Doris Angleton
Encyclopedia
Doris Angleton was a Texas
socialite
and murder victim. Doris Angleton's husband, Robert Angleton, had been accused of planning the crime. Roger Nicholas Angleton, Robert Angleton's brother, admitted to directly killing her, before committing suicide himself.
, and had one sibling, a younger brother, Steven McGown. She graduated from the University of Texas
with a degree in speech pathology. After graduation, she began a career as a schoolteacher, and later became a sales representative for a pharmaceutical firm.
She met Robert Angleton, a successful bookmaker
, at a bar in the Houston West Loop
when she was 28 years old. According to Robert Angleton, he and Doris met because William Beck, Doris's husband, was a client of his bookmaking business. Both Robert Angleton and Doris Beck, although already married, were attracted to each other, eventually divorcing their spouses. They married in 1982. On August 1, 1984, Doris Angleton gave birth to twins, Nicole and Alessandra.
Robert Angleton earned millions of dollars a year by running a sports-betting scheme. He managed to do this by becoming a police informant and reporting his rivals to the Houston Police Department
. He moved his family to the wealthy River Oaks area
of Houston, Texas
.
Although her friends believed that she was happy,
process, wanting 50% of their joint assets.
Around the time of her murder, Doris' brother in-law, Roger Angleton, was arrested on unrelated charges. Police found a suitcase that revealed him to be her killer. Roger committed suicide in a Houston prison cell by cutting himself more than fifty times with a disposable razor. Roger Angleton also left behind a suicide note that cleared his brother of the murder of Doris. Robert Angleton was later found not guilty in his wife's death.
Due to the investigation, Robert Angleton's income was investigated. As they were earned in relation to an illegal sports betting scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice
indicted and jailed Robert Angleton. While awaiting trial, Robert fled to the Netherlands
, where he was apprehended by the Dutch government. A Dutch court ruled that he could not be extradited on a charge related to the murder of his wife because he had already been found not guilty. However, they ruled, he could be extradited on the tax evasion charges.
He was subsequently convicted of tax evasion and passport fraud, and was sentenced to twelve years in prison.
Robert Nicholas Angleton, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Register # 13831-179, is currently incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island
in San Pedro, Los Angeles
, California
. His release date is January 15, 2013.
She was sent to federal prison for more than five months. Leggett was released in January 2002, after the grand jury's term expired. Her Federal Bureau of Prisons
register number is 13371-179. In 2008, Leggett co-founded the blog Women in Crime Ink
. Her long-awaited book, "The Murder of the Bookie's Wife," has yet to be published.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
and murder victim. Doris Angleton's husband, Robert Angleton, had been accused of planning the crime. Roger Nicholas Angleton, Robert Angleton's brother, admitted to directly killing her, before committing suicide himself.
Early years
Doris McGown was the first child born to Randy McGown, a Dow Chemical engineer, and his wife, Ann. She grew up in Lake Jackson, TexasLake Jackson, Texas
Lake Jackson is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city population was 27,614....
, and had one sibling, a younger brother, Steven McGown. She graduated from the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
with a degree in speech pathology. After graduation, she began a career as a schoolteacher, and later became a sales representative for a pharmaceutical firm.
Marriages
In 1976, McGown met William "Bill" Beck, a representative for an office products company. They married and moved to Clear Lake City.She met Robert Angleton, a successful bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
, at a bar in the Houston West Loop
Interstate 610 (Texas)
Interstate 610 is a freeway that forms a forty-two-mile loop around the downtown sector of city of Houston, Texas. Interstate 610, colloquially known as "The Loop", "Loop 610", "The 610 Loop", or just "610", traditionally marks the border between the inner city of Houston and its surrounding areas...
when she was 28 years old. According to Robert Angleton, he and Doris met because William Beck, Doris's husband, was a client of his bookmaking business. Both Robert Angleton and Doris Beck, although already married, were attracted to each other, eventually divorcing their spouses. They married in 1982. On August 1, 1984, Doris Angleton gave birth to twins, Nicole and Alessandra.
Robert Angleton earned millions of dollars a year by running a sports-betting scheme. He managed to do this by becoming a police informant and reporting his rivals to the Houston Police Department
Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....
. He moved his family to the wealthy River Oaks area
River Oaks, Houston, Texas
River Oaks is an affluent community located in the geographic center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans . Established in the 1920s by brothers William and Michael Hogg, the community became a well-publicized national...
of Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
Although her friends believed that she was happy,
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
process, wanting 50% of their joint assets.
Murder
On April 16, 1997, Robert Angleton expressed concern when Doris failed to show up for their twin daughters' softball game. After the game, Angleton drove the girls home and discovered Doris's body. She sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the face and chest.Around the time of her murder, Doris' brother in-law, Roger Angleton, was arrested on unrelated charges. Police found a suitcase that revealed him to be her killer. Roger committed suicide in a Houston prison cell by cutting himself more than fifty times with a disposable razor. Roger Angleton also left behind a suicide note that cleared his brother of the murder of Doris. Robert Angleton was later found not guilty in his wife's death.
Due to the investigation, Robert Angleton's income was investigated. As they were earned in relation to an illegal sports betting scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
indicted and jailed Robert Angleton. While awaiting trial, Robert fled to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where he was apprehended by the Dutch government. A Dutch court ruled that he could not be extradited on a charge related to the murder of his wife because he had already been found not guilty. However, they ruled, he could be extradited on the tax evasion charges.
He was subsequently convicted of tax evasion and passport fraud, and was sentenced to twelve years in prison.
Robert Nicholas Angleton, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
Register # 13831-179, is currently incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island
Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island
Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island is a low-security prison for men located on Reservation Point on Terminal Island and in San Pedro, Los Angeles. The other Federal prison in the Los Angeles area is the Metropolitan Detention Center in Downtown Los Angeles...
in San Pedro, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His release date is January 15, 2013.
Vanessa Leggett contempt case
Writer Vanessa Levrier Leggett was found in contempt by a federal district court judge on July 20, 2001 for refusing to give up some of her interviews for a book that she wrote about the Doris Angleton case.She was sent to federal prison for more than five months. Leggett was released in January 2002, after the grand jury's term expired. Her Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
register number is 13371-179. In 2008, Leggett co-founded the blog Women in Crime Ink
Women in Crime Ink
Women in Crime Ink is an American daily crime aggregated blog founded on March 10, 2008 as "a well of thoughts on crime and media issues from women criminal justice professionals and authors." The site offers original content and coverage of crime, media, books, literature, high-profile criminal...
. Her long-awaited book, "The Murder of the Bookie's Wife," has yet to be published.
External links
- U.S. Department of Justice announcement on the arrest of Robert Angleton
- Article on the Angleton murder from Texas MonthlyTexas MonthlyTexas Monthly is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Austin, Texas. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. and was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, Texas Monthly chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the environment, industry, and education...
- "Accepting the Dual Sovereignty Exception to Double Jeopardy: A Hard Case Study," 81 Wash. U. L.Q. 765 (2003)