Case 66: The Black Widow

DESCRIPTION
“Even the judge will tell you that good character, a good name that’s built by good character traits, is to be considered by you because the law allows that a person with good traits and a good name is less likely to engage in criminal conduct…"
CREDITS
Narration - Anonymous Host
Research and writing - Anna Priestland
Production, scoring - Mike Migas
Additional scoring - Andrew Joslyn
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[@klientproby]

It never ceases to amaze me that in these kind of cases, doctors never think about poison.

[@icequeen9417]

Many doctors dont pocess common sense .

[@SHurd-rc2go]

Thank you for your hard work.

[@britth5333]

The sad thing about Raymond Reid is that the hospital later went through all the records of test results they had done on his during his many hospitalizations while he was sick. There was one urine test they found during his early sickness that showed a large level of arsenic that was missed. He could have been saved.

[@jennifermaddy2442]

Yes because a trainee read it not a qualified doctor

[@tjmulligan3086]

Why would people with the death penalty still be around 30 years later, using up taxpayer money?

[@helenmangan572]

Thank you your podcasts are brilliant

[@terrymorant1146]

hi helen

[@veronicaellen4634]

I had so many thoughts on this one. Firstly, I think there are times when murder is a shade of grey. We all know it's wrong, but in the case of her father- you can tell pretty early on in this story what's really transpiring, and 100% I think her father had it coming. I supported that one, and I understand how badly messed up the pedophile abuse may have left her- but to have decent men in her life who honestly loved her, and for her to treat them so badly is just tragic. I get so weary and tired when I hear of someone having love in their lives and then they abuse it, push it away and choose to destroy it instead. She could have had a happy life with Reverend Moore had she just stopped her shenanigans. I also think it's an effed up world where the same woman is violated multiple times by different assailants/ offenders. What happened to her in Krugers is unfortunately part of the real world, and it is not uncommon for men of higher/ management positions to ask for or demand sexual favors from female staff- and they get away with it. Is it easier to replace a top dog or a head cashier? Companies like that are chauvinistic and always stand behind company, with little regard to female rights or whether their staff have been victimized. Corporate conglomerates will suppress evidence of sexual harassments, sexual assault and otherwise unethical and degrading behavior. They will often blame the victim and even terminate their position to hold onto the money makers. I just went through something similar, and I told the union rep: "This guy is dangerous, this guy is a predator. You're going to be hearing about him again." And less than five months later, a female employee at his new location went forward with claims that he'd raped her during her shift. I warned them, but they always side with company. Nothing in this case disgusted me as much as the part about companies profiting off of this story. As clever as the chocolate taglines were, it's so inappropriate for one person to die and another to profit off their coffin. Wtf? I'm sure the Reid family doesn't consider it a funny marketing scheme. Overall I think Blanch was messed up the second her daddy started passing her off the pedophiles and the damage that was done was to remain as a permanent stain on her soul. She clearly had demons and answered to them. Sometimes these cases really make you think about the 'distinct' line between right and wrong. Thank you for the deep dive Casefile takes into every case, you guys go more in depth than any other podcast does.

[@britth5333]

It sounds like she was the one pursuing the men. The new manager was pursued for 3 years before their affair started. Also she had affairs with Kroger customers and just regular coworkers. She was the pursuer here. She may have have bad upbringing for sure. Yes her father was a alcoholic but the rest… I’ve seen some other documentaries about her and she was pretty monstrous to kill these men. Her mother in law. Slowly tortured to death really. Excruciating way to die. Poor Reid especially was tortured a slow agonizing death. It was really awful. She is very manipulative and many people said said she was “vindictive and two faced” horrible . She is the only one who reported her father forced her into prostitution. Is she even to be believed? I’m not sure because the lies she told and things she did during the trial are unbelievable. She wrote a deathbed confession from a older man she knew who died and tried to blame the murders on him. It was proven that she wrote it. Anyway watch a documentary on her she is a cold blooded killer for sure. Listening to how Reid died when he did nothing to her ever is awful. They worked together for about 20 years before they started dating. He had kids who loved and cared about him. She went after a lot of these men then immediately poisoned them when they got married or she got tired of them. She also committed arson for money. She killed the men for money too. She’s just evil.

[@jennifermaddy2442]

​@@britth5333exactly she used her body & good looks to rope men in.Because that's what she got out of all the sexual abuse in her life. Raymond treated her so well & loved her but I don't think she knew how to cope with it

[@landyalmond7742]

Im from North Carolina and I remember this well...I thought all the jokes were awful...and I was a teenager so you know they were bad.

[@doublemarvellous5525]

"Enty-Ent". Love you Casefile!

[@jennifermaddy2442]

Isn't anyone suspicious of Blanche yet.3 people she's supposedly nursed back to health all died

[@captainkolding]

She had experience in nursing people to death.

[@loredanadincu7930]

None of those doctors realised that she was poison him what in the world. He was getting better with the food in the hospital and getting sick after she started bring him food again.

[@TiffWaffles]

To be honest, I don't blame the healthcare professionals. There are many diseases that mimic the symptoms of poisoning, and will have moments where the patient gets better before taking on symptoms again. Doctors usually have to suspect or witness cases of poisoning for them to start treatment. If a doctor were to order blood tests, the blood would only be tested for a specific condition not for poison which requires more steps to be able to determine poison/type of poison.

[@KathleenCalhoun-em6ys]

Which Bible did Blanche's father endorse...the Devil's Bible? The Holy Bible condemns overdrinking, greed, love of money, and promiscuity, sexual immorality...all the things he was involved with. Blanche may have been abused in more ways than one as a child, but hearing about her own conduct despite her being kind and attending church singing gospel music was also a far cry from being a Christian herself. Why even say it, that she was one? If Blanche felt antagonism toward men, why didn't she gain 100 pounds and disfigure her face then she wouldn't have had any problem because there would have been no romantic involvement to worry about. I think that's a better option that resorting to murder if she couldn't help herself.

[@CDM1971]

Walking her shoes as a child but she went through and let's see what you would do and I don't think you're going to gain 100 lb either

[@CDM1971]

People can sit and criticize other people for what they do but until you go through it yourself you won't know what you would do

[@KathleenCalhoun-em6ys]

My point is, if she or anyone else feels like that, don't say you are a Christian. Christianity should influence you for the the better by turning you into a better person, not make you worse or into a murderer, and if you feel it can't help you, then stop saying you are one because then you are being a hypocrite.

[@jennifermaddy2442]

Why Raymond was always very good to Blanche

[@jennifermaddy2442]

What's the point of death row if the courts don't follow through with it. Even after all her appeals.She's good at pretending being innocent

[@chicagogyrl4846]

I don’t understand why in the hell you would stay with a man who cheats on you, and leaves you??!

[@markeywestskies6503]

Yeah...that's the primary flaw she possessed.

[@chicagogyrl4846]

@@markeywestskies6503 It was just a comment. I wasn’t profiling her, but I can also do that.

[@marcelinevonschrute9850]

At that time women could not do much. Remember that they were not allowed to have their own bank account and all decisions were made by males. Since women emancipation marriage stats fell down because women are not longer forced to be with a male to survive

[@maneckineckbeard1749]

@@marcelinevonschrute9850 This!!! My mom talks about how when she first got married, women couldn't get credit cards, bank accounts, home or car loans, leases, etc. without a male co-signer! It was also almost impossible for women to divorce a man, even an abusive man or a cheater, and if a woman left a man without divorcing him she would usually have no means of earning an income to support herself and her children. Plus, even if a man did abandon a woman, she still usually couldn't get a divorce. And, if a woman did somehow manage to get a divorce, her reputation would often be totally destroyed, even if she had left an abusive marriage with a cheater. It's almost impossible for women nowadays to imagine just how trapped women were in the past when it came to marriage. Things aren't perfect now, but life for women is massively better than it was even 40yrs ago.

[@Arclightraid]

Ref the description; and, that is why a certain notorious east midlands authority systematically smears anyone who is perceived as a threat to their hegemony.

[@OOoKarmaoOO]

I can't imagine if she had a son...

[@jessicas3207]

So were all of the men she murdered abusive or was it just her father and first husband? Was it Raymond or her 1st husband that was abusive I can’t recall

[@ilkkarautio2449]

She likely killed for sadism. Never trust a person who has horrible past and wake a of destruction. I know the type, and none of them are safe to be around. Id rather date madam lalaurie than someone who acts that they arent full of hate.

[@ilkkarautio2449]

Why cant i edit typos!? 😰

[@rebeccahanson308]

her father abused her. her 2nd husband was a drunk gambler. Raymond and Rev Moore did nothing but love her

[@marcelinevonschrute9850]

They were all abusive. Like most of husbands in 50s

[@jessicas3207]

@@marcelinevonschrute9850 yes more than likely!

[@davidmayhew8083]

But a good Christian woman could never do these horrible things! It was the devo that done do it. Jesus has forgiven Blanche and that settles it!!!