Ex-beauty queen sentenced in Whidbey Island murder

COUPEVILLE — Former beauty queen Peggy Sue Thomas was sentenced Friday in Coupeville to four years in prison for her role in a Whidbey Island murder.

The 47-year-old pleaded guilty last month to rendering criminal assistance. Island County prosecutors had been preparing for trial on a murder charge.

Thomas was accused of plotting with James Huden to kill Russ Douglas. He was found shot to death in a car after Christmas 2003 at Freeland.

KING reported that Thomas and Huden were dating at the time. Thomas had worked at a beauty salon owned by Douglas’ wife.

Huden was convicted last summer of murder and sentenced to 80 years in prison.

Thomas was arrested in 2011 on her houseboat near Farmington, N.M. She won the Ms. Washington beauty pageant in 2000.

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