Morbid Podcast Summary

Episode: Lizzie Halliday
Hosts: Ash Kelley (A), Alaina Urquhart (B)
Date: January 26, 2026

Overview

This episode of Morbid dives deep into the chaotic and violent life of Lizzie Halliday, "the worst woman on earth" and the first woman sentenced to die in the electric chair in New York. Through a mix of dark humor and meticulous research, Ash and Alaina trace Lizzie's journey from troubled Irish immigrant to notorious murderer, unpacking her criminal exploits, mental health issues, and the trail of destruction she left behind.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene & Updates

• The episode opens with brief commentary on current events, weather warnings, and casual banter (01:38–05:35).
• Ash and Alaina express outrage and heartbreak over recent news involving ICE and highlight community safety concerns due to a winter storm.
• Before diving in, they humorously touch on Ghost’s tour and Harry Styles’ new album for some lightness.

2. Who Was Lizzie Halliday?

• Born Eliza McNally (nicknamed Lizzie, sometimes called Maggie), in County Antrim, Ireland, 1864 (06:24).
• Immigrated with family to Philadelphia in 1867 post–potato famine; eventually settled in Newburgh, NY.
• Early signs of severe mental illness; frequent firings for violence and erratic behavior (08:22–10:43).
• Memorable quote:

  “She seemed to know the difference between right and wrong, but was quite indifferent as to which turned up first.” —Lizzie’s lawyer (09:58)

3. Turbulent Relationships & Murders

Early Marriages:

• Charles Hopkins: Married at 20; may have killed his mistress (suspected poisoning). Hopkins himself died mysteriously—possibly at Lizzie’s hand (12:03–16:16).
• Artemis Brewer: Civil War veteran, abused by Lizzie; died under suspicious circumstances, possibly poisoned (16:14–18:21).
• Hiram Parkinson: Estranged, not widowed; Lizzie marries, then steals from him and sells everything he owns before absconding (18:56–20:44).
• George Smith: Multiple incidents of violence, theft, and suspected attempts to poison him; Lizzie ultimately robs and abandons him (20:56–31:10).

“Feather Ass Bed” Incident

• Famed anecdote about Lizzie forcefully retrieving a feather bed from Mary Barringer, causing chaos and feathers everywhere.

  “By God, I’m going to have that featherbed!” —Report of Lizzie (22:16)

Fraud, Arson, and Mental Instability

• Lizzie opens a failing general store, then burns it down for insurance, fleeing before being caught and imprisoned for arson (34:59–38:10).
• While in prison and a halfway house, she increasingly exhibits signs of severe psychosis, leading to institutionalization (39:03–40:14).

4. Descent into Violence: The Halliday Years

• Marries Paul Halliday, another older Civil War veteran (42:08).
• Abuses his sons, particularly one with cognitive disabilities; suspected in fatal fire that kills Halliday's son Johnny (43:24–44:52).
• Steals horses with neighbor John Glynn; during asylum stay for “insanity,” confesses to slitting Johnny's throat and setting the house afire to hide the crime (45:25–46:32).
• Returns to Halliday repeatedly; he seems unable to break free from her manipulations (47:02).

5. Triple Murder and The Discovery

• September 1893: Paul Halliday disappears. Police, after some resistance from Lizzie, search the farm (48:30–50:59).
• Discover the bodies of Margaret and Sarah McQuillan — wife and daughter of Thomas McQuillan, family friends. Both shot multiple times, bound, and buried under the barn (51:00–51:34).
• Paul’s body eventually found buried under the kitchen floor, violently beaten and shot (58:31–59:23).
• Lizzie initially refuses to cooperate; then exhibits wildly erratic and dangerous behavior in jail (53:13–54:18).

6. Sensational Trial & First Female Death Sentence

• The trial becomes a media sensation, compared in interest to Lizzie Borden (63:01–64:08).
• Lizzie is convicted after only a few days; initially sentenced to death by electric chair (65:00–67:10).
• Public unease about her fate leads to a gubernatorial review.

  “No one expected conviction in the first degree...there's a general expression that confinement for the remainder of her life should have been the penalty.” (68:22)

7. Commutation, Asylum Murders, Decline

• Governor commutes her sentence to life in an asylum after she is deemed profoundly mentally ill (69:52–71:59).
• Her violence does not abate:
  • Attacks and nearly kills attendant Kate Ward (72:29–73:06).
  • In 1906, brutally murders Nelly Wicks, her only kind attendant, by stabbing her over 200 times with scissors after being told Wicks is leaving her post (74:27–76:59).
  • Memorable quote:

    “She won’t leave me now.” —Lizzie, upon killing Nelly Wicks (77:08)

• No new charges; spends years in solitary, succumbs to Bright’s disease in 1918 (78:25–79:59).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Humor & Human Moments

• The ongoing bit about the “feather ass bed” (22:16–23:09).
• Alaina’s recap of the extent of Lizzie’s violence:

  “She knocked this man’s eye again out of his head. Do you know how hard you have to hit somebody?” (59:50–60:22)

• Hosts’ take on historic searches:

  “Now was that before you guys searched people? They say I think they forgot.” (54:24)

Heartbreak & Tragedy

• On Johnny’s death:

  “They all concluded that the fire had been Johnny's fault. That's nice.” —Alaina (44:52)

• On Nelly Wicks’ murder:

  “She believed in Lizzie enough to be like, I can talk to her about this and she'll handle it. You almost wish... she just didn't tell her.” —Alaina (80:40)

Important Timestamps

• Early discussion, context: 01:38–05:35
• Introduction to Lizzie: 05:41–10:43
• Pattern of marriages and murders: 12:00–20:44
• “Feather ass bed” and early crimes: 21:05–23:09
• Arson and trial: 34:59–38:10
• Domestic terror and Halliday family: 42:08–47:02
• Discoveries at the farm: 48:30–51:34
• Trial, commutation, and asylum death: 63:01–79:59

Closing Thoughts & Podcast Tone

Ash and Alaina maintain their signature blend of empathy, irreverence, and morbid curiosity throughout, highlighting the underlying tragedy and systemic failures that marked Lizzie Halliday’s life — from untreated severe mental illness to her repeated failures in the criminal justice and health systems.

Final Thoughts:

• The case poses challenging moral questions about culpability, mental illness, and justice.
• Both hosts grapple with whether the long years of solitary confinement and institutional violence may be worse than execution.
• The episode closes with a palate-cleansing Golden Girls cheesecake fact, restoring a touch of warmth after a grim historical tale (81:24).

Recommended For:
Fans of deep-dive true crime, history, and explorations of criminology through a lens of dark humor and empathy.
Skip if: Triggered by discussion of severe mental illness, violence against children and vulnerable adults, or institutional abuse.

Keep it weird, but definitely not as weird as Lizzie Halliday! (82:12)

[End of Summary]