Ep. 136/137 The Northons Parts 1 & 2

Part 1: "Who's the Monster?"

Liysa Northon never disputed the fact that she had killed her husband. Truth be told, she informed the police that she may have killed him. But the story that she would go on to tell, would change, like many of the stories told throughout her life. She was adamant she had to kill her husband, if she hadn’t, it would have been her or her son. When Lisya’s case was being prepared for court, it by no means drew notoriety across the country, but in the NW corner and in Hawaii, it became well-known and highly anticipated. People were intrigued and even moved by the fit, pretty, young woman who claimed to desperately fight for her life, and yet, many people stood behind the victim to point the blame at her. Once court was over and the case settled, many were left scratching their heads at the outcome. Soon, one of the most famous true crime writers in the world would discover Liysa’s case and pen her final chapter, and what she had to say showed Liysa in an entirely different light. Over the next two episodes of Murder in the Rain, I’ll share Liysa’s story and dig into why when picked apart, it didn’t quite line up with the evidence. So, was Liysa Northon married to a monster who terrorized her every day, or was she the monster?

Part 2: "The Perfect Story"

In last week’s episode, we explored the background of Christopher and Liysa Northon. If you haven’t listened go check it out because there will be spoilers! On October 9th, 2000, authorities found Chris dead inside his sleeping bag at the campsite he and Liysa had been staying at with their young son Dane. Later that day, Liysa sought out medical help for some minor injuries, telling nurses and police that they were caused due to a fight with her husband, who had been abusing her. She told her story to multiple law enforcement officers, and over time there were parts of her that were different or that people questioned. In this week’s episode, we’ll conclude the case of Liysa Northon and how her story, when compared to evidence, just didn’t add up. We'll also dive into some major bombshells in this case.

Episode Host: Emily Rowney

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High school photos of Lisa DeWitt from the Walla Walla High Yearbooks 1977-1979 (Ancestry.com) and the book Heart Full of Lies.

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Liysa Northon and children photos from WordPress, East Oregonian

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Liysa's second husband Don King, photos from IMDb

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Photos of Chris and his family, from the book Heart of Lies

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Photos of Chris Northon, family and friends from the book Heart of Lies and Tapatalk

Row 1: Chris and Liysa at the beach wedding

Row 2: Chris, Liysa, and Aukai (left), Chris, Liysa, and Dane (right)

Row 3: Chris and Dane (left), Liysa, Aukai, Dane, Chris (right)

Row 4: Chris hiking (left), Chris and pilot friends (right)

Row 5: Chris

Map of Northeastern Oregon and Southeastern Washington

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Liysa's injuries photos from the book Heart of Lies and East Oregonian

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Author Rick Swart and Liysa King Northon with Liysa's sons Dane and Aukai

Photos from Wallowa.com, Oregon Live, and Portland Tribune

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Left: Dane Northon and Aukai Kin

Middle: Dane Northon and Aukai King

Right: Aukai King and Dane Northon

Photos from Instagram

True crime author Ann Rule, photo from The Oakland Press

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Sources

Ann Rule - Heart Full of Lies: A True Story of Desire and Death | Ancestry.com - Liysa Northon | BeenVerified - Liysa Swart | East Oregonian - Battered to the Brink | Tapatalk - Liysa Northon | The Trouble with Justice - The Case of Liysa Northon | Stanford Magazine - Add Water and Stir | IMDB - Don King | Great Big Canvas - Liysa Swart | Medium - Let’s Remember when the Seattle Weekly… | Divi - Spreading awareness about the dangers of domestic violence | Ann Rules Sloppy Storytelling - Rick Swart | WordPress Laraghall88 - Do not go gentle into the good night | OJP.gov - Battered Woman Syndrome | NCADV - National Statistics | Court House News - Ann Rule Awarded costs | Willamette Weekly - Ann Rule's Last Case | USDA.gov - Wallowa Whitman |