Toby Harold Mathews, a 29-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically murdered on April 14, 1998, in Corsicana, Texas. He was born on June 17, 1968, in Los Angeles, California, and worked as a mechanic in Lamar, Colorado, where he met Cynthia "Cindy" Darlene Phillips. The couple moved to Corsicana, Texas, where they lived together with Cindy's two daughters.
On the day of his death, Toby went to the local Kmart to pick up cold medicine for one of Cindy's daughters.
When he did not return home even after an hour, Cindy sent their roommate, Richard "Rick" Leo Boyd, to check on him. Rick returned and told Cindy that Toby had died in a car accident. However, the police arrived and informed Cindy that Toby had actually been murdered.
The Corsicana police received a 911 call from a passerby who reported hearing gunshots and seeing a man lying dead on the road. When they arrived at the scene, they identified the victim as Toby and determined that he had been shot multiple times, including once in his left temple. Seven 9mm shells were found near his body.
The investigation took a suspicious turn when Cindy and Rick's reactions to Toby's death raised red flags for the police. Cindy never questioned the officers, but Rick appeared nervous and fidgety. As news of the murder spread, several of Toby and Cindy's friends from Colorado contacted the police and informed them about Cindy's estranged husband, Ron Phillips. They revealed that Cindy and Ron had a tumultuous relationship, and Cindy had left him to move to Texas with Toby.
Cindy was eventually arrested and charged with Toby's murder. It was revealed that she had killed Toby to collect a $250,000 life insurance payout. Cindy was dubbed a "Black Widow" by the police, as she was also linked to the murder cases of two other men.
The case was featured on Investigation Discovery's show "American Monster: Stand by Your Man," which detailed the investigation and the eventual arrest and conviction of Cindy Phillips.
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