Podcast Summary: Murder, Mystery & Makeup

Host: Bailey Sarian (Audioboom Studios)
Episode: The Grandma Who Poisoned Her Family (and Laughed About It) Nannie Doss Podcast Exclusive
Date: October 21, 2025

Overview

In this exclusive audio episode, Bailey Sarian uncovers the chilling life and crimes of Nannie Doss, infamously dubbed the "Giggling Granny" and "Black Widow." With her signature mix of true crime storytelling and dark humor, Bailey explores how a seemingly sweet grandmother systematically poisoned at least 11 members of her family—husbands, children, and others—over several decades, all while maintaining a façade of charm and affection. The episode delves into Doss's traumatic upbringing, her notorious string of marriages, the suspicious deaths surrounding her, and her eventual capture thanks to a suspicious doctor and one fateful autopsy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Nannie Doss’s Early Life and Family Background

• Born 1905 as Nancy Hazel in tiny Blue Mountain, Alabama (Population: “like 528 people” [00:58]).
• Childhood ruled by her "abusive and very controlling" father, Papa Jim.
• Limited schooling (only to fifth grade); forced into labor on the family farm.
• Suffered a traumatic head injury at age 7 on a train, a detail Bailey notes as a common thread among serial killers.

  “Usually, traumatic head injuries… there’s always that common thread when it comes to some serial killers.” — Bailey [01:47]

First Marriage: Charlie Braggs

• Met at 16 while working at a textile mill (1921); quickly married with her father’s enthusiastic approval.
• Lived with Charlie's controlling mother.

  “…kind of a bummer for Nanny, because it turns out Charlie’s mom was just as controlling as her own father…” — Bailey [07:05]

• Had four daughters by age 22 (1927).
• Marriage marred by infidelity on both sides.
• Two daughters died suddenly in 1927, reportedly from food poisoning, sparking rumors about Nanny’s role.
• Charlie soon left her, taking the eldest daughter and leaving Nanny with their newborn and his mother.

Second Marriage: Frank Harrelson

• Met via Lonely Hearts columns, communicating through racy letters (“her responses were a little sexual…for the time” [09:08]).
• Married in 1929; Frank revealed as an abusive alcoholic.
• Nanny’s daughter Melvina began a family, but both Melvina’s newborn daughter and two-year-old son died mysteriously while in Nanny’s care.

  “Melvina thought Nanny killed the baby by sticking a hairpin into the baby’s head, which is, like, kind of random, huh?” — Bailey [12:15]

• Nanny collected insurance policies after her grandson’s death.
• Frank was murdered by poisoned moonshine after he sexually assaulted Nanny; his last words:

  “‘It must have been the coffee.’” — Frank Harrelson, according to Bailey [14:43]

The Pattern of Poison & Collecting Insurance

• Each time, Nanny collected life insurance on her husbands and sometimes other family members.
• Used the money to improve her lifestyle—buying homes, supporting travel, and seeking new partners.

Third Marriage: Arlie Lanning

• Met through another Lonely Hearts ad, married 1946.
• Marriage marked by Arlie’s drinking and infidelity; Nanny’s absences explained as visits to family, especially her sister Dovey (who died during a visit).
• Arlie died after being poisoned, his death attributed to heart failure amid a flu epidemic.
• Their home burned down soon after, and Arlie’s mother died in her sleep.
• Nanny benefited from insurance due to the timely house fire.

Fourth Marriage: Richard L. Morton

• Met via the Diamond Circle Club newsletter; he appeared financially secure but was secretly in debt.
• Nanny’s mother moved in and died shortly after.
• Richard continued seeing other women; killed by poison in 1953.
• Nanny collected $1,400 in insurance (about $16,600 today).

Fifth Marriage: Sam Doss

• Sam, different from previous husbands: sober, thrifty, and non-abusive.
• Nanny disliked his boring, restrictive habits and him controlling her spending.
• After Nanny left, Sam took out two life insurance policies naming her as beneficiary.
• Upon her return, Nanny poisoned Sam with a prune cake and later a spiked dinner/coffee.
• Sam’s prolonged illness and eventual death prompted suspicion from his doctor, leading to an autopsy.

Capture & Confession

• Sam Doss’s autopsy revealed massive arsenic poisoning (“enough…to kill a horse” [29:27]).
• Nanny’s reaction to police was flippant; she initially denied knowing her previous husband until shown insurance papers.

  “‘Well, you got me trapped. I guess I did know him.’” — Nannie Doss [30:37]

• Confessed to murdering Sam and other husbands after police withheld her magazines as leverage.
• Maintained her giggling, nonchalant demeanor throughout questioning, which made her notorious as “the Giggling Granny.”

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

• Initially committed for psychiatric evaluation; prosecution and defense debated her sanity.
• Defense claimed she functioned “on the level of a five or six-year-old child”; prosecutors asserted narcissistic personality disorder.

  “What five or six year old knows how to cash like insurance checks, you know? But okay.” — Bailey [33:33]

• Daughter Melvina publicly claimed she believed her mother was guilty.
• Nannie ruled competent to stand trial; pleaded guilty to Sam’s murder to avoid the death penalty.
• Sentenced to life in prison (Oklahoma had never executed a woman before; judge cited precedent and “fragility”).
• Other suspected murders (children, mothers, etc.) were not prosecuted due to jurisdiction, costs, and certainty she'd never be released.

Nannie’s Final Years & Legacy

• Served 10 years before dying of leukemia in prison.
• remained unrepentant and playful, even joking about being banned from kitchen duties in prison:

  “‘When they get shorthanded in the kitchen here, I always offer to help out, but they never do let me.’” — Nannie Doss [41:35]

• Bailey reflects on society’s failure to recognize warning signs, the topic of women’s rights, and the “perfect storm” that allowed Nannie’s crimes to go undetected for so long.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Nannie’s Upbringing:

  “Her father was kind of giving—foosball is the devil!” — Bailey [03:24]

• On Patterns Among Serial Killers:

  “Usually, traumatic head injuries… there’s always that common thread when it comes to some serial killers.” — Bailey [01:47]

• On Manipulating Systems:

  “She made herself the beneficiary and quietly set up a financial safety net that only she could access.” — Bailey [12:53]

• On Nannie’s Nonchalance:

  “‘Well, you got me trapped. I guess I did know him.’” — Nannie Doss [30:37]

• On Her Giggling Persona:

  “She would just start giggling… and her sweet grandmotherly looks is what got her the nickname that would stick forever, the Giggling Granny.” — Bailey [31:18]

• On Not Being Allowed to Work in the Prison Kitchen:

  “‘When they get shorthanded in the kitchen here, I always offer to help out, but they never do let me…’” — Nannie Doss [41:35]

• On Systemic Failures:

  “How many red flags were ignored… I mean, all dying mysteriously. The insurance claims, the house fire, the insurance claims. I mean, come on.” — Bailey [43:15]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–02:20: Nannie’s background in Blue Mountain, Alabama; family and early trauma.
• 06:46–14:55: First and second marriages; suspicious child and husband deaths; insurance fraud beginnings.
• 18:25–27:02: Subsequent marriages; deaths of spouses and relatives; insurance and arson.
• 27:02–34:58: The murder of Sam Doss; autopsy, investigation, and Nannie’s confession.
• 34:58–41:20: Legal proceedings, trial, and Nannie’s sentence.
• 41:20–End: Nannie’s prison years, unrepentant attitude, and Bailey’s reflections.

Tone & Style

Bailey’s narrative is a blend of dark humor, pop culture references, and accessible true crime storytelling:

• Wry asides (“lock up your prune cake,” and “he had it coming” in a nod to Chicago)
• Pop references (The Waterboy, Chicago the musical)
• Empathetic towards victims, but not excusing of Nannie
• Regular rhetorical asides exploring social context, especially for women in the early to mid-20th century

Final Reflection

Bailey drives home the dangers of underestimating those who fit society’s stereotypes of innocence (“the sweet grandma next door”), and how outdated gender roles and systemic blind spots enabled Nannie Doss to escape suspicion for decades. The story closes with a sobering warning about the potential for history to repeat itself if vigilance—and women’s rights—are taken for granted.

This episode provides a detailed, gripping account of Nannie Doss’s crimes—woven with wit, historical insight, and a focus on the societal failings that allowed a serial killer to thrive behind a grandmotherly mask.