TrueCrime Chronicles: Tangled web of lies and deceit captured Boone County bigamist couple in a lifetime snare
- Dennis McCaslin
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
In August 2002, Boone County was rocked by the murder of 23-year-old Lloyd Vidos, a case that exposed a calculated plot involving his estranged wife, her lover, and her parents.
The investigation and trials that followed revealed a chilling conspiracy, resulting in life sentences for two and lasting scars for a community.
traveled from Louisiana to Arkansas with his in-laws, Jonny and Sharon Acuff, hoping to reconcile with his wife, Christy Vidos. Unknown to Lloyd, Christy had begun a relationship with Leslie Paray, a man she would later marry.
On August 5, 2002, Lloyd was ambushed and shot in the chest near a ravine on the Acuffs’ property. His body was discovered by Christy, but instead of reporting it immediately, she delayed for four days, choosing to consult Fayetteville attorney Donna Phillips.
Phillips contacted Boone County Sheriff Danny Hickman, urging Christy to report the crime, a decision that later became central to her failed appeal, in which she argued that Phillips’ testimony violated attorney-client privilege.
Forensic analysis confirmed Lloyd’s death as a homicide.
While awaiting trial in jail, Christy spontaneously admitted to jail officer Kenneth Barnes that Paray had been hiding in the weeds before shooting Lloyd in the chest—an admission that ultimately became crucial in her conviction.
Authorities arrested Christy and Paray for capital murder, while Jonny and Sharon Acuff were charged with hindering apprehension, accused of helping Christy and Paray flee Boone County before their capture at a motel in Springdale.
Facing overwhelming evidence, Paray accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for a life sentence.
His testimony became pivotal in proving Christy’s direct involvement in the murder plot.
In January 2005, Christy was convicted of capital murder and tampering with evidence, receiving life in prison without parole, plus six years for moving the body.
During her appeal, Christy argued that her confession and Phillips’ testimony should have been suppressed, but the Arkansas Supreme Court upheld her conviction, ruling that:
Her jailhouse confession was voluntary and therefore admissible in court.
Phillips had not acted as Christy’s criminal defense attorney, meaning her testimony did not violate attorney-client privilege.
With these rulings in place, Christy remained behind bars, ensuring that her life sentence remained intact.
As of June 11, 2025, Christy Vidos is incarcerated at McPherson Unit in Newport,serving ;life without parole under medium- to high-security status.
Leslie Paray remains incarcerated at Cummins Unit in Grady and his prison sentence , ensures he will never walk free.
The murder of Lloyd Vidos remains one of Boone County’s darkest cases, an example of how manipulation, betrayal, and personal conflicts can spiral into cold-blooded murder.
While Christy and Paray will spend the rest of their lives behind bars, their actions left permanent scars on a fractured family and a stunned community.
Nearly 23 years later, the chilling details serve as a haunting reminder of how a troubled relationship turned deadly, leaving behind a legacy of deception and loss.
