Michigan's Strychnine Saint: The Curious Case of Mrs. Mary McKnight (True Crime Ser.)

By: Tobin T. Buhk

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Synopsis: &“A historically accurate picture of the characters involved in the complicated frontier-era poisoning investigation&” (MLive.com). The spring of 1903 proved disastrous for the Murphy family. On April 22, the infant Ruth Murphy died in her crib. Within an hour, her mother, Gertrude, experienced a violent spasm before she, too, died. Ten days later, John Murphy followed his wife and child to the grave after suffering from a crippling convulsion. While neighbors whispered about a curse and physicians feared a contagious disease, Kalkaska County sheriff John W. Creighton and prosecuting attorney Ernest C. Smith searched for answers. As they probed deeper into the suspicious deaths, they uncovered a wicked web of intrigue. And at the center stood a widow in a black taffeta dress. Includes photos