According to legend, Lavinia Fisher was the first female serial killer in the United States, luring as many as 30 men to their death with the help of her husband. But the true story is very different.

Show Notes

According to legend, Lavinia Fisher was the first female serial killer in the United States, luring as many as 30 men to their death with the help of her husband. But the true story is very different. 

The legend of Lavinia Fisher bears little resemblance to the truth. Lavinia and her husband John stood accused lot of murder, but robbery, and as you look at history, even that can be called into question. 

References

Clare McBride (Oct. 2, 2020). “LAVINIA FISHER, AMERICA’S ‘FIRST FEMALE SERIAL KILLER’ THAT WASN’T,” SyFy.com, retrieved from: https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/lavinia-fisher-americas-first-female-serial-killer-that-wasnt

Editors (2021). “The Growth of Political Factionalism and Sectionalism,” University of Houston, retrieved from: https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3531

Warren L. Wise (Oct. 30, 2019). “Lavinia Fisher of Charleston: Nation’s first female serial killer or wrongly accused?,” The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC), retrieved from: https://www.postandcourier.com/news/lavinia-fisher-of-charleston-nations-first-female-serial-killer-or-wrongly-accused/article_8cd5c8da-e60f-11e9-abd7-0712bc94dd35.html

Editors (no date). “Capital Punishment in Criminal Justice,” iResearch.net, retrieved from: https://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/system/capital-punishment/2/#:~:text=The%20first%20woman%20executed%20was,man%20other%20than%20her%20husband

Bruce Orr (Sept. 12, 2016). “Six Miles to Charleston: The True Story of John and Lavinia Fisher (Murder & Mayhem),” The History Press, Kindle edition.

David MacDougall (Oct. 26, 2019). “Were the Fishers Innocent?,” The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC), retrieved from: https://www.postandcourier.com/news/were-the-fishers-innocent/article_e670aa7c-980c-5047-83fa-00f64f1b078d.html

Staff writers (no date). “The Story of Lavinia Fisher,” Ghost City Tours, retrieved from: https://ghostcitytours.com/charleston/lavinia-fisher/

scareschs (March 13, 2012). “The Old City Jail,” Scares and Haunts of Charleston, retrieved from: https://scaresandhauntsofcharleston.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/the-old-city-jail/