Violent crimes, including murder, are regularly committed in all parts of the globe. Today, any criminal event immediately falls on the front page of newspapers. It would seem that it is high time to get used to everything. But for some reason, when a serial killer is a woman, horror picks up even the most convinced skeptics. In her recent photos, Velma Barfield is a woman of respectable age, looking rather intelligent. It's hard to believe that a serial killer could have had such an appearance.
Biographical facts from the life of Velma Barfield
October 29, 1932 in South Carolina was born a girl who later became famous as Marge Velma Barfield. Soon after the birth of the child, the family moves to North Carolina and settles near the town of Fayetteville. Relations between spouses have always been strained. Velma remembered the regular quarrels of her parents. What particularly annoyed her, the mother never resisted during scandals and fights and did not even try to stand up for herself. Velma always aspired as soon as possible to leave the parental home. At the age of 17 she married and moved to her husband.
Black Widow
Marge Velma Barfield married Thomas Burke in 1949. The couple lived happily ever after. In marriage two children were born. After a while, Velma began to have health problems. The woman underwent a major surgery to amputate the uterus. After this surgical intervention, Velma began to suffer pain in the lower back. It is widely spread that it was precisely because of this health problem that the woman began to systematically use drugs. Because of this bad habit, Velma's behavior changed, she began to treat her husband and children badly. Spouse, unable to withstand the constant scandals and changes in the mood of his wife, began to drink regularly. In 1969, Velma discovered her house burnt, and her husband - dead. A year after this tragedy, the widow again marries a "colleague in misfortune". Her chosen one, Jennings Barfield, also some time ago experienced the death of his wife. This marriage did not last long. Less than a year after the wedding, Jennings died of heart failure.
A series of mysterious deaths
In 1974, Velma's mother suddenly fell ill. This elderly woman suffered from various chronic diseases. The deterioration of her health did not surprise anyone, especially since the symptoms were similar to banal food poisoning. Lillian suffered for several days with nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. After a few days, it became much better, and soon this story was forgotten. Mysterious illness returned to the Christmas holidays. All the symptoms recurred, but there was no improvement, the woman died in the hospital. Lost mother Velma Barfield decided to devote her life to caring for the elderly. She hired an au pair for one nice married couple. Her employers, Montgomery and Dolly Edwards, did not even imagine how they would end up acquainted with the new nurse. The first to die was a man. His wife, a month after the funeral, fell ill with the same illness as the mother of Velma. Soon the woman also died. A year later, in 1977, Barfield Velma begins to take care of an elderly woman who has suffered a fractured leg. During the stay of the nurse in the house the husband of the landlady passed away. The man before his death also had symptoms resembling food poisoning.
Exposing the serial killer
In 1978, Velma Barfield began to "treat" Stuart Taylor, a friend of her previous ward, Dolly Edwards. The man died on February 3, 1978. At the autopsy, forensic experts discovered traces of deadly poisons, including arsenic. It was possible to find out that Velma "treated" the deceased with rat poison, pouring powder into tea and beer. The police became interested in the personality of a compassionate nurse. After studying the biography of this woman, it was decided to exhume the body of her second husband. An examination of the remains confirmed that Jennings Barfield was also poisoned with arsenic. After this research, it became obvious that Velma Barfield is a serial killer. Soon the suspect herself began to give evidence.
Court and sentence
It was possible to prove the involvement of Velma Barfield to five murders. Such crimes under the law of the United States are punishable by death. Waiting for judgment and verdict, Barfield Velma demonstrated high religiosity. In a cell sentenced to death, she communicated with Evangelist preachers. However, there are rumors that later Velma confessed that there was little sincerity in this communication on her part. The court handed down the sentence that everyone expected - the death penalty. Despite the evidence of the crimes committed and the evidence of the situation, it was difficult to believe in what had happened. A typical fifty-two-year-old American, unlike her neighbors, was a serial killer. Such a story did not fit into the minds of the townsfolk.
Enforcement of the sentence
In North Carolina on November 2, 1984, the execution of Velma Barfield took place. According to the laws of the state, all the criminals sentenced to capital punishment have the right to order any dishes for their last meal and use the right of the last word. Velma Barfield, an American serial killer who poisoned five people, behaved modestly and modestly. Before her death, she did not order any delicacies, but asked only a pack of chips and a can of Coca-Cola soda. In her last word, she expressed remorse and asked forgiveness from the families of the dead. After that, the verdict was carried out, and Velma Barfield was executed using the method of lethal injection. They buried the woman murderer modestly. Eternal peace Velma found next to the grave of her first husband, in a provincial cemetery in North Carolina.
Interesting facts about Velma Barfield
When disclosing a series of particularly serious crimes, investigators and the public are most concerned about the motive of the murderer. To establish, why Velma Barfield killed five people, just did not succeed. It is worth noting that the woman for a long time used narcotic substances. There is a high probability that this factor led to irreversible changes in her psyche and consciousness. Do not reject and "banal" motives, in particular, greed for profit. In the history of criminalistics, the first woman sentenced to death in the world is Barfield Velma. The biography of this lady consists entirely of strange and surprising events. Remarkably, Barfield also became the very first convict in the US, executed by a deadly injection.