Shraman Mitra
When William Mayfield decided to murder the mother of his children, Teresa Mayfield, he refused to do it on his own. Instead, he looked around for a hitman who would kill his wife in exchange for a hefty sum of money. That was how William got into contact with Kimberley Binion, who ultimately took Teresa’s life on June 14, 2007. ‘Dateline: Secrets Uncovered: Secrets in a Small Town’ chronicles the horrific events and even portrays how law enforcement authorities were able to get to the bottom of the plot.
Who Is Kimberley Binion?
Kimberley, who also went by the name Dawn Lavender, was considered to be a regular Moundville, Alabama, resident, and people who knew her had no idea that she had agreed to function as a contract killer. As a matter of fact, her actions and convictions proved even more shocking, as Kimberley hadn’t really gotten in trouble with the law prior to murdering Theresa Mayfield. Nevertheless, she got in touch with William while he was looking for a hitman to kill his wife and soon agreed to the conditions in exchange for quite a bit of money. Reports mention that prior to meeting Kimberley, William had talked to another contract killer, who took around $15,000 but vanished before going through with the deal.
Accordingly, the father of three was forced to find Kimberley since he wanted an easy way out of his marriage. Kimberley wasn’t like most contract killers, as she initially initiated contact with Teresa and even befriended her. In fact, she and Teresa even went out together in one instance, although Teresa’s daughter, Kelci, found her mother stumbling home later that night. Initially, the family believed that Teresa had too much to drink, even though getting drunk was extremely out of character for the mother of three.
Yet, a police investigation later revealed that Kimberley had spiked Teresa’s drink with poison, intending to murder her. Since the initial murder attempt was a complete failure, Kimberley adopted a different method and called Teresa to an unnamed dirt road on June 14, 2007. Once Teresa reached the spot and rolled down her car window to greet her friend, Kimberley brandished a gun and shot the mother of three at close range. She then sealed the weapon in a zip-loc bag and began driving home.
Unfortunately, the investigation into Teresa’s murder proved quite challenging as the police did not have any leads or witnesses to work with. Even though the rolled-down window indicated the victim knew her killer, the police found no evidence which could have led to an immediate suspect. Nevertheless, a few months after the incident, a man approached authorities and claimed he was on the same dirt road on June 14 when he came across a rattlesnake on the ground.
However, while wondering how to deal with the pest, a woman drove up and offered to help with a gun, which was sealed in a zip-loc bag. The witness also identified the woman as Kimberley, and when the police checked her phone records, they realized that she was present at the crime scene on the day of the murder. Interestingly, when questioned, Kimberley immediately confessed to the murder and claimed she shot Teresa in cold blood. However, she insisted that William Mayfield had masterminded the plot to kill his wife.
Kimberley Binion is Still in Jail Today
When presented in court, Kimberley knew there was a mountain of evidence against her. Hence, she agreed to a deal and pleaded guilty to a charge of murder and attempted murder. Subsequently, the judge sentenced her to two consecutive life sentences in 2011, and she is currently incarcerated at the Julia Tutwiler Prison in Wetumpka, Alabama, with a parole eligibility date of 2026.
Read More: Teresa Mayfield Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?
