Practice to Deceive

father. He doted on her. His first six children often felt left out. Rhonda Vogl

Doris Stackhouse was the complete homemaker. She could sew like a professional, bake, and kept a perfect house—with the help of two of her daughters and three stepdaughters. Peggy Sue was much younger. All of her siblings loved her, but they resented the special treats she got.

Rob was Mary Ellen and Jimmie’s youngest child. He grew to be six foot, five inches tall. He died when he tried to take a gun away from a drunken party goer, protecting the crowd that the gunman was aiming at. Rhonda Vogl

Jimmie Stackhouse had six children with Mary Ellen, and one with Doris. Rob was deceased when this was taken. Left to right, back row: Jimmie, Mike, Tom. Front, left to right: Lana, Brenda, and Rhonda. Their family fell apart after their mother was killed, and their father remarried twice. Rhonda Vogl

Doris and Jimmie pose with their combined family. Back row left: Amy, Tom, Jimmie, Lana, unknown. Front row left: Doris, Sue, Brenda, and Rhonda. Anyone looking in from the outside would have thought that Doris and Jimmie had a perfect family. That wasn’t exactly true. Rhonda Vogl

Rhonda Vogl researched the story of her mother’s murder in California in 1963. She and her sisters, Lana and Brenda, finally learned the truth in 1995, and they located her grave. It had been thirty-two years since her death. Rhonda carried a wreath all the way from Idaho, and Brenda kneels next to Mary Ellen’s tombstone. Rhonda Vogl

Brenna Douglas, who never remarried after she was widowed, and the children she had with Russ: Jack and Hannah. Gail O’Neal

Although the case stretched from December 27, 2003 to February 15, 2013, Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks and homicide Detective Mark Plumberg never forgot the man who was lured to his death in the lonely woods. Police file photo

Vickie Boyer and Peggy Sue Stackhouse were from the two largest families on Whidbey Island. Vickie was grateful for Peggy’s support when she came out of an abusive marriage, and felt she had a friend for life. They both moved to the Southwest; Vickie was always there for Peggy—but one day she lost faith in the woman she had admired so much. Vickie Boyer

Peggy Sue and her daughter Taylor pose for her friend Vickie’s camera just before her third wedding. Vickie Boyer

Peggy seemed thrilled when she told Vickie about a new man she’d met in Las Vegas—a limousine client. She thought he might have money—a lot of money—and she asked Vickie to do some background research on Mark Allen. He was wealthy, and it wasn’t long before he and Peggy Sue were engaged. Their ceremony was Western themed all the way. Vickie Boyer

Happy at last! Peggy Sue was beautiful as she posed just before her wedding to Mark Allen in Roswell, New Mexico, in the summer of 2008. Vickie Boyer

Vickie Boyer, now working for Mark Allen, pins a boutonniere on the father of the bride—Jimmie Stackhouse. Both he and his ex-wife, Doris, were pleased to see their daughter marrying so well. Russ Douglas had been dead almost five years, and Peggy had long since broken up with Jim Huden. Vickie Boyer

Jimmie Stackhouse proudly leads his daughter down the aisle where she will say her wedding vows for the third and hopefully last time. In his seventies, Jim had aged markedly with each disaster in his life. Vickie Boyer

Peggy Sue’s wedding to multimillionaire Mark Allen was perfect, with wildflowers, gladioli, and sparkling lights, thanks to Vickie Boyer, who handled all the details for the cowboy ceremony, just as she had for Peggy for years. Vickie Boyer

Mark Allen leans forward to kiss his bride after they were pronounced wed. It seemed that Peggy Sue finally had everything she had wished and planned for. Vickie Boyer

Allen was fascinated by the tall, beautiful redhead from almost the first time they met. He may have had some doubts, however. In this photo, Peggy Sue looks triumphant, but Mark has a “My God, what have I done?” look on his face. Vickie Boyer

Peggy Sue Stackhouse Harris Thomas Allen posed with her original, somewhat fractured family. Daughter Taylor; father Jimmy; Peggy; mother Doris Matz; half sister “Sweet Sue” Mahoney; niece; and older daughter, Mariah. Vickie Boyer

The new bride poses with ( rear ) Vickie Boyer, Taylor Thomas, “Sweet Sue” Mahoney, Mariah Thomas, along with flower girls. Vickie Boyer

Rhonda and Mitch Vogl visit their older sailor son on his ship,