In the winter of 1982, a quiet Christmas in Dixie Inn, Louisiana, was shattered by a brutal crime that claimed the lives of Erlene Nealy Brown, a 51-year-old female, and her husband, Newton Brown. The tragic events unfolded on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day after two inmates, Jimmy Glass and Jimmy Wingo, escaped from the nearby Webster Parish Jail.
Having broken out of confinement, the duo sought refuge and resources, which led them to the Browns' rural home.
Once at the residence, Glass and Wingo forced their way inside. The escaped convicts then bound and gagged the couple before ransacking their home. Their violent spree culminated in the theft of money, firearms, and clothing. Before fleeing in the Browns' automobile, both Erlene and Newton Brown were shot and killed, each with a single gunshot to the head.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly pointed to the escaped inmates. Jimmy Glass was arrested shortly after the murders, and his accomplice, Jimmy Wingo, was apprehended later. Both men were charged with the first-degree murders of Erlene and Newton Brown. Glass and Wingo were subsequently tried and found guilty of the capital offenses.
Following their convictions, both men were sentenced to death. Jimmy Glass's case gained notoriety when he appealed his sentence to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that execution by electrocution constituted cruel and unusual punishment. The court ultimately rejected his appeal. In June of 1987, both Jimmy Glass and Jimmy Wingo were executed for the murders of Erlene Nealy Brown and her husband.
