This Missouri Mayhem episode covers the disturbing case of Bertha Gifford, one of the earliest women in the United States to be labeled a serial killer. It follows how a trusted caregiver in rural Missouri built a reputation for compassion, then became the center of a decades-long poisoning investigation.We discuss the small-town setting of Morse Mill and Catawissa, the pattern of sudden illnesses and deaths under Bertha’s care, and how arsenic, exhumations, and a public trial eventually brought the case into focus.

Dedicated True Crime Books

• Missouri's Murderous Matrons: Emma Heppermann and Bertha Gifford: Written by Victoria Cosner and Lorelei Sha ...