Death Sentence: The True Story of Velma Barfield's Life, Crimes, and Punishment

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Synopsis
In this &“true story that reads like a novel,&” the #1 New York Times–bestselling author reveals the facts behind a notorious Southern murder case (Library Journal). When North Carolina farmer Stuart Taylor died after a sudden illness, his forty-six-year-old fiancée, Velma Barfield, was overcome with grief. Taylor&’s family grieved with her—until the autopsy revealed traces of arsenic poisoning. Turned over to the authorities by her own son, Velma stunned her family with more revelations. This wasn&’t the first time she had committed cold-blooded murder, and she would eventually be tried by the &“world&’s deadliest prosecutor&” and sentenced to death. This book probes Velma&’s stark descent into madness, her prescription drug addiction, and her effort to turn her life around through Christianity. From her harrowing childhood to the crimes that incited a national debate over the death penalty, to the final moments of her execution, Velma Barfield&’s life of crime and punishment, revenge and redemption, this is crime reporting at its most gripping and profound. &“A painfully intimate, moving story about the life and death of the only woman executed in the U.S. between 1962–1998 . . . With graceful writing and thorough reporting, it makes the reader look hard at something dark and sad in the human soul . . . Breathes new life into the true crime genre.&” —The News & Observer &“Undertakes to answer the questions about the justice system and the motives that drive women to kill.&” —The Washington Post Book World &“An extraordinary piece of writing . . . The most chilling description of a legal execution that we are ever likely to get.&” —Citizen-Times &“Taut and engrossing on the nature of justice and the death penalty as well as on guilt and responsibility.&” —Booklist
Copyright:
1998

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
432 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781626812888
Related ISBNs:
9781626819542
Publisher:
Diversion Books
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Jerry Bledsoe
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Nonfiction, Social Studies
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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