Proceeding from the premise that a woman could not unfold the beautiful love story she tells and be lying, I worked with Polly Guidorzi from the time she was in jail in Ozark County, Missouri, to her present term at Renz Correctional Center, and I have emerged with a strong belief in her innocence.
Polly was born into a family in the boot-heel of Missouri in 1948. Her parents divorced when she was 10, and she acquired a new "Pop" when her mother remarried. Insecure in her mother's love, she was raped by her stepfather at age 16 and ran away from home. During her first marriage she acquired a foster son.
Having been beaten and abused by three husbands, Polly had given up ever finding a man who would love her and not leave her crying when Jim Guidorzi came along. She was terrified of falling in love. What had love ever done for her? 'What was love...a boot in the butt, a fist in the face.'
As the friendship ripened into romance, Polly and Jim were married and led an idyllic life at Bull Shoals Lake in the Ozarks. The only problem they had was her son Mark who was into dope and car theft. Mother's instinct set in and she protected her son. The tragic ending of the Guidorzis' relationship came when Mark attempted to take Jim's life and in a plea bargain implicated his mother in a conspiracy. Polly was convicted of conspiracy to kill the one man she adored. This is the story of Polly Guidorzi.