‘I Know She Was Evil’: Idaho Man Endured Escalating Violence At The Hand of His New Wife

Twenty-year-old Vernon Jensen was a recent divorcee studying to become a respiratory therapist when a registered nurse at the hospital where he worked in Boise, Idaho, struck up a friendship with him.

The nurse, Vicki, was a divorced mom to a four-year-old son. As the two grew more acquainted during long shifts at the hospital, Vernon decided to take her on a few dates and explore the mutual feelings they seemed to have for one another.

He didn’t consider their relationship to be serious when the first red flags about Vicki were raised.

Not long after their first dates, Vernon left town for a long weekend with his buddies. When he returned to the home he shared with his mother, she told him he needed to call and check in with Vicki.

There was just one problem—Vicki didn’t know the phone number at his home, and she had never met Vernon’s mother.

At work the next week, Vicki confessed to getting the number by calling all the Jensens listed in the phone book until she reached the right house.

“I kind of felt like my privacy was being invaded,” Vernon said.

While he felt no commitment to Vicki at that point, she declared herself to be his girlfriend.

“When Vicki wanted something, she got it, and it was not negotiable,” he said.

As Vernon neared the end of his schooling, he found a full-time position in Twin Falls, two hours away from Boise. It was a chance to make a clean break, but Vicki had other plans. She announced that she would be going with him.

Increasing Abuse

Vernon, Vicki, and Vicki’s son settled into a house in Twin Falls, but Vernon immediately began to suspect that her volatile temper could result in actual violence.

First, he didn’t believe the burns on Vicki’s son were as accidental as she made it seem—and she flew off the handle when Vernon questioned her about what had happened to the boy. Vicki also announced that the pair were going to marry as soon as Vernon’s divorce from his first wife was finalized.

After they were married, Vicki’s verbal attacks turned physical. After the first time she struck him, she tried to get Vernon to hit her back and then berated him for refusing to fight. Another time, she threw a knife at his head.

When the court ordered that Vernon pay more child support to his ex-wife for his children, Vicki grew angry and threatened to kill his ex with an insulin overdose.

Vernon had finally had enough, though he did not report Vicki’s threat to the police. Instead, he moved out and began working extra shifts to help pay for a divorce attorney. He also began dating another woman, Aleta Diane Ray.

Aleta and Vernon settled into an apartment, but it didn’t take long for Vicki to find them.

“[Vicki] would tell me, ‘Divorce? Never.Murder? Maybe.’ and she meant it,” Vernon said.

Find out how far Vicki was willing to go on Evil Lives Here on ID at 9/8c on April 10. Episodes are also available on discovery+.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence or abuse from a romantic partner, you can visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website, call 1.800.799.SAFE or text START to 88788 for help. Advocates are available 24/7 to help callers talk through their situation and connect them with local resources. There is no charge to reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.