Trial Starts for Woman Accused of Murdering Her Twin Sister by Driving off a Cliff

Did a women intentionally kill her twin sister by driving their SUV over a 200-foot cliff in Hawaii? That’s what a judge will determine after Alexandria Duval’s trial — which started on Monday, Jan. 29 — comes to a close.

The 39-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of her sibling, Anastasia Duval. Alexandria, who was in the driver’s seat, only suffered minor injuries in the crash, which took place on May 29, 2016, in Maui. According to the Associated Press, witnesses saw the twins’ vehicle “accelerate forward and then take a sharp left over the cliff.” They also claim the sisters were “screaming and arguing with each other” and that the “passenger was pulling at the driver’s hair and the steering wheel.”

Investigators said they found “no attempts of braking based on witness accounts, roadway debris at the scene, and the vehicle’s airbag control module,” KHON2 reported at the time. Alexandria was initially arrested on June 3, 2016, but was released five days later due to lack of evidence. She was rearrested five months later in Albany, NY, and extradited to Hawaii.

What led Alexandria Duval to possibly murder her twin sister?

As the blonde awaited trial, bizarre details about the siblings’ shared past came to light. The twins — whose real names are Alison (Alexandria) and Ann (Anastasia) Dadow — became well-known in Palm Beach, FL, after opening a yoga studio called Twin Power Yoga. Their spiritual adviser, Leslie McMichael, told The Maui News that the sisters were approached about a potential reality show, and were pushed by producers to rent a bigger space for a new studio in 2011. But when the series didn’t work out, the Duvals found themselves approximately $300,000 in debt. They abruptly closed their businesses in 2014.

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The pair moved to Utah and changed their names, but had several run-ins with the law, including charges for drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident. According to The Maui News, Alexandria and Anastasia relocated to Hawaii in December 2015 “on a religious quest.” But that same month, they were arrested for disorderly conduct and terroristic threatening.

On the day of the crash, Anastasia’s boyfriend, Federico Bailey, claimed the twins argued after Alexandria tagged along on the couple’s camping trip. Because she waived her right to a jury trial, a judge will now decide Alexandria’s fate. If convicted, she faces life in prison.