The shocking death of a loving grandmother has left residents of Des Moines, Iowa wondering what happened. Authorities trying to uncover the truth were aided by surveillance videos and phone records that ultimately broke the prime suspect’s alibi. Survey Discovery’American Nightmare: No Good Deed’ has the creators look into the murder of Shirley Wilson and how the culprit was brought to justice. So, let’s find out what happened next, shall we?
How did Shirley Wilson die?
Shirley was originally from Kentucky and later moved to Iowa. The 65-year-old loved spending time with her grandchildren and always had people at her house. Those close to her described her as a kind and funny woman who never failed to lift people’s spirits. Her son, Ron, visited his son on March 2, 2002 and discovered the postman in the house near the washing machine lying in a pool of blood.
The authorities arrived and saw that the living room was a mess; some objects were knocked over, suggesting a struggle. Shirley was found fully clothed, but she was stabbed 67 times with a steak knife from the kitchen. The broken knife pieces were discovered near the body, along with shards of glass. There were no signs of a break-in and nothing seemed to be missing, so a botched theft was ruled out.
Who Killed Shirley Wilson?
Initially, authorities questioned Ron and an ex-boyfriend of Shirley’s. According to the show, the ex told police they broke up a few months prior. Although they had a verbal argument in the past, it was never physical and he denied having anything to do with the murder. Then police learned that Shirley’s grandson, Travis Milligan, was also living in the house with her.
Authorities believed Shirley was killed on the night of March 1, 2002, and questioned Travis about her whereabouts. Then 19, he claimed to have visited a strip club that night with some friends. Afterwards, Travis said he got home shortly after midnight, stood for a few minutes smoking, then walked to a nearby convenience store. From there, Travis called a friend to pick him up, after which they drove to the friend’s house, where he stayed for the night.
Surveillance footage from the strip club showed Travis leaving around 12:39 a.m. the night Shirley died. The friend also corroborated Travis’ story, but the phone records seemed to suggest otherwise. According to the friend’s call logs, he received a call from the convenience store around 2:17 a.m., meaning Travis stayed home much longer than he originally said. Also, according to the show, someone else with Travis at the strip club told police the teenager had talked about killing someone in the family that night.
Where is Travis Milligan now?
Authorities also found physical evidence linking Travis to the murder. A t-shirt found in a makeshift bedroom in the house contained blood and shards of glass. The t-shirt was confirmed to be Travis’ and the blood was Shirley’s. Additionally, bloodstains on her knee also turned out to be Shirley’s. According to the show, police believed the teenager had an argument with his grandmother over money and his drinking. About ten months after the crime, Travis was tried and convicted of first degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Today, Travis remains incarcerated at the Iowa State Penitentiary at Fort Madison, Lee County.
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