Gilbert Hart, the father who was shot in the back of the head as he sat in a chair by his children and a friend seven years ago, is the next story to be featured on Investigation Discovery’s crime documentary series I’d Kill For You . In the upcoming episode, entitled “Hart Of Darkness,” #IDaddicts will listen to how investigators unraveled a local murder mystery that brought four people to justice. According to True Crime Report , Gilbert Hart’s children 18-year old Rebecca Hart and 17-year-old Alexander Hart, along with their 15-year-old friend, were all arrested for the murder in 2009. In 2011, 42-year-old Rebecca Francis Hart, he victim’s wife, was also arrested. Police say it was Gilbert Hart’s wife who conspired with her children to kill her husband.
Back in 2009, police were summoned to a residence located at 2194 Allendale Drive in Clarksville, Tennessee, where they found the body of a white male with gunshot wounds to the body, the deceased man was identified as 50-year-old, Gilbert Ray Hart. His body was discovered after his wife contacted authorities, stating that she was unable to get in touch with her husband by phone. When she got to the house, she found the front door slightly ajar. Fearing that something was wrong, she immediately contacted police.
His death was listed as a homicide. And the police investigation led them to someone inside the man’s own home—the couple’s two children and a friend. Though, all three suspects were in custody, Investigation Discovery’s I’d Kill For You will inform you that the true story of why Gilbert Hart was killed remained a mystery for nearly two years, until John Patrick George, the then 15-year-old acquaintance, confessed to his part in the murder in exchange for a 20-year sentence.
Watch me tonight as Tammy on ID KILL FOR YOU @investigationdiscovery 10/9c #IdKillForYou #IDAddict #DiscoveryID pic.twitter.com/K1EP1Bfl0V
— Stefanie (@NNYLbeauty) January 30, 2016
According to his statement, he revealed that the murder of Gilbert Hart was planned by Rebecca Francis Hart, who enticed her son and daughter to look for a shooter. George said that they were willing to pay him $200 for killing their father. John Patrick George went into great detail about the way the killing took place. At trial Alex Hart gave even more background information about what went on inside the family’s home. Here is his statement, according to WSMV .
“My dad Gib Hart was an alcoholic, abusive, cruel man who did terrible things to me, to my mom and sister. Dad handcuffed me to the foot of his bed and did other things to me, including pointing a gun to me and making me beg for my life. He did other things to Becca and mom. I was told that if something didn’t happen to Dad soon, Dad would kill mom. Dad was in the living room sitting in his chair. Dad told Becca to take the dogs out and he asked me where we had been.() I was almost out of the house when I heard the shot. When I got outside, I saw Becca sitting on a flower box. I pulled myself up on a railing to see if J.P. really did it and saw my dad slumped over. We all quickly got in the car and drove off.”
Hart was not considered a good man to his family who say that he was constantly abusive to them physically. The former military man and Mason had a strong personality, and his strict home laws and heavy hand made life miserable for his wife and children, according to their own statements and others who knew them personally. Clarksville police Detective Timothy Anderson believed that Gilbert Hart’s behavior may have played a role in the plot to murder him. According to WKRN Anderson states the following.
“Apparently, Mr. Hart was not the nicest person to some of his family and that may have been what led to this whole incident. Alex and Becca had issues with the way he treated them.”
But, members of Gilbert Hart’s family say that none of that happened, and even if it did happen, it wasn’t a reason to savagely kill him in his own house as he sat in a chair. To see how the crime case wrapped up, watch I’d Kill For You on Saturday at 10/9 central on Investigation Discovery. Also, check out some more stories that have aired on the documentary. ( Christin Bilotti and John Marmo .)
[Image via Twitter ]