Although several books portray Holton's husband as an old man who quickly vanished along with his wife, Dr. Holton was a fellow Michigan alumnus, only a few years older than Holmes, and both Holtons remained in Englewood throughout Holmes' life and survived well into the 20th century; the idea that Holmes killed them is strictly fiction.
Meskipun beberapa buku menggambarkan suami Holton sebagai orang tua yang dengan cepat lenyap bersama istrinya, Dr. Holton sebenarnya adalah rekan alumnus Universitas Michigan, yang baru beberapa tahun lebih tua dari Holmes, dan keduanya tinggal di Englewood sepanjang kehidupan Holmes dan bertahan.