Violent crimes, including murders, 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's time to get used to everything. But for some reason, when a woman turns out to be a serial killer, horror strikes even the most convinced skeptics. In her latest photographs, Velma Barfield is a woman of respectable age who looks quite intelligent. It is hard to believe that a serial killer could have a similar appearance.
Biographical facts from the life of Velma Barfield
On October 29, 1932, a girl was born in South Carolina, who later became famous as Marge Velma Barfield. Soon after the birth of the child, the family moves to North Carolina and settles down near the town of Fayetteville. Relations between spouses have always been strained. Velma recalled the regular quarrels of her parents. What particularly irritated her, her mother never resisted during scandals and fights and did not even try to fend for herself. Velma has always sought to leave her parental home as soon as possible. At 17, she got married and moved to her husband.
Black Widow
Marge Velma Barfield married Thomas Burke in 1949. The couple lived calmly and happily. Two children were born in the marriage. After some time, Velma began to have health problems. The woman underwent a serious
uterine amputation operation
. After this surgery, Velma began to suffer from lower back pain. It is widely believed that it was precisely because of this health problem that a woman began to systematically use drugs. Because of this bad habit, Velma's behavior changed, she began to feel bad about her husband and children. The husband, unable to withstand the constant scandals and changes in the mood of his wife, began to drink systematically. In 1969, Velma found her house burned down, and her husband dead. A year after this tragedy, the widow again marries a "colleague in misfortune." Her chosen one, Jennings Barfield, also survived the death of his wife some time ago. 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 well-being did not surprise anyone, especially since the symptoms were like banal food poisoning. Lilian suffered from nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting for several days. A few days later she felt much better, and soon this story was forgotten. Mysterious disease returned to the Christmas holidays. All the symptoms repeated, but there was no improvement; the woman died in the hospital. The lost mother, Velma Barfield, decided to devote her life to caring for the elderly. She was hired by an au pair for a nice couple. Her employers, Montgomery and Dolly Edwards, did not even guess how the meeting with the new caregiver would end for them. The first man to die. His wife, a month after the funeral, fell ill with the same ailment as Velma's mother. Soon the woman also died. A year later, in 1977, Barfield Velma begins to care for an elderly woman who received a leg fracture. During the stay of the nurse in the house, the husband of the mistress died. The man before death also had symptoms resembling food poisoning.
Exposing a 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 found traces of deadly poisons, including arsenic. It was possible to find out that Velma "treated" the victim with rat poison, adding powder to tea and beer. The police became interested in the personality of a compassionate nurse. Having studied 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 by arsenic. After this study, it became apparent that Velma Barfield was a serial killer. Soon, the suspect herself began to testify.
Court and sentence
They managed to prove Velma Barfield's involvement in five murders. Such crimes are punishable by
death under US law
. While awaiting trial and sentence, Barfield Velma showed great religiosity. In the cell of those sentenced to death, she talked with evangelical preachers. However, there are rumors that Velma later admitted that there was little sincerity in this communication. The court passed the all-expected sentence - the death penalty. Despite the evidence of the crimes committed and the obviousness of the situation, it was difficult to believe what had happened. An ordinary fifty-two-year-old American, not much different from her neighbors, turned out to be a serial killer. A similar story did not fit into the consciousness of the inhabitants.
Enforcement of sentence
In
North Carolina, on November 2, 1984, Velma Barfield was executed. According to state laws, all criminals sentenced to capital punishment have the right to order any dishes at their last meal and take advantage of the right of last word. Velma Barfield, an American serial killer who poisoned five people, behaved modestly and restrainedly. Before her death, she did not order any delicacies, but asked for only a pack of chips and a can of Coca-Cola carbonated drink. In her last word, she expressed remorse and asked for forgiveness from the families of the victims. After that, the sentence was carried out, and Velma Barfield was executed using the method of lethal injection. The woman killer was buried modestly. Velma found eternal peace near the grave of her first husband, in a provincial cemetery in North Carolina.
Interesting facts about Velma Barfield
When revealing a series of particularly serious crimes, investigators and the public are most concerned about the killer’s motive. It was definitely not possible to establish why Velma Barfield killed five people. It is worth noting that a woman for a long time used drugs. It is highly likely that it was this factor that led to irreversible changes in her psyche and consciousness. “Banal” motives, in particular the thirst for profit, are not rejected. In the history of forensics, the world's first
woman sentenced to death is Barfield Velma. The biography of this lady consists entirely of strange and amazing events. Remarkably, Barfield was also the very first convict in the United States to be executed by lethal injection.