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"The cases of over 30 mothers who murdered their children or other family members are discussed in this chilling book. Categorized by motives ranging from money and power to mental illness and selfishness, Killer Moms describes the circumstances, key players, investigations, and end results of each case. Woomer seeks to understand how such horrifying crimes could be committed, and at the end of the book she provides a list of resources to help those seeking assistance ranging from mental health counseling to abuse hotlines"--
List of contents
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Love
1. Rosemary West Gloucester, England
2. Anna Månsdotter Yngsjö, Sweden
3. Francisca Rojas Necochea, Argentina
4. Denise Labbé Vendôme, France
Money
5. Caroline Wardlaw Martin East Orange, New Jersey
6. Nannie Doss, aka "The Giggling Granny" Jacksonville, Alabama, Lexington, North Carolina, Emporia, Kansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma
7. Martha Marek Vienna, Austria
8. Belle Gunness LaPorte, Indiana
Power
9. Magda Goebbels Berlin, Germany
10. Irene of Athens Constantinople, Byzantine Empire
11. Dame Alice Kyteler Kilkenny, Ireland
Faith
12. Rachel David Salt Lake City, Utah
13. Lindsey Nicole Blansett Wellington, Kansas
14. Angela Camacho Brownsville, Texas
15. Silvia Meraz Nacozari, Mexico
16. Andrea Yates Houston, Texas
Depression
17. Kathryn Dempsey Schoch Dunkirk, New York and Perrysville, Pennsylvania
18. Otty Sanchez San Antonio, Texas
19. Maggie Young Honolulu, Hawaii
20. Assia Wevill London, England
Honor
21. Ruth Blay South Hampton, New Hampshire
22. Parveen Rafiq Lahore, Pakistan
23. Mary Hamilton St. Petersburg, Russia
24. Maria Isa St. Louis, Missouri
Freedom from Motherhood
25. Melissa Drexler, aka the "Prom Mom" Aberdeen, New Jersey
26. Angela Norman Dayton, Ohio
27. Alice Martin Bishop Plymouth, Massachusetts
For Their Children
28. Grace Hubbard Fortescue Honolulu, Hawaii
29. Carol Carr Atlanta, Georgia
30. Margaret Garner Cincinnati, Ohio
31. Leonarda Cianciulli Correggio, Italy
Guilty Until Proven Innocent
32. Casey Anthony Orlando, Florida
Mental Health Resources
Glossary
Further Reading
Index
About the author
Amanda R. Woomer is the author of nearly 20 books focused on dark history, the paranormal, women's history, and Victoriana, including
Harlots & Hauntings, The Art of Grieving: The Beauty Behind Victorian Mourning Customs, and
A Mortal's Guide to Cemeteries. She is a featured writer for
Haunted Magazine and Troy Taylor's
Morbid Curious and is also the creator of the all-female paranormal journal
The Feminine Macabre. She currently resides in Buffalo, New York with her husband and son, their black cat, and her collection of Victorian mourning memorabilia.
Summary
A mother is supposed to be loving, protective, caring and kind. She’s supposed to nurture her children from infancy into childhood and adolescence. The very thought of murdering a child—much less their own child—is not only bizarre but perhaps the most disturbing thought a parent could have!
Exploring the ultimate betrayal of a parent’s duty, Killer Moms: True Stories recounts 31 harrowing tales of motherhood gone wrong and the often perplexing motives behind the murders. Love, money, power, depression, honor killings, human sacrifice, and unfathomable evil all come into play, but also ...
The world is cruel excuse. A mother’s belief that they need to save their child from a lifetime of suffering. First Lady of the Third Reich, Magda Goebbels, Ted Hughes’s lover, Assia Wevill, and Rachel David, who believed she was married to God, and their tortuous thoughts.
The unwanted child. Denise Labbé and Francisca Rojas, who chose to end their children’s lives to appease their lovers.
Psychosis, delusions and hallucinations. Otty Sanchez, Lindsey Nicole Blansett, and Maggie Young and their battles with mental illness.
Spousal revenge. Andrea Yates may have killed her children by the desire to get back at her husband for the life she was forced to live.
Whatever the reason, it is particularly disturbing when the mother is the murderer. Perhaps the most intimate crime, Killer Moms looks the horrifying stories, investigates the facts, and explores the motives behind these senseless killings.
