Murder, Mystery & Makeup: She Used Flypaper to Kill Her Husbands (And It Actually Worked)
Host: Bailey Sarian
Podcast: Murder, Mystery & Makeup, Audioboom Studios
Date: September 23, 2025
Episode Overview
In this riveting episode, Bailey Sarian unravels the chilling true story of Lydia Trueblood, also known as "Idaho's Lady Bluebeard." With her signature blend of humor and dark curiosity, Bailey explores how Lydia, an outwardly ordinary farm girl turned housewife, became one of Americaâs earliest and most prolific âblack widowâ killersâallegedly poisoning multiple husbands with arsenic (including via flypaper), all in pursuit of money and a better life. The episode traverses Lydiaâs dramatic life: her series of suspicious marriages, troubled family history, mounting body count, her trial and prison escape, and ultimately the legacy she left behind.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Introducing Lydia Trueblood: The "Black Widow" (01:22)
- Bailey sets the mood: "Today's story has everything: suspicious deaths, arsenic-laced flypaper, a bad dye job, two gold front teeth, and one woman at the center who just could not be stopped. Meet Lydia Trueblood."
- Origin of the "Black Widow" term: Not about the spider, but about women who leave a "trail of deceased husbands" often for financial gain. Lydia's case is a classic example, with at least five husbandsâfour dead, one disappeared.
Lydiaâs Background & Early Life (04:00)
- Born in 1892 in Catesville, Missouri, second of eleven children.
- Family moved west to Twin Falls, Idaho, in search of better opportunities where Lydia longed for a life of luxury and escape from hardship:
- âShe was like the little mermaid, dreaming of the finer things in life... but dreams felt so far away and impossible.â
- Married Robert Dooley, a family friend, at age 19âmainly for opportunity, not love.
Suspicious Deaths Begin: The Dooley Family Tragedies (16:30)
- The insurance obsession: Lydia fixated on life insurance âjust in case.â Both her husband Robert and brother-in-law Edward take out policies.
- Rapid succession of deaths:
- Edward Dooley dies (Aug 1915), cause: "acute food poisoning."
Payout: $2,000 (about $63,000 today) - Lydiaâs infant daughter Lorraine dies next month; Lydia blames âcontaminated well water.â
- Robert Dooley (her husband) dies soon after, cause: "typhoid fever."
Another $2,000 payout.
- Edward Dooley dies (Aug 1915), cause: "acute food poisoning."
- Bailey on the pattern:
âOn October 12, precisely three months after Edward's death, Robert... dies. The causeâtyphoid fever. Oh yes, poor Lydia, huh?" (26:15)
Marriages #2 and #3: Pattern Repeats (29:00)
- Husband #2: William (Local car salesman)
- Takes out a $5,000 insurance policy with Lydia as beneficiary.
- Dies within a year (1918), official cause: "flu and diphtheria" during the Spanish Flu pandemic.
- But: No payoutâthe premium wasnât paid.
- Husband #3: Harlan (Another car salesman)
- Lydia marries him six months after William's death; moves to Billings, Montana.
- Harlan dies within four months (1919), cause: "gastroenteritis," which strikes Bailey as suspicious given the pattern.
- Lydia uses newfound wealth to buy a mink coat and fancy carâlocal gossip intensifies.
Marriage #4: Edward Meyer and the Flypaper Plot (37:30)
- New identity: Lydia moves to another town, starts going by âAnna.â
- Marriage and bold insurance attempts: Applies for $10,000 policy the day after the wedding; application denied.
- The deadly dinner: Shortly after, Edward Meyer falls gravely ill after a meal; only he fails to recover.
- Arsenic is found in his system after death; whispers turn into public outrage.
- Lydiaâs chilling demeanor:
"At his funeral, she didn't shed a tear. She seemed bored. âHow much longer do I gotta go? Need to get my hair done.â" (43:30)
The Move West and Fifth Marriage (45:00)
- Lydia flees to Los Angeles, swiftly marries Paul Southard, a Navy man, in Nov 1920.
- Tries, but fails, to secure a military insurance payout.
- Moves with Paul to Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Investigation: The Chemistry of Arsenic (49:00)
- Earl Dooley, a chemist and cousin to two victims, takes initiative:
- Scrapes sand where Edward Meyer last stood; detects arsenic.
- Bodies are exhumed; multiple show signs of arsenic poisoning and preservationâclassic for arsenic.
- Arsenic also found in Lydiaâs cookware.
- About arsenic:
- Bailey explains its historical use as a poison and preservative, its tasteless/odorless nature, and its misuse for murderââthe weapon of choice for countless poisoners.â
Arrest, Trial, and Conviction (54:00)
- Lydia arrested in Hawaii and extradited.
- Husband Paul remains loyally by her side, claiming:
âShe had been âa mighty good wife.â He didnât care if sheâd married ten men before him and they all died, that still wouldnât make her a murderess in his eyes.â (56:30)
- On trial in Idaho: Only prosecuted for the murder of Edward Meyer, as that case is strongest.
- Key evidence: Shopkeeper testifies Lydia purchased excessive amounts of arsenic-laced flypaperâcommonly soaked to extract poison.
âThis really did it for her.â (01:02:20)
- Convicted of second-degree murder; sentenced to 10 years-to-life.
Prison Life and The Great Escape (01:06:00)
- Lydia becomes a model inmate, charming guards and inmates.
- Convinces a guard to supply bed sheets and a saw; inmates collaborate to cover noise as she saws through her window bars.
- On May 4, 1931, just months before early parole, Lydia escapes using knotted bedsheets, flees to Denver, and immediately finds a job and marries Harry (as "Fern").
- Baileyâs incredulity at her powers of seduction:
âSay what you will about Lydia, but her ability to find and marry menâeven while on the run from prisonâastounding. A-plus.â (01:12:00)
More Murders, More MarriagesâThe Saga Continues (01:13:30)
- Harryâs mom suspects Lydia; soon dies under suspicious circumstances.
- Harry marries Lydia.
- Lydia, feeling hunted, flees again (after a betrayal by her former prison helper/lover David).
- In Topeka, Lydia adopts yet another disguiseâdyed hair, gold teethâbefore being recaptured.
- Returned to prison; an expose details her extraordinary privileges in prison (unsupervised outings, movie trips, etc.).
Final Fate: Pardon, Last Marriage, and Mysterious End (01:24:00)
- Massive public sympathy for Lydia; strangers write for her release, arguing media bias.
- 1943: Granted a full pardonâBaileyâs shock palpable:
âMy jaw was on the floor, okay? I was like, what? What? What? Huh? I still feel that way, obviously.â
- Marries a wealthy seventh husband, Hal Shaw, whose family protests.
- Hal disappearsâvanished without a trace; suspected victim.
- After Halâs disappearance, Lydia is shunned in Twin Falls and moves to Salt Lake City.
- Dies of a heart attack in 1958; rumors swirl that she was completely hairlessâa possible side-effect of long-term arsenic exposure.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Lydiaâs motives:
âFor Ms. Lydia, who grew up in poverty with big dreams for the finer things in life, that amount [the insurance payouts]âobviously life changing... The pattern was very clear. Marriage, life insurance, death. Cha-ching.â (53:30)
- On small-town gossip and Lydiaâs demeanor:
âPeople also noticed that she showed no emotion after [Edward's] death. At his funeral she didn't even shed a tear. She seemed bored.â (43:30)
- On Lydiaâs mysterious allure:
âShe must have been sucking some good dick, right? That's my theory. Or she had that gorilla grip pussy. Either way, it must have been good... What else is it? Her winning personality?" (56:47)
- Reflecting on her legacy:
âShe should have written a bookâhow to influence and charm anyone for anything you want. Leave out the murder part, but I would read it.â (01:20:00)
- Baileyâs verdict:
âI think she killed all those people, 100%. But I also think it was a time when women couldnât do squattily damn shit and that was like⌠her only option. Am I excusing her behavior? No. She should have been locked away. Throw the key away... but you get it.â (01:34:33)
Key Timestamps
- 01:22 â Introduction to Lydia Trueblood & Black Widow motif
- 04:00 â Lydia's early life and family background
- 16:30-26:15 â Dooley family tragedies & life insurance pattern
- 29:00-37:30 â Subsequent marriages & suspicious deaths
- 43:30 â Lydiaâs overt lack of emotion at funerals, arousing suspicion
- 49:00-54:00 â Chemistry of arsenic, exhumations, and investigation
- 56:30 â Paul Southardâs loyalty (+ Lydiaâs charm)
- 01:02:20 â Flypaper evidence & trial turning point
- 01:06:00 â Prison charm, the escape, and Denver adventure
- 01:12:00-01:24:00 â Marriages #6 and #7, Harryâs disappearance, and exposure of prison privileges
- 01:34:33 â Baileyâs personal analysis: Was Lydia a villain or a product of her time?
Tone and Style Notes
- Dark Humor & Sarcasm: Baileyâs irreverent, self-deprecating humor (âBye, bitch.â âShe must have been sucking some good dick, right?â)
- Empathy for Victims: Despite the jokes, Bailey regularly expresses sadness and incredulity at the harm Lydia caused.
- Feminist Reflection: Consistently aware of societal limitations on women at the timeâthough never excusing Lydiaâs crimes.
Final Thoughts
Bailey ends with her signature invitation for listener reflection: Was Lydia a calculating serial killer, a desperate woman, both, or something else entirely? While her methods were chilling, Lydiaâs distinctly strange combination of charm, manipulation, and tenacity remains a mystery as gripping as the murders themselves.
For listeners:
This episode is a wild, engaging, and at times jaw-dropping ride through one of Americaâs most cunning (and overlooked) female serial killers and a true testament to Baileyâs storytelling prowess. If you havenât listened, youâre in for a rideâno matter how much true crime youâve heard before.
