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Married Couple Pursuing the RV Lifestyle Are Killed by Man "Capable of Absolute Terror"
“She trusted in him, and she figured he’s done some things, but [was] willing to look past it in the name of love,” childhood friend Dylan Aller said on Snapped: Killer Couples of Amanda Noverr, who helped her husband murder retirees on vacation.
After the death of her mom, a self-destructive streak landed Amanda Noverr in the arms of a criminal. The 32-year-old looked past Adam Williams’ disturbing past and found herself in a “horribly catastrophic” marriage involving drugs, violence, and, ultimately, murder.
In 2019, the Utah couple hit the road for Texas. The 33-year-old Williams had already spent eight years in federal prison, and he was now running from a sexual assault charge. They hoped to make it to Mexico to reinvent themselves with new names, but they needed money and a vehicle.
When camping on the beach on Padre Island in South Texas, that plan suddenly came into view: Retired couple James and Michelle Butler had set up their new RV on a remote stretch of beach shielded by dunes known as “The Bowl.” As they settled in for a relaxing two-week vacation, Williams and Noverr stopped by to chat.
“They were a couple that did everything together, and that includes murder,” said Spectrum News Texas reporter Crystal Dominquez on Snapped: Killer Couples, airing Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen. “They share a love and a willingness to get away with things unimaginable.”
Who were Michelle and James Butler?
Interviews on Snapped: Killer Couples paint a rosy picture of the "RV-lifestyle" couple, both divorcées with their own children. James, a retired Naval Air Traffic Controller, met Michelle at a karaoke bar on a visit to his hometown in New Hampshire. They married in 2015, and when all the kids grew up and moved out, they realized a shared dream of traveling the country.
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Michelle, described by friend Barbara Hanesworth as an animal lover, even brought three cats along.
“The RV life for Jimbo and Michelle meant freedom from the cares of everyday life,” said Navy buddy Chris Hanesworth.
On that fateful day of October 16, James posted photos of their RV at the beach on social media, including one of Michelle relaxing in a chair with her toes in the water. Those same photos would later help police locate the crime scene.
How were Michelle and James Butler killed?
After they stopped by to scope out the Butlers, Williams told Noverr to meet him back at the RV site later. He returned under cover of darkness with a 9-millimeter gun and shot both victims in the head.
Noverr, who was convicted as an accomplice, helped bury the bodies in a shallow grave in the dunes.
They then stole the Butlers' RV and pickup truck and made their getaway to the Mexico border.
How did the Butlers' family help the police?
After several days without contact from the Butlers, with family members, alarm bells went off.
Lt. David Farias of the Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office Farias was on patrol when the missing persons' call came in, 10 days after the retirees first arrived in the area. Working with the family, Farias used the photos on social media to locate their now-empty campsite and quickly issued a press release.
Meanwhile, family friend Barbara Hanesworth created a Facebook page, “Finding Michelle and James Butler,” that blew up on social media.
As news coverage gained momentum, the U.S. Border Patrol had a massive break in the case: They captured video footage of the vehicles crossing into Mexico and, eventually, an image of Williams driving the Butlers' truck.
How Adam Williams and Amanda Noverr Were Caught
It turns out that a few days before the murder, the heavily inked-up Williams was pulled over by a park ranger in Padre Island National Seashore for not wearing a seatbelt.
That ranger and a local business owner both immediately recognized the distinctive-looking Williams from the news reports and approached the police. Williams' relatives then provided police with the identity of his wife, Noverr.
After the Kleberg Sheriff’s office leaked the information to the AP Wire in Mexico, they had another lucky break: The fugitives were spotted in an RV park in Jalisco.
During their attempted escape, Noverr had been in contact with her longtime friend Dylan Aller, hinting to him that she wanted to leave her husband. Once Noverr learned the story was all over the news, she decided to turn herself in, said Aller, who gave the Texas Rangers information about their location in Mexico.
"Apparently they surprised her and Adam at the RV park which ended up being the best outcome anyone could have hoped for," said Aller.
The FBI found the murder weapon in the RV along with DNA evidence connecting Noverr and Williams to the Butlers' murder.
Noverr was sentenced to 20 years behind bars and is eligible for parole in 2039.
As for Williams, “he’s one of those individuals capable of absolute terror,” stated Texas Sheriff Kirkpatrick. Williams ultimately pled guilty and was given a life sentence without parole.
Watch all-new episodes of Snapped: Killer Couples on Sundays at 6/5c on Oxygen and the next day on Peacock.
