Sentenced to Death, then Released to Kill Again

Preying on Innocents

By Robert A. Waters

On July 9, 1957, Marjorie Hipperson had everything to live for. The night before, she and her fiance, Dr. Walter Dieke, attended an engagement party thrown by family and co-workers. Their wedding, scheduled for the following week, would be a dream come true for the industrious hospital nurse. 

But as Marjorie lay sleeping in her Los Angeles home, a stranger forced open a window and entered. Later that morning, her husband-to-be found Marjorie raped and murdered. Detectives located an unidentified handprint on a wall above the head of the bed where she had been attacked. 

For two years, investigators checked those prints against every new inmate who shuffled into the jail. None matched until Darryl Kemp raped a woman in Griffith Park. Cops soon located the car he had been seen driving and arrested him. He would later be tied to three other violent sexual assaults.

In 1960, a California court found Kemp guilty of first degree murder. According to the Associated Press, "Darryl T. Kemp was sentenced to die in the San Quentin gas chamber for strangling a nurse, Marjorie Hipperson, June 10, 1957."

Twenty-one years later, on the morning of November 14, 1978, Armida Wiltsey (pictured above), a 40-year-old mother, left home to go for a jog. She loved hiking and running the trails around the Lafayette, California reservoir, near her home. When she didn't pick up her daughter from school, a neighbor reported Armida missing. (Her husband was out of town on business.)

A few hours later, as cops searched into the night, deputies discovered her body. She lay a short distance from one of the trails, strangled to death. Her assailant had left semen for cops to save and process, but it would take decades to identify him. Thus began a thirty year search for her killer. 

Had Kemp's original death sentence been carried out, Armida Wiltsey may have enjoyed life for many more years. But, in 1972, the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty as unconstitutional. Five years later, the serial killer was released on parole and soon Armida lay dead near the reservoir trails she loved so much. 

After her murder, Kemp fled to Texas where he was sentenced to life in prison for yet another series of rapes. After California investigators placed his DNA in CODIS, a national databank for offenders, he was identified as the killer of Armida.

Once again, Kemp was sentenced to death.

But once again, he escaped justice. Against the wishes of most Californians, who voted to reinstate the death penalty, Governor Gavin Newsome placed a moratorium on executions. 

Now 88-years-old, Kemp still resides on California's death row.

Unsolved Hardee's Murder in Tennessee

Who Killed Peggy Cox?

By Robert A. Waters

Peggy Cox (pictured above) "wasn't the kind of person that was involved in  nefarious things," said Franklin Police Department Detective Matthew Thompson. "She was a working mother. That's what she did." For years, she manned the drive-thru at Hardee's, raised her children to be diligent citizens, and regularly attended the local Catholic Church. Detectives say Peggy had no known romantic relationships and no irate boyfriends. Her wholesomeness is likely why her murder has never been solved.

The question has always been: what was the motive?

It was nearing midnight on February 1, 1991. The last customer of the day pulled in and placed an order. A roast beef combo. But then, with no warning, he raised a pistol and fired twice. One round pierced Peggy's brain stem and she died instantly. Investigators got no accurate description of the car--it may have been a white Chevy Impala, or maybe a compact blueish gray vehicle.  

Her son, Jude, a cook, heard the shots and watched his mother crumble to the floor. He dropped behind the counter, thinking more shots would be fired. After waiting a few seconds, he rushed to Peggy. For many hours after the shooting, Jude was in a state of severe shock. He could barely speak, and for a time, was unable to even tell investigators what had happened. When cops arrived, he still held onto Peggy's bloody glasses.

There had been no hint of an attempted robbery. Just the order and then gunfire. Jude heard the killer speak into the outside intercom, and later told police the male voice had a slight "twang." Much like many of those who lived in the area.

In the year 1991, Franklin, Tennessee had one murder, that of Peggy Cox. At the time, the town had a population of 20,000 souls. Much of the area was rural, with a country flavor. (Today, Franklin has grown to more than 60,000.)

For 33 years, the murder of Peggy Cox has remained unsolved. The Franklin Police Department has spent tens of thousands of hours attempting to find the answer. At the time, there were no surveillance cameras in the area. There was no DNA, and no witnesses. Without a known motive, leads have been scarce. Local cops have enlisted the FBI, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and even the Vidocq Society. This group of former highly-skilled detectives provides a fresh look into cold cases. So far, no clues have lead to a solution.

Long before the murder, Peggy's husband died from injuries suffered in a violent car crash. Peggy never remarried and focused on raising her children. There seemed to be no angry suitor from the past who wanted revenge. To many, it seemed like another random murder. Maybe a "thrill-kill."

Could she have had an unknown stalker? While that is unlikely, it's hard to rule anything out in such a baffling case. 

Jude Cox told reporters the family keeps the memory of their mother alive because "if other people keep thinking about it, one day somebody that knows more about it might decide to say something. I still hope everyday that they find out who done it and find out why. Because it just didn't make any sense."

The video below was created by the Franklin Police Department. It's about 8 minutes long and gives a lot of extra information about Peggy Cox's murder. If you have information about this case, please call the Peggy Cox Tip Line at 615-550-8404. There is a $25,000 reward.