Between Love and Hate Movie starring Susan Lucci

The movie Between Love and Hate starring Susan Lucci is based on a true story. This movie has fascinated me for so many years. I finally landed the true story behind this movie after 5 years due to a tip from a website viewer. This movie is based on the 1975 murder of Harriett Robinson by her lover John Peyton Alexander.

4225 Canterbury Ct Jackson, Mississippi Home

Here is a photo of the home that Harriet Jackson and her family lived in back in 1975. The home was built in 1972 and has a fire place. The home was for sale in 1995.

John Petyon Alexander Photo

John Alexander aka John Peyton Alexander was diagnosed with Schizophrenia. You can read his biography at his website 
(click here)

Nearly 20 minutes elapsed before before Jackson police arrived at the scene of the shooting death of a woman at the Parham Bridges tennis center Saturday, several witnesses said. And the ambulance arrived at the shooting scene about 15 minutes before the first police car, witnesses said.

Lavell Tullas, police chief said a taped copy of calls to the department shows police were first notified at 12:14 pm, and that the first unit arrived at 12:25 pm.

A spokesman for the Baldwin Ambulance Service said, however police called the company at 12:13 pm to send a unit to the tennis center. according to the ambulance report a unit arrived at the scene only 2 minutes after it was called. Tullos said it usually takes a unit from 3-5 minutes to arrive at the scene, but in this case, it took more than 10, Tullus said.

Harriet Robinson, 38, of 4225 Canterbury Court, was killed shortly after noon Saturday at the tennis center at 5055 Old Canton Road. Shortly after the shooting, John Peyton Alexander II, 20, of 104 S Park Drive, called the police and turned himself in. He is currently charged with the murder. It also took police nearly an hour to complete it's investigation at the murder scene, and allow the body to be removed in the ambulance, witnesses said.

Tullus said the investigation proceeded as quickly as possible and part of the delay was because the coroner had to be called to the scene. Several witnesses complained it took police too long to remove the body from an area where there were numerous children. The ambulance company reported that the body was finally removed at 1:14 pm, 50 minutes after the first ambulance arrived. One witness said several patrol cars passed the area but failed to stop. He said one person attempted to flag down several cars, but two units went on without stopping. One witness said police were called 4 times before the first unit arrived. Tullos said the police department has received no complaints concerning the delays in police reportingto the murder scene Saturday.

William Sebastian Moore, Alexander's attorney, said his client finished private psychological tests Monday, but the results were not evaluated. Moore said he requested that Alexander take the tests. Alexander's arraignment probably won't be until Oct 16, Moore said. No definite date has been announced, he said, but arraignments are usually scheduled on Thursday. Neither Moore nor the city has requested an arraignment date. It was learned Monday that on August 6, a Hinds County Chancery Court judge issued an injuction ordering Alexander stop any acts of tending to harrass John W. Robinson Jr. or his family pending further order of this court.

Robinson, husband of the murdered woman, made the complaint.

Murder Suspect Remains in Jail

John Peyton Alexander II, 20, remained jailed over the weekend without bond, charged with the Saturday afternoon slaying of Harriet Robinson, 38, at the Parham Bridges tennis center in northeast Jackson.

Police Chief Tullos said a preliminary hearing tentatively has been set for 3 pm. Thurdsday.

Mrs. Robinson, the wife of John W. Robinson jr, Jackson businessman, was shot to death near a tennis court at the center. Shortly thereafter, Alexander, of 104 S. Park Drive, turned himself in to police.

Chief Tullos, asked Sunday night about a possible motive, said he could not comment because police still were interviewing witnesses. Mrs. Robinson lived at 4225 Canterbury Court. William Sebastian Moore, Alexander's attorney, said Alexander is undergoing a battery of psychologicl tests, Moore said he did not know if he would be ready for a hearing by Thursday afternoon.

Alexander, who last session attended Vanderbilt University on mathematics scholarship, had served this past summer as swimming and dibing coach at the northside YMCA. Moore said Alexander had not re-enrolled at Vanderbilt this fall.

Services for Mrs. Robinson are scheduled at 2pm today at St. Andrews Epicopal Cathedral. Burial will be in Cederlawn Cemetary with Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home in charge.

Mrs. John W. (Harriet) Robinson, 38, of 4225 Canterbury Court died Saturday afternoon. Services will be held at 2pm Monday, from St. Andrews Episcopal Cathedral, with Dean B. Sidney Sanders, officiating.

Internement will follow in Cedar Lawn Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 2pm until 4 pm and 7 pm until 8 pm, Sunday at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home.

The family requests that Memorial be made to the Harriet M. Robinson Memorial Fund at St. Andrews.

Survivors include her widower, one son, John W. Robinson III, two daughters, Harriet Enochs Robinson, and Margaret Virginia Robinson, all of Jackson: her parents, Rev. and Mrs. Dewey M. Metts, of Goodman: two brothers Dr. Dewey Metts jr, of Ocean Springs, and George F. Metts, of Houston, Texas, and a sister, Mrs. Ouida Davis, of Miami, Fla.

Mrs. Robinson was born inOxford and spent her early life in Memphis, she was a graduate of Union University and received her masters, in speical education at the University of Mississippi. She taught in the Jackson Public Schools in special education and was a member of St. Andrews Episcopal Church.

John Peyton Alexander was convicted of the 1975 murder of a married =

woman he previously had an affair with and was sentenced to life. He was =

paroled in 1984, but had his parole revoked in 1986 for a simple assault =

against his father and sister. In March of 1999, Alexander sent a letter =

to the Hinds County Circuit Court requesting his conviction be vacated. =

This was denied on the merits in February of 2000 and Alexander appealed

Harriet's mother died in 1982 at the age of 82.

Harriet was named after her grandmother Harriet.

Harriet's daughter died in a drowning accident. (not sure of date)

Harriet's husband went on to remarry and eventually died of a heart attack. (not sure of date) Harriet's son is still living which is why he was not depicted in the movie. The movie was unauthorized by the family.

Older Woman Younger Man Fatal Attraction Case

He then went home and told his mother that he had shot Mrs. Robinson. She directed him to call the police which he did.

The defense offered at the trial was that the homicide was excusable because Alexander was insane and incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong and that he was not guilty by reason of insanity.

On appeal, a number of grounds for reversal are assigned and argued.

It is first contended that the trial court erred in declining to permit several lay persons to give an opinion on the issue of appellant's [**6] sanity at the time of the shooting.

In the course of the presentation of appellant's case in chief several lay persons were offered to testify that in their opinion appellant was incapable of knowing the difference between right and wrong at the time he shot Harriet Robinson by reason of insanity.

The first of these witnesses, one Herlihy, was asked the following question: Do you have an opinion, based on your knowing John Alexander since you were both in the 9th grade, your conversations with him, and your observations of his demeanor, as to whether on October 4, 1975, when Harriet Robinson was shot, he knew the difference between right and wrong?

The State objected and the jury was retired. Out of the presence of the jury an examination of the witness was conducted and the court sustained the objection, ruling that the witness was not qualified to give an opinion as to Alexander's sanity at the time he shot Mrs. Robinson.

On the basis of the examination of Herlihy conducted out of the presence of the jury, it appears that the witness had talked with Alexander in the summer of 1975 and that Alexander had discussed the affair with Mrs. Robinson with the witness [**7] at that time. While the witness had seen Alexander the night before the shooting, his observation of him on that occasion extended no further than to note that Alexander had been "edgy" but, the witness said, this was not particularly unusual behavior for Alexander although he thought he was a little more edgy than usual. In addition to Herlihy, several other lay witnesses were offered by appellant for the purpose of giving opinions that Alexander was insane and unable to distinguish between right and wrong at the time that he shot Mrs. Robinson. Each of these witnesses was examined out of the presence of the jury and the court declined to allow them to so testify. Summaries of their testimony as it bears upon the question follow:

MALLETTE: The witness saw Alexander two weeks before the killing and said that Alexander was depressed and had said that he contemplated suicide. He saw Alexander again in jail the day after the shooting and said that on that occasion Alexander seemed to have just realized that he had done something wrong.

BRICKELL: Alexander told this witness in 1975 about his affair with Mrs. Robinson and was upset about it. The last time the witness [**8] saw Alexander was in August, 1975 PHILLIPS: Witness met Alexander in June, 1975, and was told by Alexander of his affair with Mrs. Robinson and Alexander seemed unable to get his mind on anything else. She saw Alexander two weeks before the shooting and he appeared uncertain and upset.

TAYLOR: Witness had known Alexander for six or seven years. In the summer of 1975 Alexander was "completely obsessed" with his affair with Mrs. Robinson. He told the witness that he had long contemplated suicide. The last time the witness saw Alexander was on October 2, 1975. She also stated that she had had a long conversation with Alexander some ten days prior to the shooting. Witness neither related any statement nor described any behavior on the part of Alexander which had occurred on either occasion VANCE: He had known Alexander since 1959. Alexander was spoiled as a child and [*383] was afraid of his father. Witness talked with Alexander in the fall of 1974 and was told by Alexander of his affair with Mrs. Robinson. He also was told that Alexander had thoughts of suicide. The last time witness saw Alexander was on October 1, 1975, at which time Alexander talked [**9] of his affair with Mrs. Robinson and said that Mrs. Robinson's husband had hired someone to kill him. Alexander was "nervous and shaking."

LAMAR: Witness had known Alexander for about four years. Alexander was upset about his affair with Mrs. Robinson and about losing his job at the Country Club. Alexander mentioned his thoughts of suicide. Witness said Alexander was afraid of Mr. Robinson, the victim's husband. Although the witness saw Alexander at a party the night before the shooting, he gave no facts or circumstances as to statements or behavior on the part of Alexander on that occasion.

Mississippi Murder in Jackson

John Peyton ALEXANDER, II v. STATE of Mississippi

No. 50035

Supreme Court of Mississippi

358 So. 2d 379; 1978 Miss. LEXIS 2528

April 19, 1978

DISPOSITION: [**1]

AFFIRMED.

COUNSEL: Jacobs, Griffith, Pearson, Eddins & Povall, Charles C. Jacobs, Jr., Cleveland, for Appellant.

A. F. Summer, Atty. Gen. by Karey A. Gilfoy, Asst. Atty. Gen. and Henry T. Wingate, Sp. Asst. Atty. Gen., Jackson, for Appellee.

JUDGES: Smith, Robertson and Lee, JJ. Patterson, C.J., Robertson, P.J., and Sugg, Walker, Broom, Lee, Bowling and Cofer, JJ., concur.

OPINIONBY: SMITH

OPINION: [*380] John Peyton Alexander was indicted for murder. He was tried on that charge in the Circuit Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. From that conviction he has prosecuted this appeal.

The victim of the homicide was a Mrs. Robinson, a married woman, with whom Alexander had been involved in what is referred to as "an intimate affair."

The facts relating to the shooting of Mrs. Robinson by Alexander on October 4, 1975 are not in dispute. Nor is there material dispute as to the background facts which preceded and led up to the homicide.

Alexander was the swimming coach at the Jackson Country Club. His parents had been club members for most of his life but had disposed of their membership in 1971 because of financial problems. [**2] Both Mrs. Robinson and her husband were members of the club. During the summer months [*381] Alexander began having an affair with Mrs. Robinson, a married woman 37 years of age, with whom his duties at the club pool brought him in contact. In the course of the affair there were gifts, visits by Alexander to the Robinson home, automobile rides and even a trip to Florida by Alexander and Mrs. Robinson. At the end of summer Alexander returned to Vanderbilt University where he was a student. He was called frequently by Mrs. Robinson there. About September 28, 1974 Mrs. Robinson's husband learned of the affair and telephoned Alexander, telling him to stay away from his wife. This call by Mrs. Robinson's husband to Alexander included threats, which Alexander considered dangerous to his life. As a result of Mrs. Robinson's husband learning of the affair, she broke up with Alexander and would have nothing further to do with him. Alexander became depressed and visited a psychologist at Vanderbilt. Later, he dropped out of school. After visiting his sister and friends in New Orleans he returned to Jackson and began living at home with his mother. He was worried by the fact [**3] that his parents were having marital problems, although this was not a new experience for Alexander. Alexander's father drank excessively at home and physically and verbally abused Alexander's mother. Moreover, Alexander's father was on the verge of bankruptcy although he had been regarded as wealthy and of high social standing. After holding some odd jobs Alexander filed an application with the Jackson Country Club for the position of swimming coach, the same job he had previously held. His application was rejected when Mrs. Robinson and her husband circulated a petition to the members stating that Alexander was not competent. Alexander then attempted to secure a similar position at River Hills Club but was met again with rejection allegedly due to acts of Mrs. Robinson's husband, who knew several of the River Hills Club Board Members. Alexander became angry at these actions on the part of the Robinsons' and felt that he was not being treated fairly. He attempted to retaliate by xeroxing some of the love letters written to him by Mrs. Robinson and mailing the copies to several members of the Country Club. His purpose was to show that the petition circulated by the Robinsons [**4] stating that he was incompetent to be swimming coach was not based on mere incompetency but upon the affair in which he had been involved with Mrs. Robinson. Following the circulation of the copies of Mrs. Robinson's letters by Alexander, her husband brought suit against Alexander demanding damages.

Thereafter Alexander obtained a coaching position at the YMCA for the summer of 1975. Alexander's parents had been divorced, remarried, and were in the process of obtaining another divorce.

In September, 1975 Alexander purchased a.380 automatic pistol and ammunition. At this time he had a construction job at Magee but was still living at home with his mother. On the night of October 3, 1975, Alexander attended a birthday party given for a friend, Albert Lamar, at the Golden Dragon Restaurant in Jackson. Alexander left the party and went home. Unable to sleep, he returned to Lamar's home about 11:00 p.m. He and several friends skateboarded in the street until the early morning hours. The following morning, Saturday, October 4, 1975, Alexander had an engagement to play tennis with one James Anderson at Battlefield Park in Jackson. They played until around 11:15 in the morning [**5] and Alexander returned home at about noon. There he told his mother that he wanted his checkbook so he could buy a new tennis racket. He left home, drove directly to the Parham Bridges Tennis Courts in Jackson, where Mrs. Robinson and one Betty Lewis were just finishing a tennis match. As the two women left the court and were walking past the bleachers, toward their car, Alexander walked rapidly up to Mrs. Robinson, drew his pistol from his pocket, and from a distance of three feet shot Mrs. Robinson in the left side of the head. As she fell, Alexander stepped closer and fired seven [*382] more shots into her head and neck as she lay upon the ground. He then went home and told his mother that he had shot Mrs. Robinson. She directed him to call the police which he did.

The defense offered at the trial was that the homicide was excusable because Alexander was insane and incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong and that he was not guilty by reason of insanity.

On appeal, a number of grounds for reversal are assigned and argued.

It is first contended that the trial court erred in declining to permit several lay persons to give an opinion on the issue of appellant's [**6] sanity at the time of the shooting.

In the course of the presentation of appellant's case in chief several lay persons were offered to testify that in their opinion appellant was incapable of knowing the difference between right and wrong at the time he shot Harriet Robinson by reason of insanity.

The first of these witnesses, one Herlihy, was asked the following question: Do you have an opinion, based on your knowing John Alexander since you were both in the 9th grade, your conversations with him, and your observations of his demeanor, as to whether on October 4, 1975, when Harriet Robinson was shot, he knew the difference between right and wrong?

The State objected and the jury was retired. Out of the presence of the jury an examination of the witness was conducted and the court sustained the objection, ruling that the witness was not qualified to give an opinion as to Alexander's sanity at the time he shot Mrs. Robinson.

On the basis of the examination of Herlihy conducted out of the presence of the jury, it appears that the witness had talked with Alexander in the summer of 1975 and that Alexander had discussed the affair with Mrs. Robinson with the witness [**7] at that time. While the witness had seen Alexander the night before the shooting, his observation of him on that occasion extended no further than to note that Alexander had been "edgy" but, the witness said, this was not particularly unusual behavior for Alexander although he thought he was a little more edgy than usual. In addition to Herlihy, several other lay witnesses were offered by appellant for the purpose of giving opinions that Alexander was insane and unable to distinguish between right and wrong at the time that he shot Mrs. Robinson. Each of these witnesses was examined out of the presence of the jury and the court declined to allow them to so testify. Summaries of their testimony as it bears upon the question follow:

MALLETTE: The witness saw Alexander two weeks before the killing and said that Alexander was depressed and had said that he contemplated suicide. He saw Alexander again in jail the day after the shooting and said that on that occasion Alexander seemed to have just realized that he had done something wrong.

BRICKELL: Alexander told this witness in 1975 about his affair with Mrs. Robinson and was upset about it. The last time the witness [**8] saw Alexander was in August, 1975 PHILLIPS: Witness met Alexander in June, 1975, and was told by Alexander of his affair with Mrs. Robinson and Alexander seemed unable to get his mind on anything else. She saw Alexander two weeks before the shooting and he appeared uncertain and upset.

TAYLOR: Witness had known Alexander for six or seven years. In the summer of 1975 Alexander was "completely obsessed" with his affair with Mrs. Robinson. He told the witness that he had long contemplated suicide. The last time the witness saw Alexander was on October 2, 1975. She also stated that she had had a long conversation with Alexander some ten days prior to the shooting. Witness neither related any statement nor described any behavior on the part of Alexander which had occurred on either occasion VANCE: He had known Alexander since 1959. Alexander was spoiled as a child and [*383] was afraid of his father. Witness talked with Alexander in the fall of 1974 and was told by Alexander of his affair with Mrs. Robinson. He also was told that Alexander had thoughts of suicide. The last time witness saw Alexander was on October 1, 1975, at which time Alexander talked [**9] of his affair with Mrs. Robinson and said that Mrs. Robinson's husband had hired someone to kill him. Alexander was "nervous and shaking."

LAMAR: Witness had known Alexander for about four years. Alexander was upset about his affair with Mrs. Robinson and about losing his job at the Country Club. Alexander mentioned his thoughts of suicide. Witness said Alexander was afraid of Mr. Robinson, the victim's husband. Although the witness saw Alexander at a party the night before the shooting, he gave no facts or circumstances as to statements or behavior on the part of Alexander on that occasion.

Police Reported Slow to Arrive at Murder