Episode 14: Fatal Secrets: The Twisted Saga of a Tax Attorney’s Vengeance Part II

Tax Crime Junkies

This episode concludes the twisted saga of a tax attorney’s vengeance, putting together the last of the puzzle pieces to finally determine just what happened to Ashley Pallow. When we last left off, there had already been multiple tax crimes and four murders associated with this case. Michelle was in jail for an unrelated charge and new witness Christopher Higgins had just entered the scene. Christopher, another former employee of Ashley’s, takes the story in a whole new direction when he comes forward to state that Thomas confessed to murdering Ashley, in great detail, while they were having lunch together at a Chili’s. He claims to have murdered Ashley in an attempt to protect Michelle. Although the autopsy results do not fully corroborate the details of Chris’ story, Thomas is ultimately found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

Talking Points:

• Michelle’s phone conversations with Thomas are monitored while she is in jail. She is heard promising to take the fall for Thomas as long as he promises to raise her children
• Another tax preparer and former employee of Ashley, Christopher Higgins steps up with a completely different story of events. Casual conversation in a Chili’s between Thomas and Christopher took a turn when they started talking about OJ Simpson
• Thomas explains to Chris in detail his reasons for killing Ashley. He claims to have hit Ashley so hard that he broke his jaw. He states that he called Michelle for help with the body
• The last time Thomas had seen his boss, Ashley had said that someone was stealing from him. He believed it to be Michelle and was thinking about turning her in. If she was reported, it would violate her probation. Thomas decided to kill Ashley to protect Michelle
• The initial autopsy results reveal there is not enough damage to Ashley’s jaw, face, and chest considering the force that strangulation would have required
• Michelle asks Thomas on the phone call while in jail for details about how the death occurred so that she could sound more convincing
• Thomas is found guilty, convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life. Michelle is charged with accessory after the fact and a 30 year sentence
• Thomas’ lawyer contends that Thomas never got a fair trial, submits a request for a new trial but is denied
• The state becomes aware of another potential witness, Samantha Friar, who is cellmates with Michelle. She claims that Michelle admitted to killing Ashley during consensual sex
• Another inmate comes forward about hearing Michelle and Samantha conspiring to fabricate a confession
• Samantha introduces the idea that Ashley was a drug addict
• 2017 letter written by Michelle claiming that everything she had said was out of fear of losing her children
• Years before Ashley’s murder, his brother Adam was killed by the police while he was in police custody at 29 years old
• In 2021, Ashley’s son Matthew was shot and killed by police when he was just 28 years old. He called 911 for psychiatric help during an episode and was shot and killed
• The potential dangers of toxic work environments

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