I caught this Lifetime movie, Widow on the Hill, yesterday. Apparently, it is old and has been aired once, twice, or even more times before. But I had not seen it. It was presented as a true story, so, of course, I had to check it out.
Turns out, it is real life, but the “black widow” was called Linda Cavanaugh in the movie, a fictious name. Her real name is Donna Somerville.
It takes place in a little town in Virginia. Linda or Donna was a hospice nurse of sorts and was hired by a well-established and well-respected family to care for the dying wife of Hamilton Somerville. The wife did in fact die and Hamilton and Donna were married less than a year later.
She was seen as a gold digger by his daughters who never liked her. The movie mentions only two daughters, but turns out there were really three, and he also had adopted her daughter as well.
But when Hamilton dies, rather unexpectedly, the daughters were suspicious. He had cut them out of the will (supposedly at her insistence) and there had been rumors about town that Donna had not been faithful to her husband.
Donna wanted his body cremated immediately, but the daughters prevailed and an autopsy was ordered. He had died of a concoction of drugs and Donna was charged with murder.
http://widowonthehillmovie.blogspot.com/2009/05/first-gossip-then-murder-charge-wealthy.html
Donna Somerville AKA Linda Cavanaugh
She was tried in June of 2004 for first degree murder in a bench trial, rather than a jury trial, and the judge found her not guilty. (Maybe she beguiled the judge?)
She still lives on the massive 345 acre property she inherited and is rarely seen.
The daughters have filed a civil lawsuit against her and I can’t find anything about whether or not that has been resolved except a mention somewhere about a settlement under seal. [See update at bottom] Couldn’t find a picture of Hamilton either.
Who needs fiction? I think Ann Rule missed this one.
Oh, and she was reportedly studying to become a minister. My. My.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16017-2004Jun29.html
http://s2.excoboard.com/Courthouse_Steps_Mavens/147307/1622752
Posted: 05.17.10
UPDATE: See results of the civil suit here:
http://hamptonroads.com/2010/09/widow-loses-civil-suit-stepdaughters-over-somerville-death
Update 09.12.10
very interesting. thanks
Savage interview…worth spending 15 minutes reading IMHO
http://www.playboy.com/articles/michael-savage-playboy-interview/index.html?page=1
Very interesting, Bella, and I had never heard of the movie or the case–and she was found not guilty and lives happily ever after, what do ya know? Those daughters don’t seem very happy!! It might be kind of fun to research that one a little.
I´m brazilian and i watched this movie last week with my wife, so, seems to be well elaborated by Linda both death. But you never know the real thing.My wife Lúcia thinks Linda is a liar.
Here’s the latest on this case. http://hamptonroads.com/2010/09/widow-loses-civil-suit-stepdaughters-over-somerville-death
thank you so much for this update.
actually the property where the this happened is 15 miniutes from my home…and nothing was ever said about whether or not the lawsuit went forward as to be or not to be.
My friend is the son of Donna’s lawyer. The movie is true and she never killed him. He committed suicide and had left all of his money to Donna. The daughter’s of him were really mad about that so that is why they accused her of killing him.
thats a lawyer supposed to do rite?
Donna lost the civil suit against the daughters of Ham Somervile.I do not blame the daughters for being mad at all-I would be mad also!It is not right for the spouse to get everything and leave the children nothing..Even if she was aquitted of 1st degree murder, she was in part responsible for his death because she was his and his deceased wife’s nurse.Donna also tried in every way possible to get everything Ham owned and not leave anything to his daughters(morally this is wrong-packaged deal when married to someone with children).She would have been better off with a payout of some sort and letting the daughters have the house and land.Now she had to give it all back in a civil suit.What goes around comes around.Hopefully the daughters can now live a more peaceful life with their families! ;D
Oh my gosh, where are your senses. You must have been born without any! A woman like Donna deserves nothing! And she will answer for everything she did wrong. She is a “nothing & a nobody” & she would kill to have what is not hers. She’s sick!! And she makes me sick!
MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY. VERY WELL SAID!!!!
She’s a sick bitch and deserves nothing I hope she hasn’t found another poor soul to murder. She’s quite coniving and maybe they didn’t find her guilty but I bet she sure as hell did it.
I find it hard to believe he would leave land that belonged to family for years to new wife.
who ever said he killed himself is a stupid idiot..why would he kill himself…thats the dumbest thing i have ever heard…clearly this TRICK was golddigger and she got away with murder…I believe that the truth will come to light…u just w8!
No kidding!!!! I dont believe that either!!! How dumb. GOLD DIGGIN WHORE LOL!
I cant believe that this woman didnt go to jail if she was black they would have put her under the jail really white woman get away with everything…
Actually, Mrs. Somerville was found “liable” in the civil suit Mr. Somerville’s daughters filed against her, AKA guilty. She had to give up his estate, including the house, all of which was valued at over $15 million.
I THINK IT’S ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS THAT SHE LOST EVERYTHING IN THE END, JUSTICE PREVAILED (WHICH DOESN’T HAPPEN ALL THAT OFTEN), AND WAS A VERY TRAGIC STORY WITH A GREAT CONCLUSION AND OUTCOME FOR HIS DAUGHTERS.
I THINK IT’S HILARIOUS THAT SHE LOST EVERYTHING IN THE END. REMEMBER IN THE MOVIE WHERE SHE (THE ACTRESS NATASHA HENSTRIDGE) IS BEING INTERVIEWED BY SOME LOCAL OR NATIONAL TV SHOW BY THE BLACK WOMAN WHO WAS INTERVIEWING HER THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE, PRIOR TO HER TRIAL? REMEMBER WHAT LINDA (A.K.A DONNA) WAS SAYING TO THE REPORTER ABOUT HOW SHE WANTED IT ALL REALLY BAD, FOUGHT TO GET TO THE TOP OF THE HILL AND THAT NOBODY WAS GOING TO PUSH OFF? THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED! LOL-LOL-LOL-LOL!!
SHE WAS AN EGOTISTICAL AND SELF-CENTERED SMART-ASS WITH A BIG MOUTH AND SHE GOT EXACTLY WHAT SHE SO RICHLY DESERVED IN THE END. I JUST HOPE SHE DIDN’T GET A DIME EITHER. SHE IS DAMN LUCKY I WAS NOT THE JUDGE BECAUSE I WOULD FINED HER ASS AN ADDITIONAL $500,000.00, PLUS COURT COSTS, FOR ALL THE TORTURE, MISERY, PAIN, AND SUFFERING SHE CAUSED THAT POOR FAMILY. SHE TORTURED THAT FAMILY FOR YEARS WITH HER STUNTS AND CAUSED THEM NOTHING BUT GRIEF, TROUBLE, SORROW, MISERY, AND PROBLEMS FROM THE MOMENT SHE ARRIVED!
OBVIOUSLY, THERE FATHER WAS NOT IN THE RIGHT STATE OF MIND WHEN HIS WIFE HAD CANCER, SO THE DAUGHTERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONE’S TO TAKE OVER THE IMPORTANT DECISIONS SUCH AS PALLIATIVE AND HOSPICE CARE. AND AS SUCH THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD EACH APPLICANT THOROUGHLY CHECKED OUT BY A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, WHO WOULD HAVE DONE A BACKGROUND CHECK, CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK, WORK HISTORY CHECK, ACADEMIC CHECK, MEDICAL TRAINING CHECK, INTERVIEWED HER PREVIOUS PATIENTS, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE. IF THEY HAD DONE THIS THEY COULD HAVE AVERTED AND SAVED THEMSELVES A WHOLE LOT OF GRIEF AND PREVENTED THE ENTIRE TRAGEDY. DONNA WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN HIRED IF ONLY THEY HAD DONE THIS, BECAUSE SHE HAD SERIOUS PROBLEMS, RED FLAGS, AND HADN’T EVEN BEEN DOING ANY NURSING WORK FOR YEARS PRIOR TO HER TAKING THE JOB. THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT I NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD ABOUT THIS STORY, WHY DID THEY EVEN HIRED THIS WOMAN AT ALL AND ALLOW HER ACCESS TO THEIR HOME, FAMILY, HEIRLOOMS, AND PRIVATE BUSINESS WHEN THEY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHO SHE WAS OR ANYTHING ABOUT HER?
I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY SUSPICIOUS AND STRANGE THAT THEY WERE SO CARELESS WITH EVERYTHING. LOOK HOW EASILY SHE SWOOPED DOWN ON THAT FAMILY AND TOOK EVERYTHING IN RECORD TIME. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT SHE HAD THE ENTIRE THING PLANNED OUT WELL IN ADVANCE. THE ONLY REASON SHE TOOK THE JOB WAS TO ELIMINATE THE COMPETITION (THE WIFE), MARRIED “DADDY WAR BUCKS”, CAUSE UNNECESSARY PROBLEMS, KILL HIM, AND GET EVERYTHING. SHE HAD THE ENTIRE THING ALL PLANNED OUT WELL IN ADVANCE, AND SADLY THE FAMILY PLAYED RIGHT INTO HER SCHEME. THEY DIDN’T TAKE ANY SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, HIRE A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, OR DO ANY BACK GROUND CHECKS AT ALL. THAT WAS PRETTY IRRESPONSIBLE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH AT STAKE AND SO MUCH TO LOSE.
YOU JUST CANNOT BE TOO CAREFUL WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR FAMILY AND ALLOWING PEOPLE INTO YOUR HOME WHO YOU DO NOT KNOW. THAT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS, HAZARDOUS, AND HAVE TRAGIC RESULTS. IF THEY HAD JUST HAD A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR CHECK HER OUT THEY COULD HAVE PREVENTED THAT ENTIRE MESS, THERE FATHER WOULD STILL BE ALIVE, AND MAYBE EVEN THEIR MOTHER ALSO, WHO KNOWS?
I’M A TOUGH, WISE, AND CYNICAL PERSON WITH A GREAT DEAL OF COMMON SENSE THAT I DEPEND ON, REPLY ON, AND USE EVERYDAY, AND I ALWAYS ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION, ESPECIALLY WHERE MY FAMILY IS CONCERNED.
I WOULD HAVE MADE ABSOLUTELY SURE MY MOTHER HAD A NURSE THAT CHECKED OUT COMPLETELY, THAT I HAD CHECKED OUT. YOU CANNOT RELY ON THE STATE OR GOVERNMENT AT ALL, BECAUSE THEY COULD CARE LESS AND OFFER TO PROTECTION WHATSOEVER. OUR GOVERNMENT IS A JOKE AND WORK SOLELY ON BEHALF OF CORPORATE AMERICA AND MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR COMPANIES. THEY HAVE ALREADY SOLD US DOWN THE TOILET, SO WE HAVE TO PROTECT OURSELVES, RELY ON OURSELVES, DEPEND ON OURSELVES, AND TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT. I WOULD HAVE HIRED VERY EXPERIENCED AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED GAY MALE OR AN OLDER NURSE WHO WAS MARRIED AND ALREADY WORKING AT A HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL CENTER AND SPECIALIZED IN CANCER AND HOSPICE.
Sounds like you are very familar with the family.
Where is Donna now? Does anyone know? Hope she is living a miserable life!
I,too,hope she’s living a miserable life!! Another case like O.J. Simpson.
I hope she rots in hell
Verry interesting real life story and very good intriguing movie. always enjoy watching it and VERY HAPPY THAT THE WITCH HAD TO GIVE ALL THE PROPERY AND ESTATE BACK TO THE DAUGHTERS!!!!
DONNA WILL ROT IN HELL IM SURE
It seems like people these days are getting away with murder.I really think that the world is coming to an end.Because the evidence be right there.Proving that there guilty and they still get away with it.How do the jury sleep at night.
Glad to know daughters got there house back,she is a gold digger and evil witch.Hope she goes to hell and has a very miserable life.
They won the civil… Check out. Hamptonroads.com
i am really glad the daughters got the house back
How can anyone support this low life? Married the guy swearing undying love and sets about dropping her knickers to anyone in the town. Two men testified at her trial to that effect and that’s the only ones we know about! That alone isn’t a reason to convict but for people to criticise the daughters is a bit hard to believe! Do they support that type of conduct? Would they allow their husbands or wives to sleep around? I’m so happy the daughters won their civil case vindicating their suspicions they had at the time. I hope this woman finds herself in the gutter but with so many people supporting a murderess then she’ll always have someone that will help her out, so many saddoes out there. I hope under the circumstances the daughters can at least be able to grieve for their dad in the family home.
I believe I read somewhere that the notorious widow has been studying to be a minister!
I’ve watched this movie a few times. Many of the true movies I do repeats. This Black Widow will get hers in the end. I would love to know where she lives and if she did the same thing to some other poor (rich) man. A song dedicated to her….”EVIL WOMAN”
I am so happy the daughters were able to get something back. I just went through a similar experience in my family and we lost the civil case against the black widow, she got everything she wanted!! It makes me sick how people can get away with what they do, but I do know they will eventually pay, we may not see it but judgement day is coming!
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