Fading into the Streets of Washington
In 1956, Jannie was arrested for murdering her husband, Orell Duncan, whose body had been buried in a shallow grave near Richmond, Virginia, according to the article. Jannie then stood trial and was ultimately found guilty of murder and sentenced to 15 years to life. After a few years in prison, she was transferred to a mental institution – St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington.
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The story doesn’t end there. In fact, it was just beginning. In November 1962, Jannie literally walked off the hospital grounds and disappeared for over 12 years. On January 2, 1975, she was found and arrested again. As it turns out, Jannie simply faded into the streets of Washington, miles from the hospital she escaped from. That’s when she became Joan Davis and made a new life for herself.