Bertha Gifford
| Bertha Gifford | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bertha Gifford |
| Born | 1872 |
| Cause of death | Natural |
| Killings | |
| Number of victims | 3-17 |
| Span of killings | 1900s– |
| Country | USA |
| State(s) | Missouri |
| Date apprehended | 1928 |
Bertha Gifford (1872- August 20, 1951)[1] was a farmwife in rural Catawissa, Missouri during the early 1900s who was accused of murdering 17 members of the local community. While some consider her to be America's first female serial killer,[2] that dubious honor was earned 100 years previously by Lavinia Fisher near Charleston, South Carolina.
Contents |
[edit] Personal life
Bertha Alice Williams Graham Gifford was born in Grubville, Missouri,[1] the daughter of William Poindexter Williams and his wife Matilda, née Lee.[3] She was one of 10 children. She was married to Henry Graham[4] and this union produced one daughter, Lila. Following Graham's death,[5] she married Eugene Gifford[4] and they had one child, James.
[edit] Crimes
In 1928, Gifford — known in her community for her cooking skills and caring for sick neighbors and relatives — was arrested at Eureka, Missouri[6] and charged with the murders of three people. Following the exhumation and post mortem exams of Edward Brinley and Elmer and Lloyd Schamel whose bodies were found to contain large amounts of arsenic, Gifford was put on trial 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 mental institution)[7] where she remained until her death in 1951.
Although counts vary, most historians and family members agree that Gifford actually killed at least 17 people over a period of 21 years. Most of her victims were children.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Missouri Deaths". Missouri. 1910-1960. http://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1951/1951_00031245.PDF. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
- ^ Murphy, Kay (2008) (in EN). Tainted Legacy: The Story of Alleged Serial Killer Bertha Gifford. PublishAmerica. ISBN 160563803X.
- ^ Obituary of Bertha Gifford’s mother
- ^ a b Jefferson County Missouri marriage licenses
- ^ Henry Graham obituary (Bertha Gifford’s first husband and supposed first victim)
- ^ St. Louis Post Dispatch
- ^ Missouri State Hospital #4 in Farmington, Missouri
