Today Joy Aylor, the homicidal housewife of Lake Highlands, lives in Gatesville, Texas at the Mountain View prison, where she is serving a life term. She is 67.
In the early 1980s, Joy Aylor lived with her husband, Larry, in a classy home on Arbor Trail, near Forest Meadow Junior High. Larry struck up an affair with a Richardson woman named Rozanne Gailiunas. In October 1983, a man named Andy Hopper broke into the mistress’ rental home on Loganwood Drive, attempted to rape her and shot her in the head. Gailiunas’ 4-year-old son, napping during the attack, discovered her brutalized body. The murder went unsolved for years. That is, until, after some time had passed, hit men tried to kill Larry. He was supposed to meet Joy at their Kaufman ranch; instead, two assailants showed up and endeavored to gun him down. He narrowly escaped with the understanding that Joy wanted him dead. He realized she was probably responsible for Gailiunas’ fate as well. Police didn’t believe it. But a reporter burrowed into his story, supported by Joy’s sister, and unearthed the truth. Arrested but released on bond, Joy fled to France, where she ultimately was apprehended. For the murder of Gailiunas, Hopper was executed in 2005. True crime author Carlton Stowers wrote the best seller “Open Secrets” about the events, and Cybil Shepherd played Joy Aylor in the film version “Telling Secrets.”
