The Prisoner’s Dream, Conclusion

Charles Lee Guy, III [Photo courtesy of USC Digital Collection]

Charles Lee Guy, III [Photo courtesy of USC Digital Collection]

On November 13, 1957 a jury of ten women and two men was selected in Santa Monica Superior Court for the second murder trial of nineteen year old Charles Lee Guy, III. The teenager  stood accused of the shotgun slaying of Guy F. Roberts, his mother’s fiancee.

motel_GuyVictimCharles’ mother Nina didn’t allow minor distractions like a murdered fiancee or a jailed son stand in the way of her happiness. She and Wilson Miles, the man with whom she and Charles had been living prior to her meeting Roberts, eloped to Tijuana!

I believe that the impulsive marriage was a way for the couple to ensure that neither of them could be compelled to testify against the other.

At least Charles had two attorneys who cared about him, his father, Charles Lee Guy, Jr. and one of his former stepfathers, John Angus.

Reporters asked Nina if she would be called as a witness for the prosecution:

“I hope I don’t have to testify against my son. I don’t see how I can. Sonny and I have always been devoted to each other”.

She also said that Charles had said to her:

“Gee, mom, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did it.”

With a mom like Nina poor Charles didn’t need any enemies.nina testifies

In an attempt to undo any damage inflicted on their case by Nina, Charles’ father/attorney explained that:

“He (Charles) had no motive and no reason to commit the crime. He believed his mother was involved and wanted to cover up for her.”

At least Charles’ father was able to score a couple of important points during his questioning of Detective William Garn.  Detective Garn testified that when he arrived at the Miles’ home to arrest Charles, Wilson Miles answered the door and handed him (Garn) the keys to the dead man’s car! According to the detective, the car keys had been in Wilson’s room and NOT in the room occupied by Charles! In my book that is a smoking gun.

GUY SENTENCED PICCharles testified that he had covered up for his mother, even though he was angry at her for seeing Miles during her engagement to Roberts:

“I thought that either my mother or Mr. Miles had killed Mr. Roberts.”

“She would write on the mirror at Mr. Miles’ house, ‘I love you,’ and then she’d go up to Mr. Roberts’ place and write the same thing on the mirror. It was a mess.”

Despite evidence that, in my opinion, offered sufficient reasonable doubt to justify an acquittal, on December 5, 1957, after deliberating for 5 hours and 20 minutes, Charles was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to from 1 to 10 years in prison.

When asked to comment on the verdict, Nina said:

“I’m heartbroken. I know Sonny is guilty, but I know he wasn’t in his right mind. I don’t blame Sonny for what he said about me during the trial. I know he had to do it.”

She added that she was thinking of selling the story of her marriages and the crime to a magazine.

Charles spent several years in prison. His mother rarely visited; but his dad continued to offer his support and looked forward to eventually taking Charles with him to North Carolina.

While he was an inmate Charles requested a tape recorder and a guitar to help him pass the time; then he started recording prison folk songs. Capitol Records heard about him from L.A. Times Columnist Paul Coates, and Charles got a record deal.

Charles+Lee+Guy+III+++the+prisoCharles’ album, The Prisoner’s Dream, was well-received. On October 4, 1963 Time Magazine reviewed the album:

“Charles Lee Guy III has been an inmate of California State Prison since he was 16 [sic 19]. The songs he has learned to sing there all reflect his sorry circumstance – and among them is the latest composition of a prison chum, country music’s Spade Cooley [himself a wife killer]. Guy’s woeful voice and guitar accompaniment fit the spirit of his music, and in this remarkable album he has the power of a young white Leadbelly.”

One of the songs on the album was entitled: “Wishin’ She Was Here (Instead of Me)”. I imagine Charles spent some awful nights at Folsom fantasizing that Nina was locked up and that he was free.

Another of the songs on Charles’ album was an original composition, “Cold Gray Bars”, given to him by western swing star, Spade Cooley.  Cooley was doing time for the 1961 murder of his second wife, Ella Mae. Cooley had suspected Ella of repeated infidelities (never mind that he’d been serially unfaithful) so he beat her head against the floor, stomped on her stomach, then crushed a lighted cigarette against her skin to see if she was dead. When the cops arrived Spade claimed that Ella had fallen in the shower.

Upon his release from prison, Charles moved to North Carolina to work in his father’s law office. He and his dad had both wanted him to have a life out of the public eye, which he seems to have achieved.

As far as I’ve been able to discover Nina died in 1977 at age 57. I don’t know the cause of her death, but I’ll bet that it had nothing to do with a guilty conscience.  Charles Lee Guy Jr. died in 1996 after serving 14 years as a district judge.

I found this 2011 obituary for Charles:

“Charles Lee Guy III, 73, of Elizabethtown, died Saturday, June 18, 2011. Services: Funeral will be held in Boise, Idaho. Survived by: Sons, Donnie and Lee; daughter, Tanya Williams; stepmother, Mildred; sisters, Alicia Horne, Judy Angus, Betsy Horner and Natalie; brothers, Michael and John Angus and Robert and Richard; and six grandchildren. Lewis-Bowen Funeral Home of Bladenboro.”

I hope Charles had a happy and fulfilling life — I believe that he got a raw deal from his mother.

35 thoughts on “The Prisoner’s Dream, Conclusion

    • Yeah, his mom appears to have lacked the maternal instinct gene. So sad. But as you say at least his dad stepped up and did the right thing.

      • I am the sister of Mary Alice Marshall. Bruce Marshall, thank you for telling more of the facts about Charles Guy. I honestly believe that he was a serial killer. I have posted a response to another posted just below your post.
        My father prayed often for Guy’s father. My father said that he could live with the knowledge that his child was with the Lord, but that he couldn’t bear knowing that his child had murdered someone. Three attorneys offered to work on the case as a favor to my father. He rejected their much-appreciated offer with the following words, “Vengence is mine saith the Lord”. He accepted that the Lord would deal with Charles Guy.

        • Aunt Pat, its Ivy. I need to know everything, after pops and aunt joyce, your the only one that knows anything. I want justice for Mary Alice.

    • I bought a copy of the album for a friend, but I think I got it on ebay. I don’t necessarily agree with the reviewer who compared Charles to Leadbelly, but he seemed to have had talent. Thanks for the comment, and thanks for reading the blog. Best – Joan

      • As the sister of Mary Alice Marshall, I am convinced that Charles Guy did not get a raw deal. It is strongly believed that he shot my sister between the eyes and dragged her body into a cornfield.

        • I think they need to fact check the names as one was an attorney from a solid background who would never hurt anyone. I know because I wrote a paper on this in college on family roots. Back in those days they went by the confederate ways which is much different from now and also the KKK was around too. Much of the KKK ran the government and had connections so it would of been an easy way to set up someone innocent and the real criminal got away.

  1. wow,the kid got a raw deal,but with an alleged mother like that (taking her teen age son to bars ????) you know it wasn’t going to end well…it’s just too bad that either Miles or her hadn’t turned on the other considering how volatile the relationship was,sometimes that old saying is right : “in the halls of justice,the only justice is in the halls”

    • Devlin — an appallingly raw deal. I was horrified by his mom’s monumental selfishness. Ugh. You’re so right about justice sometimes being only
      in the halls.

    • In my opinion, he did not get a raw deal. Shortly after his release in California, he moved to North Carolina. During the first week of June 1964 my sister, Mary Alice Marshall was murdered. She was shot between the eyes with a 22 caliber bullet and her body was dragged into a cornfield. Guy was the last person to be seen with her and was the only suspect in her death. Yet again, Good ole Daddy got him out of this situation. According to the Dunn NC police, he is also strongly believed to have killed another young man and left his body in a car along I 95 near Dunn, NC. This young man was killed approximately a week before my sister.
      You people can have a pitty-party for what seems to be a serial killer, but I will not be joining you.

      • Wow, this information is a revelation for me. I had no ideaYou have made me very interested in learning more.
        Thank you for writing. Believe me, if he was in fact a serial killer I won’t join a pity party in his memory either.

        Joan

        • He was also arrested and incarcerated for having explosives while on parole. He was in the Jessup Maryland prison from which he escaped.
          He was arrested and tried for the death of his son. His son had a fractured skull and fractured ribs. His defense, provided by dear ole dad, was that the bassinet legs broke. I’m not buying that. We all know that a baby’s bones are soft. He was also arrested for possessing explosives while on parole. He was incarcerated in Jessup Maryland. He escaped from this prison. I would venture to guess that Charles is not the choir boy some of you think he is.

  2. Interesting that someone who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter could end up a district judge. I’m not entirely sure I approve, but it does show the guy must have had something on the ball.

    • Bill — I think maybe I wasn’t clear, it was actually Charles Lee Guy, Jr. (the dad) who ended up as a judge. I’m not really sure what the son
      did after he was released from prison, although he appears to have made a good life for himself.

      • My grandpa( Charles lee guy iii ) worked on power lines after he was released…. The one thing about my family is we are either on one side of the law or the other….. He inspired me to be a lawyer 🙂

  3. Charles’s lee guy iii was my grandpa and I loved him dearly…. When I was little he use to tell me these crazy story’s about his mother whenever I would get mad at my mother…my mother was Tanya williams listed in the family left behind….he also taught me to play guitar when i was seven…..My grandpa died in a car accident if anyone was wandering he had come home to North Carolina for a while and was headed back to Idaho where his brothers lived and was put on a Detore due to snow and somehow rolled his car…. Yes his mother threw him under the bus but he loved her still….. And yes strawberry girl i do believe she was not waiting for him in heaven when he died…

    • Alexa — I am so happy to hear from you. I first heard your grandfather’s story several years ago. It was clear to me that his
      mother was the guilty party and that he had been greatly wronged. I’m not surprised that he loved her despite it — families are
      complex, living organisms. It sounds like your grandfather had a good life following his release from prison. It’s great that he
      taught you to play guitar, and inspired you to become a lawyer! Thank you so much for writing. Best — Joan

      • From what i understand he had a good life….after he was released he met my grandmother and had five kids my mom being the oldest however he did lose two sons but then had another two sons… he thought the world of Spade Cooley who is mentions above in the article he also meet Johnny Cash through his music…so not all bad came out of this imprisonment…. Its good to see other people see his story :)……his ashes were spread in Boise Idaho where his brothers live

  4. In June of 1964 Charles Lee Guy III was questioned in the murder of Mary Alice Marshall. He was with Miss Marshall the evening of her disappearance (the two made a stop at a local radio station to promote his records). Her body was found in a cornfield, having been shot in the head with a 22 caliber pistol. Charles Lee Guy III had recently purchased a 22 caliber pistol. No charges were ever filed.

    He was arrested (at the time of the 1964 murder) for a variety of parole violations (including ownership of a weapon matching the type of weapon used in Miss Marshall’s slaying). He was represented during this time by his father. California never requested that he be returned to face charges for parole violation and he was released from jail in North Carolina.

    He was again charged with murder in 1967 following the death of his then 2 month old son on Nov 29, 1967, A Brunswick County Coroner’s Jury recommended the charges after hearing testimony that the child died “of strangulation caused by broken ribs. The baby also had a fractured skull.” Charles Lee Guy III was again represented in court by his father and he was released by the court for “lack of evidence.”

    • Bruce,
      Thank you for the information. It certainly provides a different and very troubling look at Charles Lee Guy III’s life after prison. I was able to find Mary Alice Marshall’s death certificate, and I found a reference to a newspaper article that suggests California knew of his parole violation but, as you say, they never requested his return. I want to do a bit more digging into this. Best — Joan

    • I am the sister of Mary Alice Marshall. Bruce Marshall, thank you for telling more of the facts about Charles Guy. I honestly believe that he was a serial killer. I have posted a response to another posted just below your post.
      My father prayed often for Guy’s father. My father said that he could live with the knowledge that his child was with the Lord, but that he couldn’t bear knowing that his child had murdered someone. Three attorneys offered to work on the case as a favor to my father. He rejected their much-appreciated offer with the following words, “Vengence is mine saith the Lord”. He accepted that the Lord would deal with Charles Guy.

    • Bruce Marshall, I am Patricia Marshall and would like to know how we are related. Thank you for providing the rest of the story.

      • I have learned that Bruce Marshall if the grandson of my father’s brother. (Eugene) Bruce is a preacher in the Richmond Virginia area. Again, thank you Bruce for providing the extra information about Charles Lee Guy III.

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