premeditating to take an innocent person's life? Scott Peterson has a degree and some serial killers. Unless you have been a victim of a henious crime such as this, you people are clueless. Justice means everything when you love someone taken away viciously and brutally. Avis did not get hit by a car, or got sick and died. She was MURDERED! What part of murder do you people not understand. Avis' family have to imagine in their minds the last minutes of her life on earth that she died not knowing what was going on. Murder does a lot of damage to those love ones living. I have been crying about the murder of my father for 30 years. The pain does not go away. Carla got off easy. Avis' murder will be on the minds of her survivors for life. At least her family can visit her lively body in jail. Who the "h" married Keyon? She must be insane. Although I think Carla committed the crime single-handed, Kenyon indiscretions caused Carla's mental breakdown. But for, this reason, he will never be truly happy no matter who he married.