Serial Killer: The Pittsburgh Poisoner

True Crime by Chris Bunton

Martha Grinder was hanged on January 19, 1866. She was one of only two women executed in Pittsburgh history.

She was convicted and confessed to the poisoning of two people. Her neighbor Mary Caroline Carothers, and a former maid Jane Buchanan, both of which died under mysterious circumstances after Martha and her husband George had moved to Pittsburgh from Louisville.

After the story broke, the speculation about her actual number of victims grew to include a former husband, her current husband’s brothers, Samuel and Jeremiah, along with two other neighbors. J.M. Johnston, and Marguerite Smith.

Who knows how many victims might have existed in Louisville. She might have moved from there to escape suspicion.

It seems that her methods of killing was to give a victim poison, making them sick. Then pretending to care for the now wretched soul. This made her appear to be a kind loving neighbor or family member. But, she poisoned these people over the course of weeks as she pretended to bring healing and comfort. She let them suffer under the pain and torture of arsenic and antimony poisoning.

Antimony is a metal ore found in the Earth’s crust. It has many uses but as a poison, it is similar to arsenic except it is weaker. It’s consumption leads to heart damage.

Imagine this wonderful neighbor lady helping you, or your sick spouse while you are away at work. She brings coffee, tea and chicken soup. Maybe a biscuit with homemade jam. She puts a cool towel on the sweaty brow. She holds the bowl while the ill person vomits, perhaps even wiping their mouth with love and a smile of compassion. But, all the while enjoying the torment and making it last slowly with daily drops of death.

She started poisoning Mary Caroline Carothers, her neighbor after moving to a second house in Pittsburgh. She then started caring for Mary as the woman suffered and died. The victim’s husband James, became suspicious because he also was constantly feeling sick.

This led to the body of Mary Carothers and Jane Buchanan being exhumed and looked at more carefully. Poison was discovered.

Martha Grinder was arrested on August 26, 1865. She was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to hang all within 3 months. The sentence was carried out within 5 months.

A newspaper article of the day described her hanging as such:

“The Troy “Times” contains the following account of Mrs. Martha Grinder, the poisoner, whose sufferings on the gallows, owing to an insufficient drop, and the faulty arrangement of the fatal noose, were terrible to witness: “Mrs. Martha Grinder, who was executed in Pittsburg on Friday last, will stand out as one of the most noted criminals of the world. She was professedly a religious woman, and of kind and agreeable manners, and while manifesting a tender and affectionate interest in her victims, was constantly dosing them with poison. Her confession, just before she was led to the scaffold, discloses some of the horrid deeds she had perpetrated, and confirms the testimony upon which she was convicted.”

It appears that there was no real motive or gain to be had from the murders. She just seemed to be doing it out of the enjoyment of watching people suffer and perhaps the thrill of being labelled a kind person for taking care of them. It is assumed that her and her husband would gain financially from the death of the brothers Samuel and Jeremiah, because of an inheritance. But, that is speculation.

Martha Grinder continues to be notorious among Pittsburgh criminals

***

What causes a person to start poisoning her family and neighbors? You could almost suspect that she and many other women poisoned husbands who were abusive to them. You could possibly understand it.

But she also poisoned neighbors, and other family members; some of whom were women. Was she jealous? Did she kill the maid, because she suspected her husband of cheating? Maybe it was the same with the neighbors.

Or was it really just a desire to see suffering?

Of course, as I’ve stated before, I think it’s demons. Malevolent spiritual beings whispering into the minds of people who decide they want to listen to the thoughts, and go through with it. People who get trapped in a snare of control, almost like an addiction. A lust for blood, revenge or sex. A desire to quiet those voices and urges burning in the mind.

Sources and further reading:

https://unknownmisandry.blogspot.com/2011/09/martha-grinder-pittsburg-serial-killer.html

https://www.executedtoday.com/2011/01/19/1866-martha-grinder-the-pittsburgh-borgia/

https://state-killings-in-the-steel-city.org/2018/02/15/martha-grinder/

Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois.

Cover Photo from the University of Cincinnati

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