← Murder, Mystery & Makeup
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Hi friends, how are you today? My name is Bailey Sarian and today is Monday, which means it's murder, mystery and makeup. Monday. Monday. Hi. If you are new here. Hi, my name is Bailey Sarian and on Mondays I sit down, I talk about a true crime story that's been heavy on my knock in and I do my makeup at the same time. Now let me shut up because I need to tell you about today's story. Ugh. I couldn't stop talking about it to myself because I this morning I was going on and on to myself and I was like, let me just film this. Listen, today's story has everything, okay? Suspicious deaths, arsenic laced flypaper, a bad dye job, two gold front teeth, and one woman at the center of it all who just could not be stopped. Meet Lydia Trueblood. First of all, great name. A picture perfect housewife on the outside. But behind her beauty and grace was a very, very deadly woman. Oh my God. And the press, oh, they gave her a nickname straight out of a gothic horror novel. Idaho's Lady Bluebeard. Mm. She was beautiful. Allegedly. She was clever, I'll give her that. And she may have been one of America's first black widow serial killers. Now, listen, today's story will blow your tits off. Mine gone. I was like, what? So let's dive into the story of Lydia Trueblood, the woman who got away with everything. Oh, my God. Today's story might sound familiar, but I checked up and down, never done this story. Just letting you know, okay? Because back in the day, these kind of stories, they. Whatever. I haven't done this one yet, okay? Just letting you know. I don't even know where to start. Where am I starting? Well, I'm gonna start with the term black widow, so sometimes you hear it in, like, true crime circles, and, you know, it's not about the spider. It's about a woman who, through a pattern of relationships, often for financial gain, leave a trail of deceased husbands in their wake. Now, Lydia Trueblood is one of the most chilling examples. Now, her story, if the allegations are to be believed, yeah. Involves not just one, not two, but four husbands who died under suspicious circumstances. And then there was a fifth husband who simply disappeared. A magician, I call her. Five men, all connected to one woman. And it was like a pattern impossible to ignore, but like everyone did. To understand Ms. Lydia, we have to go back, way back. October 16, 1892. That's when she was born. Okay? The place, Catesville, Missouri. Now, at the time, Catesville, Missouri, was like a small town, but it was considered a vibrant community. They had active businesses, banks, hotels. There was a distillery, restaurants, lots of shops. Plus there were, like, two newspapers in the town. I was like, damn, they had all that. Back then, I was thinking dirt, and that's it, you know? I don't know. But it seemed the people who were living there were, like, thriving. The homes were described as, like, beautiful homes. Okay? Streets were lined with beautiful trees. And the people prided themselves on being educated because, like, they had a college in their city and they also had a streetcar. I mean, this was a big deal back then, you know? Now, of course, that was, like, the main hub. On the outskirts were farm owners and, you know, the workers who really kept things moving. Now, that's where Ms. Lydia and her family was living. I forgot my piercing. So, Lydia, listen. She was born into a very large family. She was the second of 11 children to her daddy, William, and her mommy, Laura Trueblood. Now, 11 kids sounds exhausting, chaotic, and expensive. But nowadays, they would probably have a show on tlc. But back then, you know, it was common especially. Cause like, if you owned a farm, you needed help and the kids were there to help. So Lydia's family, they owned a farm in Catesville. But at this time, they were, I guess, just like scraping by. Now, when Lydia was a teenager, her father made a very big decision. He sold the family farm in Catesville. So they packed up their lives, they packed up all the children, and they headed west to Twin Falls in southern Idaho. Now, I was doing some research on Twin Falls and it was pretty wild. Like it was this crusty, dusty place, like, with nothing going on. But then in 1905, the Milner Dam was completed and this made the town boom. Everyone from across the nation was moving here for new opportunities and like a better future. All of the farmers were coming here because it functioned as a key processing location for agricultural products. That's a hard word for me, agricultural products, but like beans and sugar beets. So all the farmers were just heading this way. So the true bloods came on over and settled on 80 acres. I know, I'm like, wow, endless fields, a sense of abundance, a lot of maintenance, right? And they ended up growing crops. Clover, beans, peas. But they learned that just because you owned land and stuff didn't automatically mean that they had lots of money. Still, the true blood family, they were said to be a poor rural family. Rural. They made enough to get by. There was no extra income for any type of luxuries or life, you know, outside the farm. You know, Lydia, she wanted more. Of course, while the family, they were focused on survival, the day to day grind of farm life, Lydia had a different vision or goal for herself. She yearned for beauty. And not just like the simple beauty of Idaho, no, But the beauty for finer things in life, like clothes, elegance, class. You know, she just craved more. She was like the little mermaid. Essentially, it was said that she dreamed of escaping the farm life, traveling to exotic places, meeting fascinating people along the way, and experiencing the kind of life that she had only read about. But you know, these dreams felt so far away and really just almost impossible. You know, those days when you need to find something to wear for a big event, you know, where there'll be lots of people looking at you, maybe judge y a little bit, you know, in your closet, it's like, I have nothing, nothing, nowhere. And then you go into panic mode. You're having a meltdown, you know, it's the worst. Well, it's not the worst, but like, you know, it's not great. Well, thankfully, you don't have to stress it anymore because there's a one stop shop that has saved me a few times now. And I'm talking about Revolve. Whether I'm in the mood to elevate my everyday look or find that one outfit that's perfect for like a big event, like a wedding. What are you wearing to a wedding? You know, I don't know. Revolve has your back. The whole shopping experience on Revolve is just so easy and honestly, fun. The site has new arrivals daily, over 1200 brands and 100,000 styles. Eh, it's a lot. My favorite part is the feature they have called the curated edit. Revolve sends me personalized suggestions based on my exact vibe. It's like they're in my brain. You know, right now I'm loving my lovers and friends dress I just scored for a wedding I'm attending. It's giving kind of, you know, fancy vacation dress, but it also is, like, versatile because I could wear it out for like a date night or I could wear it just because, you know, just put on some. Who cares? Just freaking wear it. I'm gonna wear it to freaking Walmart later today anyways. That's not the point. So if you're like me and you've ever found yourself staring at a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear, let Revolve be your personal stylist. Yeah, I swear, once you shop there, it's hard to shop anywhere else. And their shipping is so fast. It's at you, you place your order and it's there. Literally so fast. I just had to say that because, like, if you're ever in a pickle, Revolve's got you covered. So whether it's a weekend away, a big night out, or just a little style refresh, your dream wardrobe is just one click away. Head to Revolve.com MMM. Shop my edit and take 15% off your first order with code MMM. Fast two day shipping, easy returns. It's literally the only place you need to shop from. That's Revolve.com mmm. To shop my favorites and get 15% off your first order with Code mmm. M m offer ends October 7th, so get on it and happy shopping. Well, time went on, you know, and at 19, Lydia made a choice that would set the course for the rest of her life. And tragically, for the lives of several men. Lydia decided to marry. Not for love. No. But for a way out. A way to potentially access the world that she craved. You know, so she would go on to marry A man named Robert Dooley. Now, the Dooley family and Lydia's family, they were friends. They weren't strangers. Both had owned farms in the area, and they had known each other for quite some time and, you know, decided to marry. So Robert and Lydia decided to get married in March of 1912. But just like the True Bloods, the Dooley family, they weren't exactly wealthy, but, you know, it was something. So they get married. It works. And after the wedding, the newlyweds, they didn't, like, move and set up in their own home. Instead, they moved in with Robert's brother, Edward. Okay. Now, Edward, he also had a ranch in the Twin Falls area. So three adults starting a new life together under a small roof. That's fine. It is what it is. The following year, on September 16, 1913, Robert and Lydia welcomed a baby girl into the world. They named her Lorraine. Yeah, you don't really meet anyone named Lorraine anymore, huh? But Lorraine was born. Now, this would be a time to focus on family and building a future together, you would think. But according to reports, as soon as little Lorraine was born, Lydia seemed preoccupied with a morbid curiosity or possibility, I would say possibility. Now, for reasons that aren't entirely clear from the records, Lydia was deeply concerned about what would happen to her and baby Lorraine if either Robert or his brother Edward were to die. She's like, you guys, what would happen? You know, and it was like she was fixated on it. And to you and I, it's an odd thing to be fixated on, but she was fixated regardless. Her little paranoia had led to. To action. The two brothers, Robert and Edward, they both were like, yeah, you're right, you know, so they decided to go get life insurance policies. And. And to be fair, it was a practical step at this time because this was the era of, like, you could drink some water and just die. So really, nobody thought twice about it. So life continued on Edwards Ranch. They were living as one unit, one extended family. That is, until August of 1915. That's when tragedy began to hit the family at a distinction disturbing speed. So Edward, Robert's brother, suddenly became gravely ill. Now, the details of his illness are vague in the historical accounts, but he was described as being, quote, desperately sick and clinging to life. End quote. Not great. So the family, everyone was coming out, like, to his bedside, praying for his recovery, but at the same time, Robert and Lydia were off getting a second life insurance policy. And in this one, it named Robert and Lydia as the main beneficiaries. Okay, you know, okay, well, two days later, on August 12, 1915, Edward died. His death certificate listed the cause of his cause of death as acute food poisoning. Yeah. Robert And Lydia received $2,000 from his life insurance policy, which $2,000 in 1915 would be around like $63,000 in today's money. So I mean, they were like, oh my God. Sad, but like low key, high fiving each other, you know, that's a lot of money. They're like, that's so sad. Oh my God, that's crazy. Now you think they would just take the money and move on with their lives, but of course not, because we're here. But the darkness was just beginning because, listen, a few weeks later, September 27th, tragedy struck again. This time, okay, barely two year old's baby, Lorraine died unexpectedly. And I was like, not the baby, not Lorraine. Now Lydia's explanation was that Lorraine had drunk, had drank, she had contaminated water from a dirty well and that was the cause of her death. That was all the information I could find. I was like, mm. So it was like two deaths back to back, barely a month apart. I mean, it was said that the grief that they were feeling was immense. I was like, I'm sure it was. Now this is when a pattern began to emerge. On October 12, precisely three months to the day after Edward's death, Robert, Lydia's first husband and the father of their deceased daughter, he dies. The cause, typhoid fever. Oh, yes. Oh, typhoid fever, that, yes. It gets everyone at that time, didn't it? Poor, poor Lydia, huh? Now with Lydia being the sole survivor of the family, she received all the money. And with Robert's passing, she received an additional $2,000 from his life insurance policy. So that was again another $60,000 plus in today's money. So in less than three months, Lydia went from being like a young wife and mother in a struggling farming family to a widow with a deceased child who now had access to a lot of money. She's like, oh, okay. Suddenly Lydia, like, who dreamed of, you know, the beautiful clothes, traveling, all that stuff. She maybe actually could have those things. I mean, she had money. She's like, wow, that was kind of easy. Maybe. So what do you, What'd she do with all this new financial freedom, you know? Well, to be fair, the records, like, they didn't go into great detail about like if she spent money afterwards or like what she did. But what we do know is that within two years of Robert's death, Lydia would remarry. So her second husband was a local car salesman. Named William. Her getting remarried so quickly. Again, it's the olden days, so it wasn't like completely unheard of, you know? But combined with the previous deaths, some people were raising their eyebrows, like, okay, you know. And soon as she married William, that familiar pattern repeated itself. You know what I'm saying? William took out a $5,000 life insurance policy naming Lydia as. As the beneficiary. Now, $5,000, Cha Ching. Okay? In today's money, blah, blah, blah, it comes around like $100,000, okay? You know, she's like, fuck, yeah. Well, the two of them get married. They're like, yay, whatever, right? They do their thing, and Lydia and William decide to move. So they end up moving to another rural town called Hardin, Montana. Now, at this time, Hardin was like a young town, but it was on the up and up. Lydia and William had been married for just over a year and were living in this Montana town when William became very ill. Oh, so ill. And on October 1, 1918, William ended up passing away. On his death certificate, his cause of death was listed as the flu and diphtheria, which is like a serious bacterial infection. But at the same time, it was 1918, and let me tell you, the Spanish flu was coming in hot. The Spanish Flu. You heard of her? In the US alone, it had killed around 670,000 people. And that's just a guess. So when William died during this time, it was, like, assumed the Spanish flu got him, you know, no questions asked. So Ms. Lydia, a widow, once again, her second husband gone. So she walks her little happy ass down to collect that $5,000 life insurance policy. But to her surprise, William hadn't paid the premium on the policy. She's like, what? He did? Well, not sure what happened there, you know, but for Lydia, it meant that she wouldn't see a single dime of that $5,000. So that big payout gone. So with William dead and no financial gain from his passing, Lydia returned to Twin Falls to go stay with her family. Now, she wouldn't stay there long. She's like, I don't like you people, you know, because I don't like you. So she ended up heading out to Denver, Colorado. Now, I don't know what was up with her. She. I think she had some beer flavored nipples or something because she got herself a man real quick always. She always got herself a man so quick. I want to know what she was doing. But his name was Harlan. And poor Harlan. Run, Harlan, run. But he was also a car salesman. Maybe she had a Type, I'm not sure. Or maybe like a free car, discounts, I don't know. But he was also a car salesman. Now, it had only been about six months since her last husband had died. But, like, Harlan didn't know that. She didn't say anything. So Harlan and Lydia got married in March of 1919. She must have been real special. So. So the two of them, they decided to pack up and leave Denver, and they wanted to start, like, a new life in Harlan's hometown, Billings, Montana. Now, Billings, Montana, was less than 50 miles away from where Lydia's second husband, William, was buried. Kind of far, but, like, not, you know, I wonder if she told her husband or if she was like, what? I've never been in Montana. This is crazy. This is so wild. Like, it's all so new to me. I've never been here before. I would imagine that's what she did. Lydia and Harlan got a cute little house in Billings. Everything seemed settled. It was kind of like normal for a brief period of time. But after just four months of marriage, Harlan died. Yes, dead, allegedly. His death was due to complications from gastroenteritis. Now, gastroenteritis is essentially like a severe stomach and intestinal inflammation often referred to as tummy troubles. Now, it was odd because gastroenteritis might be, like, the initial illness. The cause of death on your death certificate would be listed as something else. Like, it was never gastroenteritis listed as cause of death, if that makes sense. But it was for him. So it was like. It was kind of weird, you know, it was like, okay, okay. But they were in a new town, and nobody knew Lydia's past, so no one really asked questions, right? She just boohooed and kept it moving. So Lydia literally buried husband number three. And after this, she, according to reports, bought herself a long mink coat and a fancy car. Now, at this point, people are in town, were definitely judging. Like, what's she doing? So Lydia, she knew people were looking at her funky. Cause she bought like, the mink coat in the car and stuff. And she was like, okay, maybe I should just kind of like, chill for a minute. So she remained single for about a year. She's like, that's enough time. And then she ended up getting married for a fourth time in August of 1920. Now, her fourth husband was a ranch foreman named Edward. I know the names, the names. Everyone's got the same name. So just. Okay, you get it, though. But also, Lydia changes her name at this point. Okay, she starts telling everyone her name is Anna. She's like, yeah, my name is Anna. Anna's my name. I'm going to continue to call her Lydia so we don't get confused. But she was telling everyone her name was Anna and she's new in town. So Lydia and her fourth lover, Edward, tie the knot. And the very next day, Lydia reportedly applied for a $10,000 life insurance policy in Edward's name. It was a very bold move because this was. She did this the day after the wedding. It was like, ma', am, what are you doing? Now? For reasons that were not stated in the records, I found the policy was rejected. Maybe the insurance company was just cautious or like a back end issue. Maybe she needed to prove her name was Anna and she, like, couldn't. I don't know. Regardless, the fact that she tried to get such a large policy so quickly was just a major red flag. Well, she's like, fine. That's fine. Everything's fine. Lydia and Edward, they ended up settling down on a ranch in the Snake river region of Idaho. I googled pictures of Snake river because I was like, are there snakes there? If you haven't seen pictures, it looks beautiful. There's like majestic mountains, okay. And the Snake river, it like carves its way through the landscape. I was like, oh, that's why they named it Snake River. Get it? But it looked like a beautiful place. You know, maybe it still is a lovely place for the newly married couple to start their new life. I was thinking though, yeah, it is kind of fitting though, for Lydia because she was like a snake herself. So I was like, makes sense. I mean, her last name is True Blood. I was like, anyways, now Edward, he was actually like, well liked in the community. People loved this guy. He was described as being very strong, kind. He was like a bull. Okay. He was helpful. No one had anything bad to say about him. Well, about two weeks into the marriage, Lydia and Edward, they go over to a friend's house for dinner. Now, we don't know what was served that night, but what we do know was that it had devastating consequences. Lydia, Edward and the friend that they were visiting, they all had dinner together. And they all became like super sick after eating, even Lydia. But Lydia and the friend would go on to recover. But Lydia's new husband, Edward, his condition was just getting worse and worse. Well, as the days passed, Edward ended up going to the hospital. Cause he just wasn't getting any better. Now while he was in the hospital, the doctors there were able to stabilize him and he started to get better. It was like, oh, you know, he's gonna be just fine. But one day, Lydia, she comes to the hospital, you know, to visit her loving husband. And the next thing you know, Edward's health took a sharp turn for the worse. Mm. Yeah. Yeah. Mm. Now, you think. Like, that would raise a lot of eyebrows. Right then and there, he was improving, and then after his wife visited him, he declined rapidly. I don't know. Well, on September 7, 1920, less than 1 month after marrying Lydia, Edward died. This time, the cause of death was listed as typhoid, that same bacterial infection that allegedly killed her first husband, Robert Dooley. Now, at this point, people were talking, whispering, memory talking, and it was getting real loud. I mean, girl, they were, like, four husbands dead, all within a few years. I mean, the pattern was becoming impossible to ignore. And people in the community, they began to openly gossip about it. Okay. Like, right in front of her, too. Like, your husband's all died. Oh, that's weird. You know, people also did not like how Lydia was behaving after her last husband, Edward's death. I guess she was going around telling people, like, yeah, I didn't really love him that much. I could have gotten there. But, like, I didn't really. He was all right. Now, people also noticed that she showed no emotion after his death. And at his funeral, she didn't even, like, shed a tear. She seemed bored. She's like, when's this over? How much longer? I gotta go. I got something to do. I need to get my hair done. It's crazy. He died Sad. Yeah. How much longer? Okay. So people took notice. You know, the coldness, the detachment was making the townsfolk squint their eyes in judgment. They were like, mm. Mm. Hmm. Now, people in the community were talking a lot, and they were putting pressure on police to, like, do something about it, you know? And people really liked Edward. And they were. And they. And they were like, something's up. So this actually led to action. So doctors, they ended up performing a postmortem test or postmortem tests on Edward's body. And those tests revealed a shocking discovery. Well, in Edward Meyer's system, they found arsenic. Ah. Well, this was not a natural death at all. This was a poisoning. I know. I was thinking aqua tofana all day. Huh? Or I was thinking, like, remember in Chicago when she's like, some men just can't hold their arsenic? That's what I thought of. But. But, yeah, he. Arsenic. Detectives had some questions for Ms. Lydia or Anna or whatever the hell she was going by. I mean, she Was like the common thread here. Hello? But after what was described as a brief discussion with the four time widow, the police ended up letting Lydia go. They didn't have any hardcore evidence, you know, that she did indeed poison anyone. She just told police officers that she just had terrible luck, you know, which is just terrible, terrible luck, Officer. Well, when the local townsfolk people heard this, they were outraged. They wanted justice for Edward. Okay? They love this guy. And this whole situation actually became a big focal point in the local sheriff's race. You know, like the candidates were being pressured to state what they would do about Miss Lydia True Blood. It was like one of their talking points. But Lydia, she was like Miss Unbothered. She was like, whatever, I'm outtie. And she leaves. She decided to leave Idaho and start a new life. This time in Los Angeles, California maybe. She could be a real big movie star, you know, rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. Well, again, I don't know what's up with this woman. It was. It wasn't long before she found another handsome man. His name was Paul Southard. Southard. Well, he was in the United States Navy and Ms. Lydia was like a man in uniform. How can I resist? Well, the two were madly in love and they would go on to marry in November of 1920. She must have like sucked some real good dick or something, right? That's what I was thinking. I'm like, what is up with this? Okay. Cause. What? Listen. Soon after their wedding, Paul ended up receiving papers telling him that he was being transferred to Honolulu, Hawaii, specifically to Pearl Harbor. Kind of eerie, but Pearl harbor would happen like 20 years later anyways. So they end up, you know, going to Hawaii. And in classic Lydia fashion, she asked Paul to take out a life insurance policy. She's like, you know, just in case, like anything were to happen to you, I want to, you know, be supported. But Paul being in the armed forces, you know, he had a different perspective. He told Lydia, he's like, that is not necessary because if anything happens to me, the government would take care of you, blah, blah, blah. And she's like, you know, cuz it ruined her potential financial motive here, okay? She's like, God damn it, at least I'm in Hawaii, I think. I don't know. Well, she's over there, right? But back in Twin Falls, Idaho, the suspicions and accusations surrounding the deaths of now the Dooley brothers and Edward Meyer did not die down. People were investigating. A key figure in the unfolding investigation was a chemist named Earl Dooley. Yeah, a lot of E's in the names. But Earl Dooley was the cousin of Robert and Edward. Remember, the first husband and the cousin, you know, so Earl had a feeling that both of his cousins had been poisoned by this Lydia woman, you know, so he personally was going to get some answers. And I love that he was like, I'm just going to figure it out myself. Okay. Now, Earl was also aware of the death of Lydia's fourth husband, Edward Meyer. News had traveled fast. Okay, it had. People were talking, and so that's what made him think, like, oh, maybe my cousins were actually poisoned as well, you know? So that's why he started to come kind of look into things. Now, small little world here, because the Earl guy, Earl, he had actually met up and talked to Edward Meyer during the last week of his life and remembered that Edward looked incredibly pale and sickly. He noticed, like, he couldn't even stand up on his own while they were talking. He was, like, leaning up against the house, you know, like, just to, like, try and keep upright. So Earl, with his scientific mind, he was a chemist. Did I mention that Earl was a chemist? So with his little do, do, do, do, do, he was like, I'm going to do some investigating here. Now, this part is kind of debated in the records, but here's what most people. Most reports say. They say that Earl went back to the exact spot where Edward was standing where they were talking, and he was, like, leaning against the house. And Earl had scraped some dry sand from the spot where Edward was standing. He got some sand. He collected it. So Earl had took the sand back to his lab and he did some little, you know, little science stuff. And he found traces of arsenic in the sand. Yes. Now, again, this part's a little debated. Some people say that Edward must have been, like, sweating or maybe he spit or somehow it got into the sand. But obviously, like, the finding was incredibly significant. Now, Earl wanted to be absolutely sure of his findings, so he called up another chemist and asked this chemist to independently validate the results. You know, hey, can you do some chemist stuff for me? So both of them ended up coming to the same conclusion. There was definitely arsenic present in the sand where Edward Meyer had stood. So this confirmation was pretty much like the catalyst for. For a full scale investigation into Edward's death. In April of 1921, Edward Meyer's body was exhumed and a formal postmortem investigation was done. And it showed that there was a significant amount of arsenic in Edward's body. Like, a lot. A lot. The Twin Falls County Prosecutor's office, they opened up an official investigation into the series of deaths connected to Lydia. And this investigation went deep. It wasn't just about Edward anymore. It was about everyone Lydia was involved with. So, you know, they wanted to build a solid case. So they decided to exhume the bodies of not only Edward Meyer, but also Lydia's first husband, Robert Dooley, and. And his brother, Edward Dooley. They also exhumed the body of Lydia's young daughter, Lorraine, and the bodies of her two former husbands, William and Harlan. Yeah, that's a lot of people, huh? I mean, this was a massive undertaking. But investigators, they wanted to know the truth. They needed to know the truth, and people were just putting pressure on them to get answers. Well, after they put in a lot of work, the results were in. Both Robert Dooley and Edward Dooley tested positive for arsenic. Now, the bodies of Lydia's daughter Lorraine, and husbands William and Harlan, they were also, you know, exhumed. But. But due to, like, limitations of testing at the time, they couldn't 100% confirm that arsenic was present in their bodies. But what they did note was that their bodies were very well preserved. Now, little fun fact. Arsenic isn't just a poison. It's also a highly effective preservative. I didn't know that. I was like, what? So the fact that the bodies were so well preserved made them think arsenic was probably involved. Investigators, they kept digging, though, and reportedly found traces of arsenic in Lydia's cookware. Oh, yes. Everything was pointing directly at Lydia. Well, what exactly is arsenic? Little fun lesson here, because we hear the name and we know it's poison, but its history and properties are actually, like, kind of fascinating and terrifying as well. So arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in the earth's crust? Oh, yes. It's tasteless and odorless, which makes it an ideal poison for someone who wants to, you know, do that shit. But historically, arsenic has been used for, like, a wide range of purposes. Hippocrates, the famous ancient Greek physician, often called the father of Western medicine, I guess, reportedly allegedly used arsenic to treat ulcers. Yeah. Yeah. And by the 19th century, arsenic was used in a lot of things. It was cheap. There was a lot of it. And a lot of people just didn't really fully understand how bad and toxic it was at that time. Arsenic was found in some sugary candies. It was found in cosmetic face powders, and even in paint and wallpaper. It was all over the place. Arsenic compounds could create a vivid green color, which, at the time, was Very popular. Like, arsenic would be all up in your pain, and you'd just be huffing and puffing that all day. You know, in the early 20th century, this is like before antibiotics came around, arsenic compounds were used for a lot of things again, but, like, they were used as treatment against syphilis. Yeah, it's like you have a syphilis, here's some arsenic. You'll die of that instead. None will know. But I think we mainly know about it because of how people misuse it, because you can't taste it, you can't smell it. It can easily be added into food or drink without said victim knowing. Throughout history, it's been the weapon of choice for countless poisoners. Poison poisoners? Yeah, slowly making the victim or the target sick until killing them. And people would never know at the time because they just assumed, ah, he got the flu, died. Because that's how everyone died then, you know, wild times. But back to Lydia. So detectives sniffing around, digging deeper, and the motive became very clear. Money. Lydia had collected over $7,000 from the life insurance policies from her first. First three dead husbands. In today's money, that would be around $130,000. Don't quote me, because I kind of did the math. And sometimes it said a hundred thousand, and then it kind of said 160,000. But it was. It was a lot of money. Okay. For Ms. Lydia, who grew up, you know, in. In poverty with big dreams for the finer things in life, that amount obviously life changing. So to investigators, the pattern was very clear. Marriage, life insurance, death. Cha Ching. Yeah. Now you're probably thinking, case closed. We got her. No, bitch, stay. Listen, because you will not believe this. Where. Shut up. Just listen. Just listen. So with all the evidence, you know, the arsenic found in Edward Meyer, Robert Dooley, and the Edward Dooley's bodies, the preservation of the other exhumed bodies, the traces of arsenic and Lydia's cookware, and the financial gain from the deaths, law enforcement felt that they had enough to act to make an arrest. So In May of 1921, a warrant was issued for Lydia Trueblood's arrest. But you know, Lydia wasn't in Idaho. She was in Honolulu, living with her fifth husband, Paul. The news of the investigation and warrant had reached Hawaii, and Lydia was arrested there. She then was sent back to Idaho to face her charges. Now, during this time, her. Her newest husband, Paul, he remained by her side, believing that she was 100% innocent. He was like, this is insane. These people got it all wrong. He reportedly told authorities that Lydia had Been, quote, a mighty good wife, end quote, saying that they had got it all wrong. Telling the authorities that he didn't care if she had married 10 men before him and that they all had died, that still wouldn't make her a murderess in his eyes. I mean, he was loyal. Again, Like, I don't know. She. She must have been sucking some good dick, right? Just. What? Mm. That's my theory. Or she had that gorilla grip pussy. Either way, it must have been good. I'm sorry if that's inappropriate, but what else is it? Her winning personality? I don't know. Maybe. But if I found out my partner was potentially wanted for murder, I'd be like, bye. Not sticking around. If you're innocent, I'll meet you on the other side. You know, the Twin Falls police officer who was sent to Honolulu to escort Lydia back to Idaho said that she had quite the ability to charm the men of her choice, saying that she, quote, swept the men of her choice off their feet, end quote. He went on to say that Lydia just possessed a combination of charm, attractiveness, and a bit of a manipulative nature that made her very effective at captivating men. Oh, yeah, I forgot. I wanted to Google a picture of her because, you know, during this whole thing, I forgot to look like what she looked like. Maybe she was a total babe. Maybe she had some big, old huge titties, and men were like. Let me Google a picture of her. Hold on. Lydia True Blood. Well, she. Okay, she's got. Okay, well, you know. Oh, my God. That's just so funny. I'm looking at a reward poster for Miss Lydia for fit. Like, if we find her, we'll give you $50. That's so funny. She's. She's. How would you describe homely? She seems nice. I don't know. I'm confused. Well, people loved her, Bailey, so get over it. I'm just confused. Okay, well, you know, Google that. Well, didn't. Okay. All right, moving on. So Lydia arrested. She's on trial. And her trial began in October of 1921 in Twin Falls, Idaho. Now, at this time, women were not allowed to be on the jury. You know, we weren't allowed to do anything. So it was. The jury was composed of 12 men. We weren't allowed to do anything but murder. Lydia was only formally charged with the murder of her fourth husband, Edward Meyer. Now, yes, they believe she killed all these other people, but the prosecution felt that the evidence in Edward Meyer's case, like the arsenic in his body, the timing of Lydia's visit before his rapid decline. And the eyewitness accounts of her behavior was like, the strongest. Right. Strongest evidence and would most likely lead to a conviction. When it came to the other cases, yes, they could. It was like, okay, it's probably her. But they didn't have that solid proof that she was involved, and they felt like it would be more challenging to get her convicted. You know, even though she was on trial for one murder, people still knew what was up. And the press, they wanted those, like, sensational headlines. This is when they gave Lydia the nickname Idaho's Lady Bluebeard. I was like, ooh, that's good. If you don't know, the blue beer thing is a reference to a. Or the French fairy tale written by Jeff Charles Perrault. It's French. It's a fairy tale called Bluebeard, and it's essentially about a wealthy man named Bluebeard who repeatedly married young women and then murdered them and kept their bodies hidden and locked away in his castle. So the press was having some fun there, calling her, you know, Idaho's Lady Bluebeard. I thought that. I don't know, it was just fun. It's not fun, but, like, it was just different. It's better than, like, lady killer. If you've ever read that, like, fairy tale about Bluebeard, it's supposed to be a lesson about right and wrong, immortality, and it's. There's, like, you know, a bigger lesson to it, but it's, like, really freaking creepy. Honestly, not the point. So everyone's following this. This trial. It was long. They brought in about 150 witnesses. And, you know, Lydia's current husband Paul was right there, you know, by her side the whole time. Just like, she's innocent. You've got it wrong. And then Lydia's parents, they were also there, and they stood by the fact that they believed her daughter was completely innocent. So Lydia's legal team, they tried to say that Robert Dooley and Edward Meyer died of typhoid and that Lydia must have been, like, a carrier of typhoid and had unknowingly passed the deadly infection onto her husbands and her child. Hello. It makes so much sense. Side note, did you watch our. I did a dark history episode about Typhoid Mary. Did you watch that? No. Okay, well, you should, because it's actually really interesting. And people, like, with Typhoid Mary, she was an unknown carrier, so it was kind of, like, interesting defense. They were just trying to frame the deaths as tragic accidents and not intentional murder. Huh? No, but then. Then Came the very compelling testimony from a shopkeeper in Montana. Now, this shopkeeper got on the stand and said Lydia had come into their store and purchased a large quantity of. Of arsenic laced flypaper. I was like, what is flypaper? Flypaper is that sticky stuff that flies are attracted to and then they get stuck on it and they die. You know, you have it hanging in your kitchen and stuff that well back. I don't know if it still does, but back in the day, it had a ton of arsenic in it. And a lot of people figured out if the paper was soaked in milk or water, it would extract the arsenic. I don't know who figured that out, but someone did. You know what I'm saying? So this testimony, it really seemed to seal the deal because again, she wasn't just buying, like, you know, you get one or two little fly paper things. She was buying a lot. This really did it for her. So the trial lasted for like, six weeks, and the jury ended up deliberating for like, 23 hours. Finally, they reached a verdict. Lydia Trueblood was found guilty of second degree murder. Why second? I don't remember. In the death of Edward Meyer. Now, the story is not over, so shut up and listen because it gets even crazier. Because I know you're about to exit out of this video, but I need to tell you what this woman keeps doing. So she was sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in the Idaho State Penitentiary with a maximum sentence of life. This meant that she would be eligible for parole after serving just 10 years. Which really isn't that bad, right? I was like, really? Okay. So when I was doing the story, I was like, okay, that's it. Yeah, Right. It's over. No, no. So In November of 1921, Lydia started her sentence. Right? And according to accounts from that time, Lydia was a model inmate. She was said to be cheerful, upbeat. She managed to make friends with her fellow prisoners. Everyone loved this bitch. She sure did know how to charm people, especially the prison guards. Oh, yes, of course. Oh, yes. Listen. Now, I was trying to find out how. How. But listen, this is what she did. She convinced one guard to bring her bed sheets, telling him she needed, you know, she wanted to feel cozy and I just need bed sheets, please. But then also, over time, she convinced the same guard to bring her a saw. Yeah, Now I read some reports that said she was going to use it for, like, arts and cra, like, crafting and stuff, but even then I'm like, why the f would this guy bring her a saw? But he Did. Brought her a saw. What do you think she's going to do with that? Yeah, well, of course, she used this saw to work on prying open a bar from her cell window. Now, because her fellow prisoners really liked her, they helped her out. So when she was sawing, you know, saw. When she was sawing away, apparently the other prison fellow inmates. Prisoners, they would all, like, sing or talk really loud so the guards wouldn't hear her sawing away. We're all in this together. Yeah, they really liked her. Everyone liked her. I just. I mean, I'm not saying, like, not everyone can like her, but I just. What was it? So listen, on May 4, 1931. Now, it was almost exactly 10 years into her sentence, and she was. She was months away from her parole sentence. Like, she could have got out in just a few months, but instead she made her move. Okay? She saw it away, whatever. She then used the bed sheets that she got to, you know, Scooby Doo it, threw it out the window, she climbed down out of the window, and Lydia escaped. Yeah, she got out and she made a freaking run for it. This I know. And, no, they didn't get her right away. Listen, she ends up making it all the way to Denver. And, like, I'm telling you, this shit happens so quick. She gets to Denver, she sees, like, an ad placement for a job, and this is when she meets a wealthy man named Harry. Now, she tells Harry, my name is Fern, you know, but Harry was looking for a housekeeper. So she's like, I'm here for the job. It's crazy. I can clean so well. Watch. So. So she gets hired. I guess Harry's mother had, you know, that icky feeling about Lydia. She's like, I don't like this. There's something I don't like about this woman. She knew something was fishy about her, but she just couldn't figure out what it was. So Harry's mom was kind of like, in his ear telling him, like, hey, you know, you should probably let her go. Whatever. Just, you know. But guess what, Guess what. Harry's mom died under suspicious circumstances. I sat there like, what the f. What? This one. What? Lydia is insane. You know. What? I know what? I know. I just. I literally sat in silence, like, anyways, she's insane, okay? But listen, it was said that, like, Harry and Lydia, I guess grief had brought them closer together. And Harry would go on to marry Lydia in March of 1932. What? This is not a fake story. Did they make a movie out of this? They should because what? Who would play Lydia? Who would play her? That's a good question. Okay, so they get married. Great. Oh, and I kind of left it out, but, no, I didn't. She had a different name, so that's why. Yeah, so he didn't know she was Lydia, because there were newspaper reports and stuff saying, like, hey, like, this woman broke out, like, if you find her, that whatever, and all that, but she was in Denver, so it just. Whatever. I mean, say what you will about Lydia, but her ability to find and marry men, even while on the run from prison, astounding. A plus. Wow. You did it. Way to go. I don't know. Well, Lydia seemed to be living a comfortable life in Denver with her wealthy sixth husband, Harry. Yeah, because time went by, bitch. It was said, like, she would go to church. People liked her. Harry provided for her because he's rich. And she even had a new stepson. Cause Harry had a kid already, and apparently the stepson adored her. However, she is still Lydia. It was said that Lydia asked Harry to take out a life insurance policy just in case. Run, Harry, run. Just in case what, bitch? Okay, so Lydia's, like, living her life, right? But meanwhile, back at the Idaho State Penitentiary, the warden was conducting an investigation into Lydia's escape. You know, how'd it happen? Where'd she get a saw from? Well, you know, the investigation had revealed some shocking details about the favors Lydia had received while she was incarcerated. They learned that there was another inmate involved. Okay. And this inmate had recently been released, and his name was David. Okay, David. I don't even know how they, like, got in touch with each other, but they did. But he had visited Lydia just two nights before her escape. Not only that, David was sending love letters to Lydia. I just want to know, what is it about this Lydia lady. But look, during the investigation, they determined that this escape operation involved outside help, AKA David, and manipulation. So a nationwide search happened, right? They're looking for both David and Lydia. Now, In July of 1932, the police were able to locate David, and he was in Denver. Now, David had a lot to say because Lydia had promised David, this guy, that they were gonna be together forever. You know, she's like, I love you. If you help me get out of here, we'll be together and just run away. And, like, yay. But he was super bitter because after they had escaped, she dumped his ass. And then she went and married that wealthy, hairy guy. So he was more than happy to tell investigators where she was. He was like, yeah, I know where she is Lydia somehow got word that investigators were kind of getting close. You know, she's like, oh, no, what do I know? So she ends up just, like, packing her shit and she took off to Topeka. Topeka, Right. Topeka, Kansas. She went there because that's where her. Her mom was living. I never been to Kansas. What's going on over there? Actually, I'm just thinking about it. So she goes to Topeka, Kansas, right? So while she's there, she tries to change her appearance. She ends up dying her hair. She had, like, naturally brown hair, so she dyes it black. And then she replaced her two front teeth with two front gold teeth. Yeah. She's like, I'm not Lydia. I'm someone else. Okay, Lydia. All right. But even Topeka wasn't far enough to escape her past, okay? Because the police, they were on it. I'm surprised they were on it, because on July 31, they were able to find Lydia. They sure did. They got her ass. She was arrested and sent back to the old Idaho State Penitent Penitentiary to serve the remainder of her sentence and face consequences for her escape. Now, it's not over yet. So Harry, her last husband, he found out and just found out about Lydia's past, and he had his marriage annulled. He's like, probably like, dodge that bullet, seriously. She gets rearrested, she gets put back in prison, right? And it was said that she was a role model inmate. But during her time in prison, an expose came out. Oh, yes. It was published in 1933, and it brought to light the favors that Lydia had received during her previous time in prison. Now, the report detailed instances where she had been allowed to visit her sick mother outside of prison grounds. And she was left unguarded for hours. That she had been given car rides and even allowed outings to a nearby resort, and she was allowed trips to the movies in Boise, Idaho. I think this whole expose comes out. And, like, these privileges that were just granted to a convicted murderer were shocking. People were outraged. But it also showed how Lydia really could influence and charm freaking anyone. Anyone. It. I just. I still have. I. What? Yep. Seriously, I kept asking myself, how in the world did she do it? How did she. How? How? Like she should have written a book, how to influence and charm anyone for anything you want. Because what's that one book? How to win people over and influence. Blah, blah, blah, whatever. You know what book I'm talking about. Yeah, I don't know the title, but you know what book I'm talking about. She should have Written a book on how to do that. I mean, leave out the murder part, but I would read it because. Damn. Like, what? During her time in prison, she continued to appeal her case. Okay, here's the super odd part, because, like, even complete strangers started writing to the governor of Idaho, pleading for Lydia's release. Oh, yes. Many argued that she was just a lovely young woman who was unfairly treated by the media, which then led to her conviction. Let the woman go, they said. I was like, what? What? Other letter writers said that she had simply served enough time and that she should be let go. And I was like, okay, whatever, you guys. But then in 1943, I'm not kidding you, Lydia True Blood was granted a full pardon and set free. I know. My jaw was on the floor, okay? I was like, what? What? What? Huh? I still feel that way, obviously. I'm telling you, I don't. I don't know. It reminds me of what's her name? Jodi. Jodi Arias. It reminds me of Jodi Arias a bit. Now. Jodi Arias, to be fair, is still locked up, but she had so many, like, people writing letters to her, passionate about her story, wanting her to be released. It's giving that right. Don't let that one out. She's. She's off. I did do a murder mystery and makeup on her, didn't I? Yeah, I did. Wow, that was way back. But I did do one. But she's giving that just a lot of fans. Well, the story's not over. Hold on, let me put on the lip liner. Okay? Because listen, within months of her release, Lydia, now In her early 50s, she married for the seventh and final time. What? Yes, her last husband. Well, the seventh husband, his name was Hal Shaw and he was a very wealthy man. How is she finding these people? Hal's family, when they met Lydia, they were like, hey, no, don't do that. Like, they were not happy about him marrying a convicted murderer. Hal's defense to his family was, you guys, she was pardoned. But Hal's family, low key behind the scenes, was pushing for Hal to, you know, divorce Lydia. They're like, you need to get out of this. You are like, this is not good. But before a divorce could happen, something happened to Hal. Listen, he disappeared. Vanished. Poof, gone. Hal, never seen again. To this day, nobody knows what. What happened to Hal Shaw. Now, I think we know, you and I, I think we can agree, you know, Lydia, you know, given her history, maybe she was involved. But at the end of the day, he's gone. And like Nothing's been found. His body's never been found. No trace of him has been found. So nobody could prove anything. Insane. Insane. I think she probably, like, buried him, like, under the house or something. It's always, like, under the house type of situations, you know? Maybe not. Where did he go, though? I don't know. He's under. Probably under the house. Well, single again. Okay. Lydia returned to her hometown of Twin Falls, where she was not welcome. People were like, get the hell out of here, Lydia. Shoo. So she was only there for a bit of time, and then she ended up moving to Salt Lake City, Utah. She was like, I'll go be with the Mormons. So she goes there. And that is where her story finally comes to an end. Because on February 5, 1958, at the age of 65, Lydia Trueblood went to the grocery store where she suffered from a heart attack and died. Yep. While getting some milk and eggs. Bye, bitch. At her time of death, there was rumors circulating about Lydia's body that she was completely hairless. Hairless, yes. This was believed to be a potential side effect of prolonged exposure to arsenic. It's hard to say if this is 100% true or not, but I like the idea of her looking like a naked mole rat. You know, that's fun for her. Lydia's body was returned to Twin Falls, where she was buried in the cemetery across from the graves of her parents, her daughter Lorraine, and two of her deceased husbands. Lydia's remaining family didn't want Lydia's name on the headstone because, well, for obvious reasons. So on her headstone, they put the name Anna E. Shaw. It was a name that Lydia never actually used while she was alive, but they didn't want people to know, like, you know what I'm saying? So they put her under that name. And that's where Lydia's story comes to an end. The insane story of Lydia Freaking True Blood. Some ask, was she a calculated serial killer who used poison, Poison and manipulation for financial gain? Or was she something far more complex, a product of her impoverished upbringing and just a woman who wanted a better life. I think she could be both. I think that she did it all. I think that she killed all those people 100%. But I also think it was a time when women couldn't do squattily. Damn shit. And that was, like, what she felt like was her only option was probably just like, hey, it was working for her. She was getting away with it. Am I excusing her behavior? No. She should have been locked away. Throw the key away, whatever. But like, you know, I get it. I don't know. That's probably. I don't know. You get it. You get it, but you don't get it. You get it. Okay, I'm not excusing her behavior, okay? Anyways, I really just want to know how the hell she got these men wrapped around her, her finger, like so quickly. Like, what the hell was that? Okay, what was that? What? When was her birthday? What's her sign? I forget. I don't know. Anyways, thank you for hanging out with me today. Do you think Lydia True Blood is guilty of all those murders? If you say no, get the fuck out of here. Jeez, you know, Anyways, I hope you have a good rest of your day. You stay safe, you stay curious and you make good choices. Okay, well, I'll be talking to you guys later. Goodbye.