Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Sylvia Ipock-White, North Carolina Black Widow Serial Killer - 1992


Billy Carlyle White, a Kinston, North Carolina insurance agent, was reported missing in 1992 by his wife, Sylvia Ipock-White. The local Crime Stoppers organization asked for the public's help with the killing. In response a caller offered two names. Investigation uncovered an elaborate conspiracy. For about a year, Ipock-White had been trying to get and James Lynwood Taylor to kill her husband. She said White beat her, among other things. Taylor eventually agreed to do the deed and enlisted yet another accomplice, bringing Ernest West Basden into the plan. The hit-team Taylor and Basden set up a meeting, with assistance of the victim’s wife, with their victim pretending to be interested in an insurance policy. Prior to the meeting, White stopped by a local hotel where his wife was attending a cosmetics convention. His body was later found on a road in Jones County (N. C.). Mr. White had been shot in the stomach with a shotgun. Mrs. White and her two agents three were arrested in connection to White's murder.

Basden was sentenced to death for actually pulling the trigger and was eventually executed in 2002. Taylor was sentenced to 30 years. Pleading to avoid the death penalty, Ipock-White received life in prison.

As a result of White's murder, a 1973 death in the family, of a four-year-old boy that had been ruled accidental was re-examined in a new light. Sylvia Ipock-White had delivered her stepson, Billy White, asphyxiated from dry cleaning plastic that, according to step-mom he had swallowed. Plastic was removed from the child’s throat, but he did not survive. Two decades after the “accident” the boy’s body was exhumed. The autopsy ruled the death a homicide. Sylvia was charged with his murder, was convicted and sentenced once again to life in prison.

Suzanne Barr, author of a book on Sylvia Ipock-White’s criminal career, "Fatal Kiss," (2005), believes she has  a total of three murders to her credit. Her first victim was husband #1, Mr. Ipock. He was shot to death in 1967 and the case was ruled a suicide. Yet, as Barr points out, some evidence in the case never added up. "He was right-handed, but the gun was in his left hand,” notes Barr, summing up her subject’s career, observing: "She got away with that," she added. "She killed three people."

[Based on: Tiffany Repecki, “A story to tell: Cape author lends narration,” Cape-Coral Daily Breeze (N. C.),  Feb. 9, 2013]

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The case was featured on the Discovery ID TV series Deadly Sins, in the episode “Small Town Massacre,” first aired Feb. 9, 2013.

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Victims:


Jun. 18, 1967 – Leslie Ipock, first husband, died. “Sylvia White married Leslie Ipock in 1959, and they had two boys. He died in 1967, at age 32, of a shot to his temple. A pistol was found by his side. It was ruled suicide.”
Jun. 21, 1973 – Billy C. White II, 4, stepson, died
Jan. 20, 1992 – Billy Carlyle White, second husband, died

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~ Killer-for-Hire

Ernest West Basden shot Billy White twice in a murder-for-hire scheme devised by co-conspirators James Lynwood Taylor, his nephew, and Sylvia Ipock White, the victim's wife. Taylor pretended to be a wealthy businessman wanting to buy insurance and lured White to a wooded rural area. Taylor and Basden drove to the designated spot and waited. When White arrived, Taylor got out of his car and introduced himself, then Basden got out of the car and picked up a twelve-gauge shotgun he had placed on the ground. Basden pointed the gun at Billy and pulled the trigger. The shotgun did not fire because Basden had not cocked the hammer back. Basden then cocked the hammer and fired. Billy was knocked to the ground. Basden removed the spent shell casing and loaded another shell into the shotgun. Basden then approached Billy, who was lying face up on the ground, and while standing over him, shot him again. As agreed, Taylor gave his cash-strapped uncle $300 for the killing. Both Taylor and Basden later confessed to their roles in the killing. Mrs. White is currently serving two consecutive life sentences. Taylor is serving a life sentence. [Clark County Prosecuting Attorney]

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For links to other cases of woman who murdered 2 or more husbands (or paramours), see Black Widow Serial Killers.

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16 comments:

  1. I am the son of Billy & brother of Billy II (Lil Bill) this is the 1st time I have seen this article.

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    Replies
    1. She will face eternity one day soon. She will have to answer to the Most High judge.

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  2. I knew Mr. White's boys. All three defendants deserved the death penalty, but Sylvia White should have died in the gas chamber to give her the feeling of suffocating, lethal injection is way to easy. Little Bill never had a way to escape that evil woman. He suffered many injuries inflicted by Sylvia White before he died.

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  3. my mom worked for Billy White when he first started in the ins. business - I would go to the office sometimes and he was always the nicest person in the world - so was his first wife (the mother of the kids). Sylvia White needs to burn in life and in hell for what she did to that darling little boy - and to Mr. White. she should NEVER be released!!! God bless those children of Billy.
    Jo Kelley, Greenville, NC

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  4. I watched the episode tonight & cried for the children of this nice man. I’m so sad & sorry this happened to them. To their defenseless brother & Dad. Also to the Ipock family, her first victim.
    God bless you. Forgive if you can, it doesn’t mean you forget anything, it just means you’re not going to let her effect you anymore.

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  5. I watched the episode tonight. I too cried for his children. I wish the one brother and sister could find peace to move on and not let this be a sore that affects the rest of their life. They need peace and healing. I knew Mr. White as a secretary in an office he visited for business. He always gave a warm “good morning” and smile and made sure he acknowledged everyone. He always left a pleasant feeling about him and yourself when you ran into him. My mom and sister worked at Caswell Center while Sylvia worked there. They did not work with her directly, but they knew her. Mama and my sister made the comment that Sylvia lived well and drove a nice car. Because of her crimes and the heinous nature of them, she should never see sunshine again. I will pray for Billy’s daughter and two sons. Let us hope Sylvia White repents. She has a mighty tall order to ask forgiveness for. As fate would have it many years later, I worked with Ernest Basden’s relative. I saw her and some more of his family the day he was executed. They stopped by the office on the way to Raleigh for a day of “shopping”, yet they seemed angry and on a mission. Later when the pieces fell together, I realized what was really going on that day. They think I don’t know! It took many years, but your sins will find you out!! If the White family sees this, I am praying for your peace and healing! I am truly sorry that this happened in such a fine family!!

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  6. TRUE N PURE EVIL,,SOMEONE NEEDS TO WRAP A Bag around her HEAD until she SUFFOCATES,,A 4 year old??REALLY?? How??? DISGUSTING MONSTER!!!!! Hope when she dies she is in an ETERNAL HELL BEING SUFFOCATED WITH A BAG REPeatedly! !!! sorry for harsh words but people that hurt kill or do anything BAD to kids have no place in this WORLD and should all be punished HEAVILY....this episode just shows you that EVIL comes in all different PEOPLE!!!god bless this family...

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  7. Cannot begin to think what that poor baby went through. She should have been executed !! Pure evil !!

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  8. I was locked up with her for almost 7 months in the Raleigh prison and let me tell you this woman scares me. She is sooo mean still at the age she is. Her and I had a dr appt in chapel hill one day and the things she was saying to the officers that took us I never wanted to go anywhere near her again.

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  9. Yes aje does not deserve to be out. She's still as crazy and mean as hell as then. I was locked up with this woman in the NC prison. Slept right beside her in 2016 and she terrified me. Threatening my life many times. She is old they old me the officer's but shit never put anything past a killer Shit

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  10. I am the oldest surviving son of Billy White. I am commanded to forgive by my saviour, Jesus Christ, to which I did through contacting Sylvia. 2 Corinthians 2:11 showed me how to recover what the enemy satan had tried to steal. Folks, forgiveness is for us all, no matter what. And, time is the healing agent. 2 Corinthians 7:10...grief is necessary, but so is healing. Jesus death, burial, and resurrection said: love until it hurts. Peace

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  11. Sylvia Ipock White Es Una ASESINA de SANGRE FRIA, Es La PEOR PERSONA, Es Una VIUDA NEGRA Y Es Una Mujer MUI MALVADA. No La Voy a Perdonar Por Lo Ke Le Hizo A Esas 3 Bendecidas Personas: A su Primer Esposo, A Su Pekeño Hijastro y A Su Segundo Esposo. Por Mi, Debería Condenarla a MUERTE en La SILLA ELECTRICA!!!😾 Solo Espero Ke Sylvia White Se Muera En El INFIERNO!!!!!😾 Me Alegra Muxo Ke Teresa White Y Su Hermano No Perdonó a Sylvia Por Lo Ke Le Hizo A Esta Familia!!!😺 En Cuanto a Sylvia Ipock White, Espero Ke Se Arrepienta Por Lo Ke Hizo!!!😾 Muxos Saludos, Tokitha Gathuna.😺

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  12. ...she didn't even deserve a trial - anyone who harms an innocent and defenseless child should have to answer to stiffer laws on earth. Someone young (I am 88) needs to start a bandwagon in each state to make this come to pass.

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  13. I NEVER agree the shooter gets the death penalty while the mastermind gets life. Without this soulless bitch there would be no murder!

    Also, for those that keep saying put a bag over her head? The articles I've read say the autopsy revealed she had stuffed the entire dry cleaner bag DOWN Lttle Billy's THROAT. But the shooter of the husband gets the death penalty? There is something very wrong with our "justice" system.

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