Bertha Gifford
Bertha Gifford | |
---|---|
Born | Bertha Alice Williams 30 October 1871 Morse Mill, Missouri, U.S. |
Died | (aged 79) Missouri State Hospital N#4, Missouri, U.S. |
Criminal penalty | Committed to mental facility |
Details | |
Victims | 3–17 |
Span of crimes | 1900s–1928 |
Country | United States |
State(s) | Missouri |
Date apprehended | 1928 |
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 fourth solo female serial killer, behind 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, and 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.[citation needed] 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)[8] 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[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Missouri Deaths" (PDF). Missouri. 1910–1960. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Wood, Larry (2016-05-25). Wicked Women of Missouri. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781625857392.
- ^ Murphy, Kay (2008). Tainted Legacy: The Story of Alleged Serial Killer Bertha Gifford. PublishAmerica. ISBN 1-60563-803-X.
- ^ "Mrs. W.P. Williams". The Western Star ([probably] Coldwater, KS). August 24, 1923. Retrieved April 24, 2013. Obituary of Bertha Gifford's mother, as quoted on Rootsweb
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Jefferson County Missouri marriage licenses". Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
- ^ "Henry Graham obituary (Bertha Gifford's first husband and supposed first victim)". Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
- ^ St. Louis Post Dispatch
- ^ "Reflections on Farmington State Hospital". The Daily Journal (Flat River, Missouri). April 24, 1987. Retrieved April 24, 2013. as quoted on Rootsweb
External links[]
- People from St. Louis County, Missouri
- American female serial killers
- 1871 births
- 1951 deaths
- People acquitted by reason of insanity
- Prisoners who died in Missouri detention
- Serial killers who died in prison custody
- American people who died in prison custody
- 20th-century American criminals
- Criminals from Missouri
- People from Jefferson County, Missouri
- People from Franklin County, Missouri