He Cheated. She Chased Him Down (Meet Marry Murder with Michelle Trachtenberg) | Forensic Files

MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Trucking tycoon, Bill Hall, Jr., was a hit with the ladies.
Even at the age of 16, he had a reputation as a major fox among the local girls.
He had a baby face, and the most prettiest smile, the most cutest nose, I mean, Bill was just,
he was hot. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Fast forward 31 years and Bill was still breaking hearts.
Including that of a so-called exotic dancer, Bonnie Contreras. It was easy for me to start loving him.
Video footage of her having sex with your husband, the only man you've been with your entire life.
At some point you have to say, this has to stop. Leave me alone. It all came to a head during a high speed chase, in which,
Bill, Bonnie, and Frances, eventually, all collided in a tragic date with destiny.
Nearly half of the women who are murdered are killed by their partners. But men are also increasingly victims of domestic homicide.
Are you sure the person lying next to you in bed would never hurt you? If not, you might want to think again.
Never in a million years would I have thought my husband would have been cheating on me,
or living this double life. I'm Michelle Trachtenberg, and it's time for another tale
of Meet Marry Murder. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Little did Frances Hall know, there were actually three people in her marriage, herself,
her husband Bill Hall, and Bonnie Contreras. Now, only two of them remain alive.
I know she's not this vicious person that they portray her to be. Just like I'm not this home wrecking, gold digging person,
they portrayed me to be. She's a nut case. She is what you considered your typical psycho
girlfriend, crazy ass. You know you're with a married man. No, it takes two to tango, I agree.
He ain't going to leave his wife. He ain't going to leave his wife. You don't mind being like this?
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: The story of Bill, Bonnie, and Frances, begins in San Antonio, Texas in 1979.
I remember us living in the projects. They were called the Cassiano Homes. There was two of us in the beginning with my mom,
and then she later had two more children, and then there was four of us. We come from very, very humble beginnings.
When I'm staying humble, poor. Poverty level poor. Bill lived fairly close to her-- and they
were high school sweethearts. She was working at a movie theater and they started dating after that.
And this love affair began and they've never looked back. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Trucking tycoon, Bill Hall Jr.,
had always been a hit with the ladies. Even all the way back when he was 16. You know we started as a friendship,
you know, he was a real respectful guy. With me he was very respectful. And I think he knew I was a good girl.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: As teenagers, Bill Hall, Jr. and Frances Ariza, couldn't have been more different.
Back then I thought he was the most cutest guy I had ever met. He had a baby face, and the most prettiest
smile, the most cutest nose. I mean, Bill was just, he was hot. He looked good in his jeans too.
He's also determined to be a success in life. He's one of those risk takers. And by 1981, Bill can't hold back anymore,
and he proposes to Frances. We got married at 18. He got down on bended knee in front of my mother's house.
And it was 10 o'clock, because my mom had a strict curfew, you got to go to bed at 10:00.
And he got down on his knees in front of the side door that we came in. And I was like, are you serious?
And he goes, yes, I want to marry you. And I was already in love with him. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Soon they started having children.
Bill's pride and joy. And Nicki came along April 1st in 1983. And Justin was born June 7, 1987.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Both Bill and Frances were determined to give their children
the best life possible. She's working some odd jobs, like cleaning. He gets a job at his aunt's trucking company,
but Bill has a dream, he wants his own company. And in the early 1980s, the couple gets their first truck.
They hire half a dozen employees and they start Bill Hall, Jr.'s Trucking. By 1989, they have become the largest trucking company
in the entire state of Texas. They're doing well. Bill Hall, Jr.'s Trucking is worth $12 million.
Once Bill's business took off, and he started making a lot of money, he enjoyed that money.
He did things like travel to Vegas, he showered his friends with gifts. She's at home making tortillas,
and, you know, playing bingo with his mother. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: After their two children grew up
and left home, Bill had even more time to kick back and enjoy his growing fortune.
Bill loved motorcycles, loved to ride fast. You know I had never been around a motorcycle.
But he always had them. He loved them. I bought him a Harley Davidson V-Rod for his 40th birthday.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: But Bill also had another passion, women. He was a very successful, very handsome man.
And I think he had women throwing themselves at him. He starts going out, more and more, hitting the bars,
buying the drinks, having affairs. At one point, Bill has an affair with his cousin's wife,
and gets her pregnant. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Friends said, that despite Bill's frequent one night stands,
their three decade old marriage seems strong. Their love was just never ending. Those two were never going to be apart.
They were made to be together and all of the things that we see in our daily life, every day
that cause families to break up, they had overcome those hurdles. Buying a house, raising two children,
growing a business from the ground up, good times and bad. I said to myself, well you know what, I put in a lot
of time and effort with you. And a lot had to do with it. I love this man. I genuinely love this man.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Things finally changed for Bill and Frances in the fall of 2010.
When Bill crossed paths with a woman named Bonnie Contreras. I first met Bill when I was at a spinach festival
in my hometown. A former stripper, Bonnie was originally from Crystal City. A farming community two hours southwest of San Antonio,
known as the spinach capital of the world. And the site of a huge annual spinach festival.
I was actually helping my aunt sell chicken on a stick. He was passing by with a group of friends.
They kind of just backtracked themselves back to the booth. And Bill and I just started talking
and I, kind of, just ignored everybody else. And, you know, we kind of hit it off right away.
I came home and a week later I find out that he's looking for me. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: A month later,
as Bonnie was meeting up with a handsome stranger, 19 years for senior, she had just one question on her mind.
When I first met him, I didn't see a ring on him. So I figured, oh, you know, he's a single man.
He asked me if I wanted to go out for lunch. I accepted. Our first date was at a restaurant
called Scuzzi's, it's an Italian restaurant. I asked him, I said, are you married?
He said, yes I'm married, I'm separated. And, you know, I'm going through a divorce.
So after that I felt like it wasn't a necessity for me to keep hounding him about it, or for me to keep asking
him questions about his family. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: That first dinner with Bonnie
would end up being the beginning of the end of Bill's marriage. But for Bonnie, it was just the beginning of what she thought
would be the rest of her life. He was a very special man that came to my life when I was only 27 years old.
We connected right away. It became an everyday thing where him and I were just constantly together from morning to night.
He was going to become my husband one day and the future father of my kids. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: For her part, Bill's wife
Frances had no clue about the game that Bill was playing. It's so weird because people have said,
well you know she put up with his ways, and she knew about it. No I didn't. No I didn't.
Not once did I know that Bill had been messing around with-- around my back, or anything like that.
I wasn't the type of woman that, oh, OK, well as long as he comes home to me and blah, blah, blah.
Uh, uh. Uh, uh. I'm Hispanic, I got some spunk in me. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: So how did
this self-styled Hispanic woman with spunk react when she found out? (CHOKED UP) I made the choice, I said to myself,
I'm going to forgive him. Because it's been a hell of a ride and I'm not ready to leave this man, or anything.
And first and foremost, I loved him. As hurt as I was, I was more, I was worried about what
he was going through. But, I figure I can handle this, I'm going to handle this.
I'm going to save my marriage. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: For Frances, saving her marriage would end up being easier said than done.
Because according to Bonnie, there was nothing left for Bill and Frances to save.
I wasn't trying to hurt anybody. It was a decision he made and I was respecting it.
And I guess the decision he made, it just wasn't what other people wanted, and that's where things got really bad.
After 31 years of marriage to his wife Frances, Bill Hall Jr. decided to start shacking up
with former exotic dancer Bonnie Contreras. Bonnie thought Bill was serious about leaving his wife,
but according to everyone else, Bonnie was wrong. I think it's easier for him to have the wife
and keep her on the side. He had no intention of putting that woman in Frances' place,
ever. You ask his cousins, his, sisters everyone that worked for him, they knew Bill
they knew where his heart was. And maybe his heart and his genitalia were in different rooms, I don't know,
but there was no way he was going to leave Frances, especially for Bonnie. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: But that wasn't
what Bill was telling Bonnie. Bill never talked bad about his wife. He said, you know, I'm always going to love her.
She's the mother of my kids, she gave me 32 years of her life. You know, I'm always going to respect her for that.
He goes, but I'm just not in love with her anymore. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: For almost three years,
Bill Hall Jr. led a double life. One day after another, a week, then a month, then years, and it kind of just started getting more intense.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Bill was so good at leading his double life, that at the time,
Frances claims she didn't even know Bonnie existed. I would have never, in a million years,
guessed that my husband had been living a double life. Never. We were so in sync.
I mean, it's almost like, man the last year of his life, like we were, boom, boom in together.
We were together every day. Every day he would come to my house at-- anywhere from like 6:00, 7 o'clock in the morning.
We'd spend all day together, lunch, you know, breakfast, dinner. Bonnie's satisfied.
She's got her man. And does she have her man? He buys her two cars, he's paying her rent,
he tells her she doesn't have to work. I mean, why should she? He can afford everything.
He pays for breast enhancements. This goes on for three years. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: But in defense attorney, Lee Cutter's
opinion, Bonnie was far from your run of the mill, sugar baby. Evil gold digger.
Is that OK? I mean, incredibly manipulative woman? MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: And that's not even the worst
thing ever said about Bonnie. I've gotten more than 100,000 messages. I've gotten bad ones, to good ones,
to God bless you, to go kill yourself, to you deserve to die too. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Gold digger,
or no, according to Bonnie Contreras, the love that she and Bill shared was real.
He was a very loving, very free spirited person. He was very funny, very easygoing man, very easy
to get along with. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: But by September 2013, Bill was starting to lose interest in Bonnie.
Bill starts to get a little tired of this relationship. So he starts being a little distant.
And the spigot turns off, and Bonnie is wondering what's going on? I mean, my man, and my money.
I mean, what's happening? So she starts texting him, and you know, he's not responding like he used to.
She starts sending a barrage of texts. She tries to reach him by phone, he's not returning her phone calls.
So she texts him and she finally gets to the point where she's just had it. And she threatens him and she says, you respond to me,
or I will tell Frances everything. She won't let up. She keeps threatening him. So he finally says, go ahead, tell Frances.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: After believing Bill Hall, Jr. had been a faithful husband for more than 30 years, one
fateful day in September 2013, Bonnie Contreras gleefully informed Frances Hall, that she couldn't have been more wrong.
I get a call on my phone and all I heard is, Frances? And I go, yeah. She goes, you don't know who I am but I need to talk
to you about your husband. And I thought, oh my god, he's been in an accident. And she went on, no, I need to talk to you about Bill.
I've been having an affair with Bill and we need to talk because this needs to stop.
We need to get this out in the open. Frances was angry with Bill. I think she was hurt and she felt humiliated.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Despite Bill's infidelity, Frances made a decision to stand by her man, which didn't
make Bonnie happy at all. I started sending her pictures, and, of course, I sent her a picture that Bill had taken of me, of my behind.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: It was actually more than that according to Frances. She sent, was it two or three videos?
I know there was one her from behind, one from her in the front. I don't know what the other one was, I can't remember.
It might have been two. Sending you, not just pictures, but actual video footage of her having sex with your husband.
The only man you've been with your entire life. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: One message finally
sent Frances over the edge. We get inside his Range Rover, and he's driving, and I get it on the passenger side.
And as soon as he puts it in drive, I go, what's going on? And he's driving, and I mean, his--
the tears are coming out. And I'm looking at him like, god. And I mean, did I get mad?
Did I have a temper? Of course I did. I grabbed his phone, I threw it at him in the car.
It hit him in the head. It shattered. The phone broke. And then that's when I asked him how
long has this been going on? And he wouldn't tell me. And he finally said, almost three years.
And I was like, I was devastated. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Beyond Bill's looks, Frances knew Bonnie was into him for a very simple reason.
She got my phone number and she contacted me. She was telling me about the company, about the money,
she was scuffling about how she had busted her butt from the ground up. Said, hey, by all means, I'm not trying
to interfere in any of that. You know, she kind of said, well you know it's not fair that you're just
going to be sitting pretty. And I said, you know what, I said, just leave me out of it.
And that was one of the first times that her and I, you know, kind of got into it.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Now that his cheating had been exposed, Bill decided to get back with Bonnie.
Something, which caused his kids some serious heartache. If you've ever experienced infidelity,
either as a child when your parents-- one of them were unfaithful, or as a partner in a marriage,
it's devastating. On both ends. Of course, the kids were mad. His daughter had been contacting me leaving nasty messages.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Of course, Frances weighed in. She started texting me. And when she started texting me, it
was not pleasant text messages. She was talking everywhere from my daughter, from, you know,
personal things. So then I-- I hit back. You want to get nasty with me, well I'm
going to get nasty with you. Some of the things that Bonnie said were really, really cutting deep.
She talked about how she had had a hysterectomy, and she wasn't a real woman. She sent Frances diagrams, and called her a broken woman,
hollow, empty, a lot of very explicit language and it was pretty nasty. As soon as she didn't get what she wanted, money,
she threatened him. He goes, we'd break up for a while, and I was fine. He goes, there was times I wanted to call it off,
and I would. And then she called that she was doing this, doing that to herself.
That she was going to tell me, she knew about where my kids lived. I'm not nobody's doormat.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Now it was Bonnie's turn to throw Bill out. It was actually the second time that I had kicked him out.
I, kind of, told him, you know look, I'm fed up with this. I'm fed up with her. I'm fed up with you.
I'm fed up with the kids. I threw out all his clothes. I changed the locks. I changed bank accounts, I did all of the sort.
So I would have no contact with him. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: On the outs with Bonnie,
Bill begged Frances to take him back. Bill was struggling with this. He didn't know how to get this woman out of his life
and fix his marriage with Frances. And it's something he very clearly did not want to lose.
I had only witnessed him that low and that was when his mother passed. Instead of me being pissed, I told him, you know what,
it's OK, we'll figure this out. And he was like, are you sure Vieja? Are you going to leave me?
And I go, no, no. I go, I'm mad as freaking hell and I really need for you to leave.
I go, but we'll figure this out, we'll work with it. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Meanwhile,
after realizing she'd kicked out her golden goose, Bonnie now wanted Bill back. And she wasn't the type to give up easily.
So on October 8, 2013, as Bill and Frances were staying in a nearby hotel trying to work things out,
Bonnie decided to make her move. I wanted my boyfriend back home, you know. And so I went looking for him, and I kid you
not, I started looking for him at all the hotels. I couldn't find him. And I said, he has to be over here at the resort off of 151.
So, little did I know, I was driving there and I went up to the entrance, and I see her car
parked behind the Range Rover. And I said, what? This doesn't, this doesn't look right, you know.
She shows up to the hotel and she lies to the bellhop to get in. I told the concierge to tell him
that Miss Contreras was there. When the concierge was talking to Bill, I could hear Frances in the background,
you know, yelling, and fighting with him, and stuff like that. And I guess she then wanted to come downstairs
and he didn't let her come downstairs. Because you know, then that would be a scuffle and a fight.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: The hotel incident was the last straw for Frances. It got to the point where, at some point you have to say,
this has to stop, leave me alone, stop. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: By now, Frances was way past her limit
for Bill's double dealing. And after a daylong, knockdown, drag out fight, she kicked Bill to the curb for good.
She got very physical with him. Lamps broke in the house, and you know, she banged up his bike really bad.
And she was really, like, this is really coming to reality. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Could Bill Hall,
Jr. have ping ponged back and forth between his wife and mistress forever? No one's really sure.
But what we do know, is that as far as Bonnie was concerned, Bill's marriage was over.
Like he told me, and he was honest, he goes, I'm always going to love that woman.
That's the mother of my kids but I'm just not in love with her anymore. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: That's not what Frances was hearing.
He comes around and not begs me, but you know, he she tells me, I love you. You know you're the woman I love.
With the situation between Bill Hall, Jr. and his wife Frances, and his mistress Bonnie threatening to spin out
of control, it was only a matter of time before this volatile love triangle found itself on a collision course with destiny.
9-1-1 OPERATOR: Bexar County 9-1-1, what is your location? MAN (ON PHONE): 1604 right passed Medina River.
Man needs medical attention. He's bleeding. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: After Bill Hall, Jr.'s wife
Frances told him to hit the road, Bill decided that he and his mistress Bonnie Contreras
should do just that. Literally. We were supposed to go on a bike rally so we woke up,
he took his meds. You know, I went to a doctor's visit with him because he had gotten surgery
on one of his shoulders. We left home and he got on his bike. And he tossed me his cell phone and the keys.
And we were driving down 1604 going towards Macdona Lacoste Road. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: With Bill riding his Harley motorcycle,
Bonnie follows behind in her car on their way to the popular tourist town of Corpus Christi,
on the Gulf of Mexico. But just minutes into their drive, the pair unexpectedly run into Bill's wife Frances.
So I go to a volleyball game. My niece was having a volleyball game, Miranda. She saw her husband, Bill, on his motorcycle.
And not far behind him, Bonnie in the family's Range Rover. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Despite having seen many pictures
of Bonnie, not all of them fully clothed, the two had never encountered each other in the flesh.
Until now. And that's when she actually physically sees Bonnie Contreras for the very first time.
1604 is a loop in San Antonio. And she's at one of the crossroads, and she's sitting there in their family's Escalade.
And she sees Bill go by on his very distinct, baby blue Harley Davidson. And then, she sees her family's--
her brand new supercharged Range Rover, and Bonnie in the driver's seat. She sees me, she passes me, she's coming,
and she starts giving me the bird. And she said, I grabbed the steering wheel. And I squeezed it so hard.
And I said, that's it. I'm going to confront this woman. I turned around, and there we go.
We start cat and mousing each other. She steps on the brake, I'm speeding up. Were we going fast?
Probably. I wasn't looking at my speedometer. There was cars-- she'd pass a car.
And I'd pass right in back of her. She'd step on the brake and I'd come close. And we just started going down the street.
It seemed like for miles. And all through the time, I'd kind of move over, and I'd tell her, pull over.
Nope. And pull over, and, nope. I was terrified. The only thing that was going through my head
was Bill, and me, flipping over because we were going so fast. As soon as she flipped me off, man, I just passed her.
I parked, and I always remember that I said, please dear God, just let me confront this girl.
You know what, if she wants him, she can have him. I had even thought to myself, we're done.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: While getting back in her car, Frances spots Bill on his motorcycle.
There was a point where Bill pulls off to the side, and he slows down some. And Bonnie and Frances are still playing brake check.
And Frances looks over and she sees Bill, and he makes eye contact with her. And he goes, oh f-- because he knows, oh my god,
my wife who I'm working it out with, now has run into my mistress. All of a sudden, I look this way
and she just slammed on her break. I mean, it was so fast that I went like this,
and I just stepped on my brake. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: No surprise, Bonnie remembers a slightly different version of events.
I felt somebody hit me from behind. And I thought it was an accident at first, you know, it's a bump, a hit.
You know, you feel like, oh you know somebody hit me, they're not paying attention.
But then when I felt it for the second time, I said what the hell? And so I looked through the rear view mirror
and I saw it was her. And I got thrown onto oncoming traffic. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: And suddenly, Bill is
in no one's rear view mirror. I remember him pulling over and I'm like, where is this guy?
But I remember seeing dust. And I was like, and I thought, well, it might have been a dirt devil, you know,
you're out in the country. So I'm coming back this way looking for Bill, but I remember I didn't go that far back.
I see where the bike flew and then I see Bill fly. And I just started screaming at the top of my lungs and crying.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Some good Samaritans quickly call 9-1-1. 9-1-1 OPERATOR: Bexar County 9-1-1, what is your location?
MAN (ON PHONE): 1604 right passed Medina River. Man needs medical attention he's bleeding.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Bonnie arrives at the scene of the accident, moments before Bill's wife Frances.
I was just so scared and I was screaming, I was crying. I was calling his sister.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: EMTs arrive and begin working on Bill within minutes. But Frances still doesn't realize
exactly what has just happened to her husband of over 30 years. She didn't know that Bill had run
into the back of her vehicle. And then she goes, where's Bill at? And I think at that point the panic sets in.
My sister Connie calls me, where you at? I go-- instead of answering I don't know or--
I told her, I can't find Bill. She goes, what are you talking about? Bill's Harley had gone in between the two vehicles,
sending him flying into the air, and crashing down hard on the pavement. He has no helmet on.
To this day, Frances maintains that she had no idea that Bill was dying on the side of the road,
as she kept on driving to look for him. As I'm turning around looking for Bill coming this way,
my sister-in-law calls me. And I go, hello? What did you do? And I go, huh? What did you do?
What did you do to Billy? I go, what the hell are you talking about? I'm looking for him.
She goes, no, you hit him. I go, what? MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: By now, Frances had found her way
back to where Bill was lying injured and being worked on by medical personnel. Somebody was wearing a suit, a uniform.
And they grabbed me, and I went like this, and I just ran to Bill. And I remember my sister had Bill in between her legs.
His head. And I go what happened? And my sister's bawling and Bill has this thing-- the mask.
By then, I guess the volunteer fire department got there. And they're putting the mask and he took it off and he goes,
I can't breathe. I can't breathe. And we put it back on and he kept putting it off.
There was like two or three times he busted it. I can't breathe. And he would tell me, Vieja, I can't breathe.
Vieja, I can't breathe. Like, I can't breathe. And I was just, like, never thinking.
I just assume he-- I don't know what I assume. I thought he had an accident. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: What happens
next is still cause for some dispute. Frances claims Bonnie was screaming for her to be arrested.
But Bonnie insisted she was too focused on Bill to worry about Frances. Either way, Frances was soon in the back of a police cruiser
on the way to the station. The officer looked at me and he goes, are you his wife?
I go, yes. And he goes, turn around. And he put the handcuffs on me and he took me straight to the car.
He put me in the back of a SUV, just to calm me down, because I was just so hysterical.
And I had so much anxiety that they wouldn't let me near him. And I'm glad because I don't have,
I don't have those images. What had started out as a fight between two women over the man they both wanted for their own,
now left him fighting for his life. With the fate of both women hanging in the balance.
[police radio sounds] MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Bill Hall, Jr., the trucking tycoon,
at the center of a tug of war between his wife and lover, had been riding on his motorcycle.
When he was caught in the middle of a road rage war between the two women. Badly injured, he was being airlifted
to the hospital, when he died. His wife of 31 years, only learning about the tragic news
while in police custody, after fleeing the scene of the accident. (CRYING) I remember seeing the news on the TV.
And I was still in shock. I remember, you know, with the phones, you don't know numbers anymore, all you know is names.
And I couldn't remember anybody's phone number. And I remember being in that cell.
And I remember I kept calling Bill's mobile for him to answer. And I finally remembered my sister, and I go,
what happened? She goes, Bill died. And I go, no. I remember begging my sister, you got to get me out of here.
I need to go with him, please get me out of here. And she goes, we're trying, we're trying.
Investigators go to the scene and they see the damage on the Harley inflicted by Frances' car.
That night, they took me to the magistrate, or that morning, I can't remember. All I remember is that they transferred me
across the street, or something. And they kept me there for the longest time and I was still in shock, because I was like, no.
And I think that was when they told me they were charging me with murder. In Texas we have what's called felony murder.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Apparently, Bill died because Frances had allegedly committed a felony.
Because she was in a vehicle, it's considered a deadly weapon. And so, just the mere act of her following Bonnie, and telling
her to pull over, that's considered aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. It's a felony that carries 2 to 20 years in prison in Texas.
But this was so like, this only happens in TV, I could not believe this. I, you know, when we finally said that we were going
to trial, and this and that. I thought, well the truth is going to come out. They're going to see that it was an accident.
They're going to see that I would have never hurt him. They're going to see that I love this man.
That I didn't hurt him. And, you know, they might have shown mercy on me. I never really thought I was going to go to prison, never.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Bonnie Contreras was satisfied with the charges. The second she turned around, she
was already committing a crime. When you start to give chase to somebody at that rate of speed
you're going to harm somebody. You're either going to run them off the road, you're going to cause a major accident,
somebody was bound to get hurt when she gave that chase. I don't know if she thought it was going to be me,
or if she thought it was going to be him, or both. I don't know, but, to me, I mean, she killed him.
She took his life. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Three years later, the case against Frances went to trial.
Bonnie took the stand as a witness for the prosecution. I basically told them what I saw.
And I told them, you know, that she started hitting me from behind. I didn't do this intentionally.
I know I didn't do this intentionally. You know, and it's so weird, because he was
talking to me and everything. And then, I thought oh, you know, he's going to have a long recovery, but he'll be OK.
Frances' bumper is taken out and shown to the jury. The bumper that hit the other bumper
over, and over, and over again. The prosecution argues that this was a woman in rage.
And it was this woman's rage that caused the death of this man. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Lee Cutter, and her defense team,
presented a very different version of events leading up to that fateful day in October 2013.
I have always maintained that Bonnie Contreras is the reason that Bill Hall is dead.
If you look at Bonnie's childish behavior, once Frances decides to turn around, she's telling her to pull over.
And Bonnie's brake checking her, she's flipping her off. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Frances' lawyers
claim that she had to swerve unexpectedly after Bonnie had intentionally slammed on her brakes.
Causing Bill to accidentally plow into the back of her car. She didn't know that Bill had run
into the back of her vehicle. Which is also, people say, well, how is that even possible?
Imagine where you're at, you are just complete tunnel vision, chasing down this terrible woman who has been tormenting you.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: On September 8, 2016, the jury came back with their verdict
as Bill's friends and family watched from the gallery. The jury's verdict was heard guilty of murder
and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. No one was prepared for that guilty verdict.
Frances was potentially facing 99 years, or life, in prison. They immediately took Frances into custody
and I just remember her looking terrified. She had no idea what to do. I had some guards that were there
and they were pretty cool-- and not cool they were being sweet-- and this is what's going to happen.
And this and that, and then, they took me. MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Frances' attorneys
believed there was still hope. However, in Texas, a defendant can request to be sentenced by a jury.
So that's exactly what Frances did. Hoping they'd be more merciful than the judge.
The defense argues that this was a case of sudden passion. And that means an experience so profound
that you are not capable of clear thinking. It's an experience so out of body that it renders the mind incapable of cool reflection.
Now that wouldn't change the conviction but it could certainly change the level of punishment
from 5 to 99, to a range of 2 to 20 years. I figured, 99, you know, I figured I'm going to spend
the rest of my life there. I'm not going to see my kids, or my grandkids. I'm not going to see my family.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: No surprise, Bonnie Contreras argued against Frances' plea for a light sentence.
She says that her-- she never meant to hurt either of us. But at that precise moment, she wanted to cause harm to me.
And maybe it backfired on her, and it just, you know, instead of me, it was him.
I know she was going through a lot, but just, I really wish she would have made such a different choice, and not
given me a chase that day. Because had she not turned around and giving chase, he would still be here.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: When the jury returned Frances' sentence, it was clear where their sympathies lay.
They found her, that she had acted in sudden passion, which is a mitigating fact.
That reduced her sentence to a maximum of 20 years, and a minimum of two years in prison.
And ultimately, the jury gave her two years in prison. I thought, OK. That beats, it beats the rest of my life.
And I figured, I can do two years. I can do 730 days. I can do that. Not to say, and even now, I don't care what anybody says.
I should not have served a day in jail, a day in prison, but OK. I feel like two years it's no justification for me.
But, you know, she did her time, and I know she suffered. You know, while doing her time.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: Despite everything that happened, Frances Hall's love for her late husband
lives on. Frances will always tell you, I took a vow, and I meant what I said. And I'm a woman of my word.
Sicker, poorer, for better or for worse, I will stay with Bill Hall. And that's what she did.
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG: At the same time, Bonnie Contreras is learning to live without the man she thought she'd be spending
the rest of her life with. Bill's missed every day. He's missed every single day of our lives.
He was a grand man, you know. Kind of hard to surpass, and he will always be a special man in my life.
But we got to keep pushing forward, we can't look back. Bill was a good man. A great man.
He was the most exceptional person I had ever met in my life. He was the best husband, the best father.
Am I ever going to find another Bill? Hell no. God broke the mold with that one.
[soft electric music playing]

Hi FilmRise True Crimers! We must ask ourselves, is all fair in love and war? In this episode: A love triangle results in tragedy when Bill Hall Jr., his wife Frances Hall and his mistress Bonnie Contreras all come head-to-head in a road rage brawl. Remember to like and subscribe 😊

This one is truly a crazy story filled with lots of heartbreak. What would you have done in a situation like this? Let me know in the comments below.

Enjoy ❤

Michelle Trachtenberg

Brief Summary

A love triangle leads to tragedy when Bill Hall Jr. dies in a motorcycle accident involving his wife and mistress.

Key points

Bill Hall's Charismatic Youth. Bill Hall Jr. was a hit with the ladies from a young age, known for his charm.
Frances's Decision to Forgive. Despite the betrayal, Frances decides to forgive Bill and work on their marriage.
The Double Life Begins. Bill Hall Jr. leads a double life, hiding his affair with Bonnie Contreras from his wife.
Frances Discovers the Affair. Frances Hall learns about her husband's affair from Bonnie Contreras, leading to heartbreak.
The Final Straw. Frances reaches her breaking point and kicks Bill out after a violent confrontation.
Collision Course with Destiny. A love triangle spirals out of control, leading to a fateful confrontation.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I never thought my husband would cheat on me.

Michelle Trachtenberg reflects on her disbelief about her husband's infidelity.

1:24WatchNov 3, 2022

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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