Английская Википедия:Bertha Gifford
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Infobox serial killer
Bertha Alice Williams Graham Gifford (October 30, 1871 – August 20, 1951)[1] was a farmwife in rural Catawissa, Missouri during the early 1900s who was accused of murdering three members of the local community and suspected in 15 additional deaths.[2] Some consider her to be America's fifth solo female serial killer, behind Belle Gunness, Lydia Sherman, Jane Toppan, and Nannie Doss.[3]
Personal life
Bertha Alice Williams was born in Morse Mill, Missouri,[1] the daughter of William Poindexter Williams and his wife Matilda, née Lee.[4] She was one of 10 children. She was married to Henry Graham[5] and this union produced one daughter, Lila. Following Graham's death,[6] she married Eugene Gifford[5] and they had one child, James.
Crimes
Gifford was renowned in her community for her cooking skills and caring for sick neighbors and relatives. Despite this, five people died in her care, prompting a grand jury investigation.[2] In 1928, Gifford was arrested at Eureka, Missouri[7] and charged with three murders. Following the exhumation and post-mortem exams of Edward Brinley and Elmer and Lloyd Schamel, the bodies were found to contain large amounts of arsenic.[8] Gifford was put on trial for their murders in Union, Missouri. Following the three-day trial, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to the Missouri State Hospital #4 (a psychiatric institution)[9] where she remained until her death in 1951.[2]
Gifford acted the role of nurse for her sick neighbors, and a total of 17 people died in her care. It wasn't until after the grand jury investigation of the five deaths that suspicions were raised about an additional 12 deaths.[2] Given the high mortality rates and the amateur use of arsenic for medical reasons at the time, no one can be certain that she purposefully killed everyone that had been in her care.[2]
See also
References
External links
- ↑ 1,0 1,1 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 2,0 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 Шаблон:Cite book
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite book
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web Obituary of Bertha Gifford's mother, as quoted on Rootsweb
- ↑ 5,0 5,1 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ St. Louis Post Dispatch
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web as quoted on Rootsweb
- Английская Википедия
- 1871 births
- 1951 deaths
- 20th-century American criminals
- American female serial killers
- American people who died in prison custody
- American serial killers
- Criminals from Missouri
- People acquitted by reason of insanity
- People from Franklin County, Missouri
- People from Jefferson County, Missouri
- People from St. Louis County, Missouri
- Poisoners
- Prisoners who died in Missouri detention
- Serial killers from Missouri
- Serial killers who died in prison custody
- Страницы, где используется шаблон "Навигационная таблица/Телепорт"
- Страницы с телепортом
- Википедия
- Статья из Википедии
- Статья из Английской Википедии