He courted her with poetry; she wrote passionate letters and sent him a cake and a photograph of herself. A huge fan of newspaper classifieds, Nannie Doss began looking for a third husband shortly after the murder of her second. If he hadnt left, he would likely have joined his two deceased children. It turns out that a common household ingredient at the time was a potent way to kill people and without anyone suspecting a thing. On September 15, 1945, Harrelson became ill and died. This made her one of the most notorious female serial killers. While this one was not an alcoholic, he was still a womaniser. She entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to life in prison. Nannie left him for a short period in protest until he put her name on his bank account and took out two life insurance policies with her as beneficiary. She and Braggs worked together at the Linen Thread Company in nearby Anniston. Soon after, Braggs took firstborn daughter Melvina and fled, leaving newborn Florine behind. Braggs always maintained he left her because he was frightened of her. So the doctor convinced Doss, who was to receive two life insurance benefits after the fifth husbands death, to let him perform an autopsy. Within months after the death of her fourth husband, Nannie had her eyes set on a new one. This time, it was Doss who would often vanish for prolonged periods. She wasnt after insurance money. Doss was never charged with the other deaths. Doss died of leukaemia on June 2, 1965, in the hospital ward of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and was subsequently laid to rest in Oak Hill Memorial Park in McAlester, Oklahoma. The Grinning Grannys calling card was to poison her loved ones with drinks or food spiked with huge amounts of poison. Nannie was arrested immediately. The doctor, who treated Samuel, was alerted by his sudden death. 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. This time, it was Doss who would often vanish for prolonged periods. The bad news was that she got another shot. A native of Alabama, she grew up resenting her father, who was forceful and controlling. He was dead before midnight. He had the dubious and fortunate distinction of being the only husband that Doss did not murder. As it was, they simply divorced and he would be the only man who married Nannie and lived. Birth . Despite this, she maintained her cheerful disposition throughout her life, often making jokes about her case. Another baby followed 2 years later but died soon afterward. The state of Oklahoma centered its case only on Samuel Doss. Braggs took his older daughter, Melvina, with him and left a newborn, Florine, with his ex-wife and mother. In September, he was hospitalised after eating an arsenic-laced prune cake. She laced a prune cake with poison. Worry? 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. Reverend Samuel Luther Doss (1895 - 1954) - Genealogy She was anxious all the time and soon enough, started drinking. In all, it was revealed that she had killed four husbands, two children, two of her sisters, her mother, two grandsons, and a mother-in-law. Shortly after the birth of Nannie and Samuel Doss's fourth child, the two middle children mysteriously died of 'food poisoning'. She laced some cake and coffee with poison and served it to her fifth husband. She would not let my own mother stay all night Braggs' mother took up a lot of his attention and limited Nannie's activities. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. This sudden death alerted his doctor, who ordered an autopsy. In the ensuing years, Doss gave birth to four daughters. [1] Doss was also referred to as the Giggling Granny, the Lonely Hearts Killer, the Black Widow, and Lady Blue Beard.[2]. Authorities question Nannie Doss about her crimes. Often referred to as The Giggling Granny or The Jolly Widow, Nannie Doss did not instill fear in her victims. During this time, many critical events took place, including the murder of 11 people. She later had a conversation with her husband and Florine, who told her that Doss had informed them earlier that the baby was dead and that they had noticed she had a hairpin in her hand. Long before Nannie met Samuel, she had several other marriages. Instead of going to school, all five of Jim and Louisa Hazles children stayed at home to work on household chores and tend to the family farm. They had four children and lived with her mother-in-law, but she was just as abusive as her father had been. Im so excited for this post because I have not yet researched a female serial killer. They met and married in 1929. After their wedding, Braggs mother insisted on living with them. Bettmann/Getty ImagesNannie Doss breaks into a smile after signing a statement for Tulsa officers admitting she killed four of her five husbands with rat poison. 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. Doss even had a surprising motive for killing her male companions. The Story Of Nannie Doss, The 'Giggling Granny' Serial Killer Nannie was first married at age 16 to Charley Braggs, her co-worker at a linen factory. Police suspect that she is responsible for nearly 12 deaths throughout the coarse of her life. He simply made the mistake of telling his wife that she could only read magazines or watch television shows that were for educational purposes. Doss was never charged with the other deaths. Killer: Nannie Doss - Giggling Nanny, Giggling Granny, Jolly Black In September, Samuel was admitted to the hospital with flu-like symptoms. 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 Perhaps it was her mother-in-law that kickstarted Doss murdering spree. Nannie met her third husband, Arlie Lanning, through another lonely-hearts column while travelling in Lexington, North Carolina, and married him three days later. Under his orders, an autopsy was performed and they found a large amount of arsenic in his system. Though Lanning also was an alcoholic, unlike second husband Frank Harrelson, Lanning was not violent. She would later develop a special love for the lonely hearts column. Her casual smoking habit turned into a heavy addiction. Lannings sister was designated to receive the house through his will, but instead, an insurance check was sent to Doss for the damages. She soon realised, however, that Lanning was an alcoholic womaniser like Harrelson. She found a replacement of her own rather quickly. But it does make you wonder if all of it could have been prevented if not for that childhood train injury. For years after, she suffered severe headaches, blackouts and depression. 1. Despite James forbidding Doss and her sisters from wearing make-up and attractive clothes in fear of molestation, it still happened on several occasions. That flu hit you hard, but a month later youre back on your feet again. Before she poisoned him, she poisoned her mother, Louisa, in January 1953 when she came to live with them. When she was seven years old, she boarded a train to go to Alabama where a few of her relatives lived. Harrelson was next on the murderers list. trutv.com. The next day, Doss discovered onez of Harrelsons liquor bottles in the flower bed. Background and First Two Husbands of Nannie Doss. Or do, period. Nannie Doss spoke amiably with newspaper. Nannie's eldest, Melvina, gave birth to Robert Lee Haynes in 1943. Bodies of her victims were exhumed and found to contain alarming amounts of poison. Because after a simple marital spat, that would be weird, right? Another baby followed two years later but died soon afterward. She was called a "self-made widow" by a newspaper. I was searching for the perfect mate, the real romance in life.. Doss is thought to have committed her first murders in 1927, when her two young daughters died of suspected food poisoning. She still found faults in him. It is quite possible that she had poisoned those girls. She smiled and laughed all the time. This seclusion led her to leaving leave school after only finishing the 6th grade. Almost immediately, her husband gave her equal control of the bank account and opened up two life insurance policies, naming Doss as the beneficiary. She still found faults in him. Doss returned home to help care for her sick sister, Dovie. 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. CENSUS RECORDS: 1930 Lynchburg, Virginia. (Photo Credit: Bettmann/ Getty Images) Her fourth husband was a man named Richard Morton whom she met through a dating service. After a successful treatment regime, the hospital let him go. She was also known as the Giggling Granny, the Lonely Hearts Killer, the Black Widow, and Lady Blue Beard. Just a year after her divorce, Doss married her second husband. She too met her demise soon after Doss moved in. He also did not allow them to attend any dances or other social events. Nannie Doss seemed like a sweet lady. Nannie Doss Gleeful serial killer Nancy "Nannie Doss" Hazle was known alternately as the Giggling Granny, the Giggling Nannie, the Jolly Black Widow, the Lonely Hearts Killer, Lady Bluebeard, and, as one newspaper dubbed her, the "self-made widow." Arrested for the murder of one husband in 1955, she confessed to murdering four and maintained that she never harmed her "blood kin." The marriage fell apart at that point. Zoe LaVerne is an American musical.ly star. Furthermore, her favorite part was the lonely hearts column. The very last thing Richard did was drink coffee filled with arsenic. For example, she claimed to be sick and tired of doing laundry at the prison. Instead, after she pleaded guilty on May 17, 1955, she was sentenced to life imprisonment. One newspaper went as far as calling her a "self-made widow". 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. Nannie Helen Burroughs: Advocate and Businesswoman - ThoughtCo To know more about her childhood, career, profile and timeline read on. After she remarried to her third husband, her mother fell ill and then died suddenly while under her daughters care. A True Crime Story: Nannie Doss - Her Campus Contrary to what you believed, neither was prepared with love, and your multiple apologies were not truly accepted. Read on to learn about the last seven. The Giggling Nanny Who Killed To Find Her Perfect Soulmate These two kids belonged to Melvina, Doss older child with Braggs. Doss met her fourth husband, Richard Morton, through a singles club. She had four siblings, including a brother named William Roscoe Hazel and a sister named Dovie Frances Hazel Weaver. She connected with her second husband Frank through a romantic ad in a newspaper column and they were married by 1929. The doctor found huge amounts of arsenic in Samuel Dosss body and alerted police. Sep 15, 1945, Frank Harrelson dies. Unfortunately, she was able to kill multiple innocent victims before she was finally snatched by the police. This caused her to lurch forward and smash her head on a metal seat in front of her. In September, he was hospitalised after eating an arsenic-laced prune cake. Before she left with her spoils, Nannie is suspected of doing one more terrible deed. Unbelievably, she was successful yet again and found Arlie Lanning of North Carolina. Melvina had grown up by then and got married herself. However, I am going to be outlining one of those exceptions, Nannie Doss. Reading romance magazines, especially the lonely hearts columns, took up much of the young ladys spare time. Harrelson died an excruciating death that evening. Both unhappy partners correctly suspected each other of infidelity, and Braggs often disappeared for days on end. Exhausted from labor and groggy from ether, Melvina thought she saw her visiting mother stick a hatpin into the baby's head. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Find more about her family & personal life, relationships, facts and more. Doss quickly skipped town, but only after her mother-in-law, with whom she had been staying, died in her sleep. Nannie Doss breaks into a smile after signing a statement for Tulsa officers admitting she killed four of her five husbands with rat poison. Braggs brought Melvina back in the summer of 1928, accompanied by a divorce with her own child. At that time, she was taking care of Lannings mother who was suffering from a broken hip. Melvina gave birth to Robert Lee Haynes in 1943. He would not let his children attend school but forced them to serve as farm-hands. This was not before Doss's parents visited the two of them and the mother died after complaining of sever stomach cramps. She was one of five children, including one brother and three sisters. 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. Two weeks later, he was dead. You sigh contentedly and wash it down with a large thermos of coffee. Richard Morton of Emporia, Kan. was Doss next true love, although he spent a lot of time with other women while married to Doss. During this period, Doss likely killed her own newborn granddaughter a few days after the birth by using a hairpin to stab her in the brain. In Samuels system was much more than lethal amounts of poison. He was dead less than a week later on Sept. 15, 1945. Samuel died on October 12, 1954. After returning from the bar, Harrelson forced sex upon Doss and she vowed to get even. He had other suspicions. Despite having grown up on reading romances and dreaming of falling in love, she was married at the age of sixteen to a man she had only known for four months. You really needed that caffeine. The Giggling Granny - ALABAMA HERITAGE Throwback Tulsa: Charming, friendly Nannie Doss poisoned four husbands Nannie moved in with her parents and took her two still living daughters with her. In 1923, Doss and Braggs had their first daughter, and would have three more over the next four years. Her husband went away with their oldest living child and didnt return until the following year. Nannie was promptly arrested. Dont worry, were alone, he tells you. Braggs often would not be home for days on end. She found Richard L. Morton of Jamestown, North Carolina in a dating service called the Diamond Circle Club. This biography profiles her childhood, life, horrifying acts, death and other facts. [4] She is buried at Oak Hill Memorial Park.[5]. Nannie Doss, otherwise known as the Giggling Granny, or Lady Bluebeard, was an elderly woman who poisoned and killed up to 11 members of her family, including four husbands.She blamed early head trauma and an unrealized dream of a romance novel-style marriage as the impetus behind her coldhearted murders, the crimes of Nannie Doss will shock even the most hardened true crime lovers. The couple divorced in 1928. A few months after the granddaughters death, her two-year-old grandson, Robert, died of asphyxiation while in Doss care. Doss could not provide any reasonable explanation. Whats not to love about simmered prunes mixed with cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar and baked into a moist and flavorful dessert? Nannie Doss - Wikipedia Your Honor, the Plea is Guilty - Tulsa World Doss died from leukemia in the hospital ward of . Both Nannie and her mother despised James because of his controlling behaviour towards every member of the family. 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. The happy couple lived with Braggs' mother, but she had the same abusive type of behavior as Doss' father. Once a newspaper called her a "self-made . He was the lucky one. Your stomach is absolutely killing you, and what is really weird is that you are also drooling everywhere. Your email address will not be published. Charley Braggs and Doss had four children together from 1921 to 1927. Doss would later tell police he had come home drunk and raped her and she reacted by putting rat poison in his corn whiskey jar the next day. However, this time she tired of the union rather quickly. However, the relationship had several issues right from the beginning, mostly due to Harrelsons alcoholism and violent temper. Nannie Doss was born in 1905, and she was arrested 50 years later. And in time, you believe she has forgiven you for that silly argument. She gave birth to her son Robert Lee Haynes in 1943. 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. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nannie-doss-41380.php. She soon experienced some stomach upset and then passed away, and Morton followed her a few months later. They got married that year. Once in your nice, comfortable house, everything is peaceful. However, the arrangement soon proved to be troublesome as most of Braggs time was taken up by his mother. 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. She topped it off with rat poison, and Frank died on Sept. 15, 1945 just hours after Doss filled his liquor bottle. Doss grew up reading her mothers romance magazines and wished for a fairytale future. He was her only son and she was unmarried at the time so Doss had to accept it. Melvina vaguely remembered watching her mother stick a hatpin in the head of the infant as Melvina faded in and out of conciousness. Who Is Nanie Doss A Serial Killer - 1059 Words | Internet Public Library Braggs was the only son of a single mother who insisted on continuing to live with him after he married. He also forbade them to go to dances and other social events. Doss blamed these and her mental instability on that accident. She then confessed to killing four husbands, her mother, her sister Dovie, her grandson Robert, and her mother-in-law, Arlie Lanning's mother. Nannie Doss was an American serial killer responsible for the deaths of 11 people between the 1920s and 1954. Nannie Doss was born in Blue Mountain, Anniston, Alabama, Nannie Doss's nickNames is Giggling Granny, the Lonely Hearts Killer, the Black Widow, Nannie Doss's spouses is Arlie Lanning (m. ?1950), Richard L. Morton (m. 19521953), Robert Franklin Harrelson (m. 19291945), Nannie Doss's childrens is Melvina B. Braggs Leonard, Copy this code and place into your web pageView Nannie Doss stories, Copyright FamousBio 2020 All rights reserved This template was inspired with love by Colorlib, Giggling Granny, the Lonely Hearts Killer, the Black Widow, Arlie Lanning (m. ?1950), Richard L. Morton (m. 19521953), Robert Franklin Harrelson (m. 19291945). During their marriage, Doss would disappear for long periods of time, and by 1950, she must have been fed up with Lannings alcoholism. Harrelson was no different. One such pen pal was Sam Doss, who would become her fifth husband. And this is how Samuel Doss really was killed in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In fact, she often joked about her situation. Both Nannie and her mother despised James because of his controlling behaviour towards every member of the family. The Nannie Doss case in the mid 1950s is being featured on Japanese television as one of the five most unusual murder cases in the world. At the age of seven, she suffered a serious accident which caused severe bouts of headache in the years to come. Check out this biography to know more about her childhood, family, personal life, crimes committed, etc. Then her second husband, who was abusive towards her for sixteen years, was murdered when she poisoned his moonshine. Despite James forbidding Doss and her sisters from wearing make-up and attractive clothes in fear of molestation, it still happened on several occasions. He drank without inhibition and one night, after returning home completely intoxicated, raped Doss. Doss is suspected of killing both grandchildren the second one within hours of birth, allegedly having pushed a hatpin into the childs head. She married, had four children, and spent time with her grandchildren. Unfortunately, instead of being grateful for a place to stay, Nannie then killed her own sister. He was an abusive alcoholic from Jacksonville, Fla. named Frank Harrelson. Continue reading about the prolific serial killer and her previous murders. . Dovie died soon after while under Doss's care. After a few years, she decided death may have been the better option for her. When people write personals, they dont include their faults, but it wasnt long before Doss discovered that Harrelson was a drunk who had spent time in jail for felonious assault charges. Doss was too consumed with her mothers health to find out about Mortons affairs. But behind the happy facade was a trail of death and murder that lasted from the 1920s to 1954. One newspaper went as far as calling her a self-made widow. She later had a conversation with her husband and Florine, who told her that Doss had informed them earlier that the baby was dead and that they had noticed she had a hairpin in her hand. 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. 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. Her sister also suddenly died after being around her sister with no explanation. At the age of 16, Nannie Doss wed a man she had only known for four months. Nannie Doss Net Worth (Criminal) Under interrogation, and after she was told that she could keep a romance magazine, Nannie confessed to killing eight people: Robert, Harrelson, Lanning, Lannings mother, Dovie, Lou, Morton, and Samuel but denied any involvement with the deaths of her two daughters and granddaughter. Doss could not provide any reasonable explanation. McCarthy and Stalin Political Brothers? Killing Spree of Nannie Doss You might like: They were married soon. A native of Alabama, Nannie grew up with four siblings in a town near Jacksonville. The stressed-out Nannie started drinking, and her casual smoking habit became a heavy addiction. 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. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career, works, achievements and timeline. Before long, she confessed to killing not only her four husbands, but confessed to seven other murders as well. After a few months, she discovered that he was an alcoholic and had a criminal record for assault. While in these unpleasant circumstances, Nannie allegedly turned on her own grandchildren. Rosa Parks, also known as the first lady of civil rights and the mother of the freedom movement, was a famous African-American civil rights activist. Since women are usual much more emotional and empathetic, it is highly unusual for women to be capable of being serial killers. Youre looking forward to leaving the hospital and making up for lost time with your significant other. Her parents were Louisa "Lou" (ne Holder) and James F. Hazel. Her father didnt treat her or her siblings well and made them stay home to work around the house instead of going to school like the other kids in town. Three months later Morton died of similar symptoms. True Crime: Female Serial Killers In History | Nannie Doss The doctor, who treated Samuel, was alerted by his sudden death.
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