The Terrifying Case of Mary Rice and William Boyette: A Week-Long Killing Spree That Claimed Four Innocent Lives

In 2017, a chilling string of murders from January 31 to February 7 rocked the city of  Florida to its core.

The perpetrators, 37-year-old Mary Rice and 44-year-old William "Billy" Boyette, went on a horrifying killing spree.

Sadly, their heinous crimes took the lives of four innocent women, some of whom were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Mary Rice and William Boyette

Mary Rice was a woman who seemed to live a relatively normal life on the surface.

However, her relationship with William Boyette, a man with a violent and troubling history, soon dragged her into the midst of a horrifying crime spree

William had a history of violence, particularly against women. 

His first victim in this series of murders was his ex-girlfriend, Alicia Greer, 30.

Alicia had been desperately trying to break free from him after enduring multiple assaults.

On January 31, 2017, William found Alicia hiding in a hotel room with her friend, 39-year-old Jacqueline Moore.

Unfortunately, Jacqueline was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that was how she became the second victim of William's rage. 

After brutally killing his ex and her friend, Mary and William set out on a cross-state spree of terror.

Alicia Greer

Their next victim was 52-year-old Peggy Bronz who was shot and killed in her driveway on February 3, 2017.

Mary and William needed a car to continue their escape, as law enforcement was already on their trail for the initial murders.

So when they saw Peggy’s vehicle in her driveway, she immediately became their next target.

They didn't know Peggy before that day, and they had never met her before.

William killed her and took her car, showing no regard for the innocent life he was ending.

Peggy Bronz

The final victim in their killing spree was 28-year-old Kayla Crocker.

She was just starting her day when she met her tragic end on February 6, 2017.

Kayla was preparing for work when her home was invaded by William and Mary. 

They tied Kayla up, killed her, and then took her vehicle to continue their escape. 

Kayla Crocker

After the final murder, Mary and William drove to a local hotel, where Mary used her ID to book a room.

Little did they know, this would be their last stop.

The police quickly made their way to the hotel after they learned that Mary had just used her ID to book a room.

They surrounded the building and secured the area to prevent the perpetrators from escaping.

When Mary saw that there was no other way out, she surrendered to the authorities.

William on the other hand decided to kill himself instead of facing justice for his crimes.

At the police station, Mary was immediately placed in an interrogation room. 

When her interview began, Mary started playing the victim without knowing she was further implicating herself.

She claimed that William had kidnapped her, threatened her life, and forced her to join him on his killing spree.

Mary said she had no choice but to follow his orders because she was afraid for her own safety.

She claimed that a week before the murders, William had unexpectedly showed up at her house covered in blood.

Mary said that William then forced her to leave with him at gunpoint.

As the interrogation continued, detectives questioned Mary about her relationship with William.

She said that they had met through mutual friends and occasionally saw each other at social events.

Despite Mary’s claims that she was forced to join him, the detectives did not believe her.

Their investigation showed that Mary had several chances to escape or seek help, but she did not.

Additionally, evidence indicated that Mary was not merely a victim but had actively helped William with the murders.

As the investigation progressed, Mary’s story continued to change. 

Mary claimed that a second man was involved involved in the crimes.

She said the unknown man watched her while William was occupied, which made it nearly impossible for her to escape.

However, the detectives knew there was no third person; it was just Mary and William. 

The most damning evidence against Mary emerged when she admitted some level of involvement in the murders.

She confessed to being present during Kayla Crocker’s murder and admitted to helping William tie her up.

This admission was crucial because it placed Mary directly at the scene of the crime.

It also showed that Mary was actively involved in the crime, and not just a bystander as she claimed

Mary Rice

Despite her attempts to portray herself as a victim, the evidence clearly showed that she was a willing accomplice in William’s killing spree.

Mary Rice was eventually found guilty of first-degree murder for the death of Kayla Crocker.

She was also convicted of being an accessory after the fact for the murders of Alicia Greer and Jacqueline Moore.

On September 28, 2018, Mary Rice was sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder charge. 

She was given an additional 30 years, to be served consecutively, for accessory after the fact.

In November 2019, the Florida First District Court of Appeal upheld Mary's life sentence after she appealed her conviction.

Mary is still expected to face separate charges in Alabama for the murder of Peggy Broz.

However, the process could take decades due to the appeals process in Florida

In the end, Justice was served for the four women who lost their lives in such a brutal and senseless manner.

Below is a longer video courtesy of Red Tree Stories, offering a more in-depth analysis of the case if you want to learn more.

In another case, a man has been sentenced to life for the murder of another man.

The man said the victim allegedly wanted to have sex with his 8-year-old son.

See more details of that case here.