Morbid
Episode 521: Velma Barfield
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Velma Barfield's case shed light on the concept of female serial killers and sparked a debate on the death penalty.
- Velma's troubled upbringing and personal struggles with addiction and grief contributed to her path of crime.
- Her poisoning of multiple people, including her own mother, with arsenic shocked the community and garnered media attention.
- Despite maintaining her innocence, the evidence against Velma was strong, leading to her conviction and death sentence.
- Velma Barfield's case ignited discussions on the justice of capital punishment and the complexities surrounding it.
Deep dives
Velma's turbulent childhood and early marriage
Velma grew up in a turbulent household characterized by her father's violent temper. She got married at a young age and initially found happiness, but her husband's alcoholism and her own hysterectomy marked a turning point in their relationship.
Struggles with addiction and deteriorating marriage
Velma became addicted to pain medication following a surgery and her husband's drinking worsened. Their relationship became volatile and fights were frequent. Thomas's death from smoke inhalation in a fire further shattered the family.
Velma's reliance on tranquilizers and the death of her friend
Velma leaned on tranquilizers more heavily following Thomas's death. The unexpected death of her close friend Pauline further affected her emotional state. She formed a relationship with Pauline's husband, Jennings, just a few months after Pauline passed away.
Continued struggles and grief
Velma faced ongoing challenges with addiction and grief. Her relationship with Jennings did not bring lasting happiness, and she continued to grapple with her own emotional issues and the pressures of being a single mother.
Velma surprises Jennings with a marriage proposal
Velma surprises Jennings with a marriage proposal only a few months after they start dating, despite not being in love with him. She wants someone to be with her and fill the emptiness in her life.
Jennings' health problems worsen Velma's situation
Valma realizes that Jennings' health problems are more complicated than she initially thought and she is ill-equipped to provide the necessary care. She relies more on Valium, which adds to her stress.
Valma's loneliness and desperation lead her to desperate actions
Valma feels trapped and alone in her marriage to Jennings and becomes increasingly dependent on her addictions. She takes desperate measures, such as stealing and forging checks to support her habits.
Velma's pattern of poisoning continues with devastating consequences
Velma poisons multiple people, including Jennings, Dolly, John Henry, and Stewart, resulting in deaths that appear to be natural causes. She continues to deny her involvement and maintains her innocence despite the mounting evidence against her.
Velma Barfield's Shocking Crimes and Trial
Velma Barfield, a former nurse's aide, shocked the residents of Lumberton with her crimes. She murdered several victims, including her own mother, by poisoning them with arsenic. The press and community were appalled by the gruesome deaths caused by Velma's actions. Despite her reputation as a loving mother and kind woman, she showed no remorse and even watched her victims suffer. She was arraigned and pled not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors built a strong case against Velma, highlighting her motive and pattern of intent. The trial moved quickly, and she was found guilty and sentenced to death by lethal injection. Velma's execution, which she ultimately accepted, drew mixed opinions on the justice of capital punishment. She was executed in 1984, becoming the first woman executed in the US in 22 years.
Velma's Evolving Defense and End
In the years following her conviction, Velma Barfield's case sparked numerous appeals and stays of execution. Her defense shifted from claiming emotional disturbance and drug addiction to asserting a newfound commitment to Christ and redemption. However, her appeals were rejected, and she went through with her execution. The family members of her victims supported the execution, while her own children struggled with the loss of their mother. Velma's burial and funeral attracted attention, with some acknowledging her efforts to do good in prison, but her legacy will always be marred by the pain and suffering she caused.
On November 2, 1984, fifty-two-year-old Velma Barfield was executed by lethal injection at North Carolina’s Central Prison, bringing an end to years of legal appeals and emotional debates over the death penalty and how, when, and to whom it gets applied. For six years, Barfield had sat on death row following her conviction for the poisoning murder of her boyfriend Stewart Taylor in 1976; however, during her trial she confessed to killing at least four other people.
Velma Barfield’s trial came at a time in the United States when Americans were just beginning to grapple with the concept of a serial killer, and the idea that a woman could commit such heinous acts seemed entirely inconceivable. Although woman had been sentenced to death for murder before in the US, none had confessed to methodically killing multiple people in such a callous way and for such a trivial reason. The debate only became more complicated following her death sentence, an already complicated subject among Americans that became exponentially so in 1984, when Barfield’s case and personal story became a major talking point for politicians running for office around the state.
Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for Research!
References
Associated Press. 1984. "Hunt hopes Barfield's death will be deterrent." Asheville Citizen-Times, November 3: 1.
—. 1978. "Woman charged in poisoning ." Charlotte Obvserver, March 15: 1.
Barfield, Velma. 1985. Woman on Death Row. Nashville, TN: Oliver-Nelson .
Bledsoe, Jerry. 1998. Death Sentence: The True Story of Velma Barfield's Life, Crimes, and Punishment. Dutton: Boston, MA.
Carroll, Ginny. 1978. "Confessed poisoner awaits death." News and Observer, December 10: 1.
Charlotte Observer. 1984. "New Evidence: Velma Barfield's Sickness." Charlotte Observer, October 31: 12.
Journal Wire. 1984. "200 gather at funeral of Velma Barfield." Winston-Salem Journal, November 4: 35.
Margie Velma Barfield v. James C. Woodward, Secretary of Corrections; Nathan A. Rice,warden; Rufus Edmisten, Attorney General, Appellees. 1984. 748 F.2d 844 (US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, November 1).
Maxwell, Connie. 1984. "State executes Velma Barfield." Chapel Hill Newspaper, November 2: 1.
Monk, John, Sue Anne Pressley, and Gary Wright. 1984. "Velma Barfield executed by injection." Charlotte Observer, November 2: 1.
Ness and Observer. 1978. "Jailed woman eyed in more deaths." News and Observer, March 15: 1.
New York Times. 1984. "Relatives of murder victims urge no clemency for Carolina killer." New York Times, September 20: B15.
News and Observer. 1980. "Lawyer says he coached Mrs. Barfield." News and Observer, November 18: 17.
Pearsall, Chip. 1978. "Barfield jury calls for death." News and Observer, December 3: 1.
Stein, George. 1978. "Arsenic trail: Lumberton asks where it will end." Charlotte News, May 27: 1.
The Robesonian. 1969. "Parkton man succumbs to smoke inhalation." The Robesonian, April 22: 1.
Tilley, Greta. 1980. "She doesn't want to die." News and Record, September 21: 1.
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