nannie doss timeline

But after she took care of her mother and sister, she turned her full attention to her cheating husband. In September, he was hospitalised after eating an arsenic-laced prune cake. She was apprehended in October 1954 for the murder of Doss and while she initially denied any involvement with the murder, she confessed to killing him after a thorough interrogation. The physician said it was a good idea because the autopsy would save lives. She had an abusive father and a mother who did not do anything about the abuse. As reported by Alabama Heritage, Doss eventually admitted poisoning four of her husbands. Whats not to love about simmered prunes mixed with cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar and baked into a moist and flavorful dessert? His organs were found to be full of arsenic and blame was put on Nannie. He would not let his children attend school but forced them to serve as farm-hands. This delusion to solve this by murder was likely linked to the head trauma she experienced as a child. Until it was far too late. McCarthy and Stalin Political Brothers? She never seen anything wrong with what she done, but she would take spells. Lanning died of heart failure that year, and although there was no autopsy, it was reported that Lanning felt dizzy and spent many hours vomiting before his death. Sep 15, 1945, Frank Harrelson dies. She married a second time in 1929 to Robert Franklin Harrelson, who later became her first confirmed victim. For example, she claimed to be sick and tired of doing laundry at the prison. So youre not the brightest, but your hearts in the right place. Nannie killed him that very evening with her tried and tested method of arsenic in coffee. In the summer of 1928, Braggs came back with Melvina, a new love interest and her own child. Nannie Doss (Nancy Hazel) was born on November 4 th 1905 in Blue Mountain, Alabama. And this is how Samuel Doss really was killed in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Police suspect that she is responsible for nearly 12 deaths throughout the coarse of her life. At that time, she was taking care of Lannings mother who was suffering from a broken hip. The final murder ended up revealing her for what she was. She laced a prune cake with poison. In January 1953, Doss mother, Lou, moved in with them after her husbands death. She died in prison in 1964. After she remarried to her third husband, her mother fell ill and then died suddenly while under her daughters care. In fact, she often joked about her situation. Because after a simple marital spat, that would be weird, right? Fortunately, his murder was her last one, and upon her arrest, they uncovered large amounts of damaging evidence. Braggs often would not be home for days on end. The marriage fell apart at that point. The woman died suddenly and without warning a few months after Doss agreed to take care of her. Timeline of Mays"s life: "April 4, 1928- Maya Angelou is born in St. Louis, Missouri. Melvina then started dating a soldier whom Doss did not particularly like. He drank without inhibition and one night, after returning home completely intoxicated, raped Doss. Before long, she confessed to killing not only her four husbands, but confessed to seven other murders as well. You wake up wearing a hospital gown in a bed at the hospital with a doctor looming over you. [1] Doss was also referred to as the Giggling Granny, the Lonely Hearts Killer, the Black Widow, and Lady Blue Beard.[2]. After a few months of courtship, they married and moved in with his unhappy and unpleasant mother. Samuel was neither an alcoholic nor abusive nor a womaniser. William DeLong is a freelance wordsmith. Nannie Doss, who is commonly referred to as "The Giggling Granny" or "The Jolly Widow," is suspected of killing at least 10 people between 1924 and 1954. Doss was 16 years old when she married her first husband, Charley Braggs, after knowing him only for four months. She too met her demise soon after Doss moved in. This made her one of the most notorious female serial killers. According to Braggs later statement, when he left for work the girls seemed healthy but they were crying while he was leaving and reportedly died in convulsions soon after having breakfast. Things got off to a rocky start as it turned out that Richard had numerous money problems. Nannie Doss was responsible for murdering four of her five husbands and some of her family members, all of whom she killed through arsenic poisoning, as reported by Murderpedia. She then lived with her sister, Dovie Frances Hazel Weaver, who was bedridden at the time. During her marriage to Morton, Doss already had began to correspond with new men. Nannie Doss was an American serial killer who received the famous nicknames, "The Giggling Nanny," and "The Jolly Black Widow" when she went on a murder rampage, which lasted around thirty-five years. Nannie Doss laughs as she is interviewed by a police captain after confessing to the poisoning of four of her five husbands. She wasn't lucky this time. This biography profiles her childhood, life, horrifying acts, death and other facts. Both unhappy partners correctly suspected each other of infidelity, and Braggs often disappeared for days on end. Braggs must have known something was wrong with their deaths, because he left, taking the oldest daughter with him. She also killed Lannings mother, her mother-in-law; Lou Hazel, her own mother; Dovie Frances Hazel Weaver, her sister; and Robert Lee Haynes, her grandson. He was dead before midnight. Furthermore, she couldnt understand why those in charge prevented her from cooking in the kitchenShe just didnt know why they wouldnt want her around the food that was served to everyone. Braggs often would not be home for days on end. Turns out what your spouse wanted was for you to be dead and to collect on those two insurance policies. Suspecting her, Samuel moved out with the oldest child, Melvina, and left Nannie with his mother and the youngest child. Just eight weeks after Lanning died, the house he and Doss lived in burned to the ground. Despite the abuse, the marriage lasted 16 years until 1945. Sam Doss was different from her previous husbands in that he was neither threatening nor violent, did not drink or swear, and was a money-grubbing penny-pincher. Her casual smoking habit turned into a heavy addiction. The following day, she found his corn whiskey jar buried while she was in the garden tending her roses. Doss, 24, and Harrelson, 23, got married soon after meeting and after sixteen years, Harrelson died. Despite James forbidding Doss and her sisters from wearing make-up and attractive clothes in fear of molestation, it still happened on several occasions. This biography provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline. Her sister also suddenly died after being around her sister with no explanation. Doss mother needed a caretaker after she fell and broke a hip in 1953 after her father passed away. In 1927 (Age 21/22) Nannie Doss started her killing spree, during her crimes as a serial killer she was known to murder her victims. After two and a half years of marriage, Doss's third husband, Arlie Lanning died of what doctors proclaimed to be a heart attack caused by a flu that was going around. Instead, after she pleaded guilty on May 17, 1955, she was sentenced to life imprisonment. Doss soon began plotting to kill Morton, but, under unrelated circumstances, her father died and Doss mother came to stay with her. In the years after, she had bouts of depression, headaches, and blackouts. On September 15, 1945, Harrelson became ill and died. However, this time she tired of the union rather quickly. Driven by greed, she killed Samuel on the very day he had come back home so she could collect the two insurance policies she had taken in his name. In 1923, Doss and Braggs had their first daughter, and would have three more over the next four years. She married five times. To know more about her childhood, career, profile and timeline read on. Nannie denied poisoning any of her blood relatives . Once in your nice, comfortable house, everything is peaceful. Mae Carol Jemison is a famous American astronaut who became the first African American astronaut to travel to space. After a successful treatment regime, the hospital let him go. This is where Nannie Doss made a mistake. Melissa Brim is the ex-girlfriend of former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. The death was diagnosed as asphyxia from unknown causes, and two months later Nannie collected the $500 life insurance she had taken out on Robert. This head trauma caused Nannie to suffer from severe headaches, blackouts and depression for many years. On December 15, three weeks after Nannie was arrested, the judge at her preliminary hearing decided to turn her over to the state asylum for a ninety-day stay. Background and First Two Husbands of Nannie Doss. Nannie Doss was an American serial killer responsible for the deaths of 11 people between the 1920s and 1954. You really needed that caffeine. She was anything but sorry for her crimes. She was born to Louisa "Lou" (ne Holder) and James F. Hazel. Doss earned her nickname, Giggling Granny, because of her smiling and giggling as she discussed her crimes with the authorities. Then, things got even rockier. Nannie was just seven when she was riding a train that came to a sudden and abrupt stop. The couple married when Doss was 16, just five months after meeting. Melvina vaguely remembered watching her mother stick a hatpin in the head of the infant as Melvina faded in and out of conciousness. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. At age seven, Doss suffered a head injury while riding a train. She went on to kill all three of her subsequent husbands, Arlie Lanning, Richard L. Morton, and Samuel Doss. But Doss wasnt finished killing there. Doss believed in true love and romance, and she wasnt willing to wait to find it. Nannie Doss- even her name sounds cutesy-poo and giggly- was evil in a too-charming disguise, so charming that she got away with murder many times. Your stomach is absolutely killing you, and what is really weird is that you are also drooling everywhere. You miss your spouse and are looking around the room. Nannie Doss Alias Nancy Hazel (birth name) The Giggling Granny The Giggling Nanny The Lonely Hearts Killer The Jolly Black Widow Gender Female Birth Date November 4, 1905 Place of Birth Blue Mountain, Alabama, United States (now Anniston, Alabama) Date of Death June 2, 1965 (aged 59) Place of Death Both Nannie and her mother despised James because of his controlling behaviour towards every member of the family. The second child, however, died shortly after of unknown causes. The bad news was that she got another shot. CENSUS RECORDS: 1930 Lynchburg, Virginia. She topped it off with rat poison, and Frank died on Sept. 15, 1945 just hours after Doss filled his liquor bottle. She would later blame her mental instability on the accident. Doss collected $500 dollars on an insurance policy she had placed on the boy. However, Doss wouldnt discover this just yet, because she was distracted with other matters. Alarmed at his sudden passing, Samuel's doctors ordered an autops to be performed. Was Nannie's behavior all because of her childhood train injury? Nannie Doss breaks into a smile after signing a statement for Tulsa officers admitting she killed four of her five husbands with rat poison. It was then that Nannie Doss confessed to killing four of her five husbands, and authorities believed she may have killed many of her blood relatives as well. Nannie Doss (born Nancy Hazel; November 4, 1905 June 2, 1965) was an American serial killer responsible for the deaths of 11 people between some time in the 1920s and 1954. She had four siblings, including a brother named William Roscoe Hazel and a sister named Dovie Frances Hazel Weaver. At that time, she was taking care of Lannings mother who was suffering from a broken hip. Whenever she came back, she played the role of a doting wife perfectly. She found Richard L. Morton of Jamestown, North Carolina in a dating service called the Diamond Circle Club. Looking for yet another husband, Nannie joined a dating service called the Diamond Circle Club and soon met Richard L. Morton of Jamestown, North Carolina. Bettmann/Getty ImagesAfter confessing to the murders of four or her five husbands, Nannie Doss leaves the county attorneys office and heads to jail. During the journey, the train suddenly ceased moving and she hit her head on a metal bar on the seat opposite of her. While they were married, Doss' mother needed a caretaker and moved in with the couple. Exhausted from the labour and still groggy from the ether, Melvina thought that she saw her mother kill her daughter by sticking a hairpin into the newborns head. Samuel was neither an alcoholic nor abusive nor a womaniser. Within months after the death of her fourth husband, Nannie had her eyes set on a new one. Unfortunately, instead of being grateful for a place to stay, Nannie then killed her own sister. Arlie was poisoned to death by 1950. You sigh contentedly and wash it down with a large thermos of coffee. By the time they met, Nannie had years of poisoning experience, so its a surprise that her first prune cake attempt missed its mark. Perhaps, if that injury had never occurred, several men, women, and children could have died naturally instead of at the hands of the Giggling Granny. Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of serial killers in the United States, List of serial killers by number of victims, "Only in Oklahoma: Black widow enjoyed the limelight", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nannie_Doss&oldid=1151423541, American people who died in prison custody, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Oklahoma, Serial killers who died in prison custody, Articles needing additional references from November 2017, All articles needing additional references, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, Articles needing additional references from June 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 23:50. After the funeral, the house they had lived in, which was inherited by Lannings sister, burned down and Doss got the insurance money. Two children died under mysterious circumstances that same year. Morton died three months later on May 19, 1953. Long before Nannie met Samuel, she had several other marriages. In September, he was hospitalised after eating an arsenic-laced prune cake. She would later blame her mental instability on the accident. Starting in 1927 with the death of two of her children and ending in 1954 with the death of her husband, Samuel Doss, Nannie Doss killed eleven people before being caught by police. For years after, she suffered severe headaches, blackouts and depression. During the time Doss was married to Harrelson, her oldest daughter began having children and Doss became a grandmother in 1943 and again in 1945. When she asked her husband and sister for clarification, they said Nannie had told them the baby was deadand they noticed that she was holding a pin. After the funeral, the house they had lived in, which was inherited by Lannings sister, burned down and Doss got the insurance money. Nannie's father forbade the Hazel sisters from wearing makeup and attractive clothing as he believed it would prevent them from being molested by men. After a successful treatment regime, the hospital let him go. Instead, Nannie was given a check from their insurance company to cover the damages. A year later, Doss met her second husband, Jacksonville resident Robert Franklin Harrelson, through a lonely hearts newspaper column. She boarded a bus to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to meet Samuel Doss, a Nazarene minister who had lost his family in a tornado in Madison County, Arkansas. The doctor who treated her fifth and final husband had suspected foul play during his month-long hospitalization, but he had no proof. She was also suspected of killing her granddaughter, and two of her four children with Braggs. Meanwhile, journalists gave her the nickname Giggling Granny because every time she would tell the story of how she killed her late husbands, she laughed. Whenever she came back, she played the role of a doting wife perfectly. Nannie Doss final victim was Samuel Doss of Tulsa, Okla. A few months after the granddaughters death, her two-year-old grandson, Robert, died of asphyxiation while in Doss care. She died from leukemia in the hospital ward of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in 1965. Doss later blamed her mental instability on the accident. The jury didn't find amusing so on May 17, 1955, Nannie now being 50 years old, confessed killing Samuel Doss, her last husband in return of a life sentence. Doss even had a surprising motive for killing her male companions. A few days later, she started to have severe stomach pains and died. She boarded a bus to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to meet Samuel Doss, a Nazarene minister who had lost his family in a tornado in Madison County, Arkansas. Nannie Doss was arrested in 1954. Since women are usual much more emotional and empathetic, it is highly unusual for women to be capable of being serial killers. Almost immediately, her husband gave her equal control of the bank account and opened up two life insurance policies, naming Doss as the beneficiary. In the ensuing years, Doss gave birth to four daughters. He was a heavy drinker, so doctors attributed the heart attack to alcohol. In the case of the toddler, she collected a large $500 life insurance policy she just so happened to have taken out on him before he died. Braggs brought Melvina back in the summer of 1928, accompanied by a divorce with her own child. She told a reporter that the only job she was allowed to do in the prison was laundry. Following a night of drunken revelry at the end of World War II, Doss mixed a secret ingredient into his hidden jar of moonshine. Her decades-long killing spree ended with the death of her fifth husband, Samuel Doss. Doss earned her nickname, Giggling Granny, because of her smiling and giggling as she discussed her crimes with the authorities. In January 1953, Doss mother, Lou, moved in with them after her husbands death. Doss was referred to as the "Giggling Granny," the "Lonely Hearts Killer," the "Black Widow," and "Lady Blue Beard." Take a look below for 25 more interesting and bizarre facts about Nannie Doss. Often referred to as "The Giggling Granny" or "The Jolly Widow", Nannie Doss did not instill fear in her victims. One newspaper went as far as calling her a "self-made widow". The couple divorced in 1928. confessed to killing four of her five ex-husbands. Then, read about Elisabeth Fritzl, who spent 24 years held captive by her father. She was just getting started. Dovie was bedridden and soon after Nannie's arrival she died. Zoe LaVerne is an American musical.ly star. Her husband went away with their oldest living child and didnt return until the following year. However, the arrangement soon proved to be troublesome as most of Braggs time was taken up by his mother. However, despite these events, her marriage to Frank lasted. One such pen pal was Sam Doss, who would become her fifth husband. Alexander "Sawney" Bean was a clan leader born in 14th-century Scotland. She was an 11-year-old girl who began killing children just for the fun of it. The state of Oklahoma centered its case only on Samuel Doss. They married three days later. Nannie Doss is escorted for a court appearance in 1955 after confessing to poisoning four of her five husbands, including Samuel Doss of Tulsa. Her final victim was the last man that she loved. He simply told her not to watch educational television programs or read educational magazines. Thats one of your absolute favorite treats. She soon realised, however, that Lanning was an alcoholic womaniser like Harrelson. Youre looking forward to leaving the hospital and making up for lost time with your significant other. They married in 1952 in Emporia, Kansas and not long after that, Morton started to spend night after night with other women in the town. She was found guilty at the end of her trial. Charley Braggs and Doss had four children together from 1921 to 1927. Braggs and Nannie soon divorced, with Nannie taking her two girls back to her mother's home. Nannie was sentenced to life in prison. Only three days after that, Morton perished after drinking from a thermos full of coffee that had been spiked by Doss with arsenic. Another baby followed 2 years later but died soon afterward. This is the story of Mary Bell. Nannie Doss died in prison in 1964 while serving a life sentence for the murder of her last husband. Nannie's controlling father made it difficult for her to form friendships. Doss finally confessed to the murders in October 1954, after her fifth husband had died in a small hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nannie then moved in with her sister Dovie. Braggs always maintained he left her because he was frightened of her. Doss could not provide any reasonable explanation. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. She married, had four children, and spent time with her grandchildren. Dont worry, were alone, he tells you. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nannie-doss-41380.php. She then lived with her sister, Dovie Frances Hazel Weaver, who was bedridden at the time. Bettmann/Getty ImagesAuthorities question Nannie Doss about her crimes. Killing Spree of Nannie Doss You might like: Skai Jackson is an American child actress with huge fan following. This sudden death alerted his doctor, who ordered an autopsy. It was at her first job that Doss met Charley Braggs, who would become her first husband. They married in 1952 in Emporia, Kansas and not long after that, Morton started to spend night after night with other women in the town. As police began to investigate the case, they learned that it wasn't. Nannie's Early Life A native of Alabama, Nannie grew up with four siblings in a town near Jacksonville. Doss moved in with her sister, Dovie, who had cancer. One newspaper went as far as calling her a "self-made widow". However, in this marriage it was Nannie who often disappearedand for months on end. The following day, she found his corn whiskey jar buried while she was in the garden tending her roses. Amy Archer-Gilligan is a famous female serial killer responsible for the deaths of many of the residents at her old people's home. Doss blamed these and her mental instability on that accident. You really didnt see that one coming. Doss was too consumed with her mothers health to find out about Mortons affairs. Your email address will not be published. They were married soon. In exchange for a trashy romance magazine, Nannie admitted to murdering not just Samuel but many others. In September, Samuel was admitted to the hospital with flu-like symptoms. Once a newspaper called her a "self-made . While in these unpleasant circumstances, Nannie allegedly turned on her own grandchildren. Lanning died in 1950 from what was thought to be heart failure and townspeople came out in support of his widow. Despite having grown up on reading romances and dreaming of falling in love, she was married at the . Because of the stress of raising four children, Mrs. Braggs, and an adulterous husband, Doss began drinking and smoking heavily, and soon, she too began indulging in adulterous acts. Authorities exhumed some of Doss previous victims and found extraordinary amounts of arsenic or rat poison in their bodies. Though she was acquitted, many people believe Lizzie Borden killed her father and stepmother back in 1892. Under his orders, an autopsy was performed and they found a large amount of arsenic in his system. This time, it was Doss who would often vanish for prolonged periods. She left Robert in her mothers care. She gave birth to her son Robert Lee Haynes in 1943. Since most of her husbands had other underlying health issues such as alcoholism or heart conditions, doctors and authorities never suspected a thing. Soon after, Braggs took firstborn daughter Melvina and fled, leaving newborn Florine behind. After their wedding, Braggs mother insisted on living with them. When she was 7, Nannie hit her head on a metal bar on the seat in front of her while travelling to see family on a train. He courted her with poetry; she wrote passionate letters and sent him a cake and a photograph of herself. However, she was spared the electric chair due to her obvious insanity. He had the dubious and fortunate distinction of being the only husband that Doss did not murder. After he was warned anonymously not to eat anything his wife prepared, Braggs fled their home, taking their eldest daughter, Melvina, with him but leaving Florine, their youngest, behind. She was one of five children, including one brother and three sisters. Your email address will not be published. When she asked if she could work in the kitchen, she was politely told no. Harrelson was no different. The woman died in her sleep. . Nannie's story begins in Blue Mountain, Alabama. After a few years, she decided death may have been the better option for her. They got married that year. Nannie was first married at age 16 to Charley Braggs, her co-worker at a linen factory. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family, personal life, crimes, etc. Continue reading to find out about Nannie Doss next three husbands and other casualties. Often referred to as The Giggling Granny or The Jolly Widow, Nannie Doss did not instill fear in her victims. Leonarda Cianciulli, "the soap lady killer," became a serial killer and a cannibal in a deluded attempt to protect her family. The couple moved in with Braggs mother, and soon, Doss realized she had escaped the violent hands of her father, only to fall into the manipulative hands of her mother-in-law. After being in jail for two years, she stated that she would have preferred the death sentence. Everything I Learned about Life, I learned in dance class, Early Modern England: women writers and their contexts, A Thousand Splendid Suns - Laila and Mariam's Lives. It was just 10 years after she had first been jailed that she passed away from leukemia. Nannie would later admit that it was this unfortunate chance event that was the root of all of her evil and strange behavior. During this time, many critical events took place, including the murder of 11 people. Exhausted from the labour and still groggy from the ether, Melvina thought that she saw her mother kill her daughter by sticking a hairpin into the newborns head. She wasnt a happy child. Nannie Doss (born Nancy Hazel, November 4, 1905 - June 2, 1965) was an American serial killer responsible for the deaths of 11 people between some time in the 1920s and 1954. Melvina gave birth to Robert Lee Haynes in 1943. Doss could not provide any reasonable explanation. After their wedding, Braggs mother insisted on living with them. Driven by greed, she killed Samuel on the very day he had come back home so she could collect the two insurance policies she had taken in his name. She was a year older than he was. One moment the kids were perfectly healthy, and then suddenly they died without an apparent cause. She was born Nancy Hazle in 1905 in Alabama, according to ThoughtCo. Birth . It wasnt until 1945 when he came home drunk and became particularly violent that Nannie decided Franks time was up. Your head is pounding and you cant think except to run to the bathroom where you have nonstop and explosive diarrhea. Nannie Doss was born in 1905, and she was arrested 50 years later. Like Harrelson, Lanning was an alcoholic womanizer. One day, Melvina had a particularly unpleasant argument with her mother and went to her fathers house to stay for a while. The doctor seems to notice. They realized after exhuming her other past husbands that they all had doses of arsenic and rat poison in their systems. You have a real reason to think this, too, as you come home after work one day and a delicious prune cake is just sitting there waiting for you. Exhausted from labor and groggy from ether, Melvina thought she saw her visiting mother stick a hatpin into the baby's head.

Santa Clara County Noise Complaint, Why Are Southfield Taxes So High, Articles N

nannie doss timeline