Bay Curious Who Killed Jane Stanford? Inside A 120-Year-Old Mystery
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Oct 30, 2025 Carly Severn, an investigative reporter from KQED, and Richard White, emeritus professor of history at Stanford, delve into the chilling mystery of Jane Stanford's 1905 death. They explore the possibility of poisoning, detailing the effects of strychnine and the peculiar circumstances around Jane’s demise. The duo investigates conflicting accounts, highlighting significant figures like David Starr Jordan and Jane's secretary, Bertha Berner, whose motives and actions may hold the key to solving this century-old enigma. Expect a riveting tale of intrigue, betrayal, and cover-up.
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Power Concentration At Stanford
- Jane Stanford ran Stanford with ruthless control after her husband's death and made many enemies.
- That concentrated power created lasting conflicts over money and governance at the university.
Two Poisoning Attempts 1905
- Jane survived an initial clumsy poisoning in San Francisco after rat poison was dumped in her water bottle.
- A month later in Hawaii she drank pure strychnine and died within minutes of the doctor arriving.
Cover-Up Through Authority
- David Starr Jordan had motive to remove Jane and then worked to suppress strychnine findings.
- He promoted a competing verdict of natural causes and used his influence to shape the public story.