Judith Ann Neelley, one of Alabama’s most infamous female murderers, is scheduled for a parole hearing next month.
According to documents obtained from the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles, Neelley’s hearing is set for May 25. She is currently serving time in prison for the killing of Lisa Ann Millican, 13.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Neelley, 18 at the time, along with her then-husband, Alvin Howard Neelley, Jr., then 29, kidnapped their first victim, Lisa Ann, of Cedartown, from a mall in Rome, Georgia, in 1982. The convicts took the victim to a hotel in Scottsboro, Alabama, where they both raped her repeatedly.
According to court documents, the couple had two children, who were present when their parents tortured the young girl.
Several weeks later, Judith Neelley attempted to kill Lisa Ann by injecting Drano into her neck with a syringe, followed by “Liquid-Plumer” on the other side of her neck.
When the victim didn’t die, Judith shot her in the back with a gun, then tossed her body off of a cliff at the Little River Canyon in Fort Payne, Alabama.
On October 4, 1982, the killers spotted a couple, John Hancock, then 26, and Janice Chapman, 23, in Rome. They invited them to a party then lured them into the woods, where they shot John and left him for dead, and abducted Janice.
The Neelleys brought Janice back to their hotel room where they raped and tortured her repeatedly before murdering her. John survived the incident and previously protested Judith’s 2018 parole hearing.
In October 1982, the Neelleys were arrested in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for writing fraudulent checks. While in custody, investigators uncovered incriminating evidence linking them to the murders.
Alvin Neelley later accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Janice Chapman; he was never tried or convicted for Lisa Millican’s rape, torture, and murder.
In May 2018, Neelley was initially scheduled to appear for a parole hearing; however, her lawyer said that she had decided to forego the hearing.
In a letter obtained by AL.com, Neelley explained that she made the decision after “much prayer and discussions with my children.”
Neelley’s lawyer previously said her client was “brainwashed” by her then-husband, 11 years her senior. Prosecutors said Neelley was the ring leader of the pair and of sound mind when she committed the crimes.
Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode below.
[Feature Photo: Lisa Ann Millican; Handout/Judith Ann Neelley; AL Dept. of Corrections]
