Bertha Gifford
Bertha Alice Graham
Active for 20 years
(1909-1928) in United States
3
CONFIRMED
VICTIMS
17
POSSIBLE
VICTIMS
Jump to:
- Summary
- Serial Killer Profile
- Serial Killer Type
- General Information
- Characteristics
- Childhood
- Cognitive Ability
- Incarceration
- Death
- 5 Timeline Events
- Serial Killers Active During Spree
- Boolean Statistical Questions
- 7 Books Written About Bertha Gifford
- 4 External References
- Internal References
Bertha Gifford (born Bertha Alice Williams) an American serial killer Found not guilty by reason on insanity of three arsenic poisonings by insanity and suspected of 14 other killings, mostly children, in rural Catawissa, Missouri during the early 1900s. Gifford nursed her sick neighbors, and a total of 17 people died in her care. Gifford is one of America's earliest female serial killer behind Lydia Sherman and Jane Toppan.On November 21st 1928, following the three-day trial, Bertha Gifford was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a psychiatric hospital.
Bertha Gifford Serial Killer Profile
Serial Killer Bertha Gifford (aka) Bertha Alice Graham, was active for 20 years between 1909-1928, known to have ( 3 confirmed / 17 possible ) victims. This Serial Killer was active in the following countries: United States
Bertha Gifford was born in Morse Mill, unincorporated community in Missouri. She was raised by both parents. Gifford had nine bothers or sisters and two half-siblings. Her father, William Poindexter Williams. Her mother, Matilda Lee.
Gifford married Henry Graham, widowed, married Eugene Gifford. She had two children, one son and one daughter, Lila and James.
In 1909 Bertha Gifford started her killing spree, during her crimes as a serial killer she was known to murder her victims. She was known to kill at both her home and the home of the victim. At the time of her crimes she was living with her husband and children as a farmwife in rural Catawissa, Missouri, where Gifford was known to work as a serial killer.
She was arrested on August 25th 1928, convicted on November 21st 1928, sentenced to preventively detained, not guilty by reason of insanity at Missouri State Hospital #4 in Farmington, Missouri, US.
Bertha Gifford died on August 20th 1951
Profile Completeness: 81%
serial killers by profile completenessBertha Gifford has been listed on Killer.Cloud since November of 2016 and was last updated 5 years ago.
Bertha Gifford a known:
Bertha Gifford
Serial Killer Profile:
Updated: 2019-02-02 Collected by Killer.Cloud
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Bertha Gifford |
| Nickname: | Bertha Alice Graham |
| Victims: | 3 - 17 |
| Years Active: | 1909 - 1928 |
| Active Countries: | United States |
| Life Span: | - 1951 |
| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Female |
| Sexual Preference: | heterosexual |
| Marital Status: | married Henry Graham, widowed, married Eugene Gifford |
| Children: | two children, one son and one daughter, Lila and James |
| Living With: | her husband and children as a farmwife in rural Catawissa, Missouri |
| Occupation: | serial killer |
| Childhood Information | |
|---|---|
| D.O.B.: | N/A |
| Family Name: | Gifford |
| Given Name: | Bertha |
| Birth Location: | Morse Mill, unincorporated community in Missouri |
| Birth Order: | N/A |
| Siblings: | nine bothers or sisters and two half-siblings |
| Raised By: | both parents |
| Birth Category: | N/A |
| Mother: | Matilda Lee |
| Father: | William Poindexter Williams |
| Cognitive Ability | |
|---|---|
| IQ: | N/A |
| Highest School: | N/A |
| Highest Degree: | |
| Incarceration | |
|---|---|
| Arrested: | Aug 25, 1928 |
| Convicted: | Nov 21, 1928 |
| Sentence: | preventively detained, not guilty by reason of insanity |
| Prison Location: | Missouri State Hospital #4 in Farmington, Missouri, US |
| Executed: | N/A |
| Previous Crimes: | FALSE |
| Previous Jail: | FALSE |
| Previous Prison: | FALSE |
| Death Information | |
|---|---|
| Death Date: | Aug 20, 1951 |
| Cause of Death: | N/A |
| Death Location: | N/A |
| Killed In Prison: | FALSE |
| Suicide: | FALSE |
5 Timeline Events of Serial Killer
Bertha Gifford
The 5 dates listed below represent a timeline of the life and crimes of serial killer Bertha Gifford. A complete collection of serial killer events can be found on our Serial Killer Timeline.
| Date | Event Description |
|---|---|
| 1909 | Bertha Gifford started her serial killing spree. #1909 |
| 1928 | Bertha Gifford ended her serial killing spree. #1928 |
| Aug 25 1928 | Bertha Gifford arrested. #19280825 |
| Nov 21 1928 | Bertha Gifford was convictedand sentenced to preventively detained, not guilty by reason of insanity at Missouri State Hospital #4 in Farmington, Missouri, US. #19281121 |
| Aug 20 1951 | Bertha Gifforddied. #19510820 |
Back to top Serial Killers Active During
The following serial killers were active during the same time span as Bertha Gifford (1909-1928).
Serial Killers By Active Year
| 30 / 40 ANSWEREDSerial Killer Boolean Questions: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killer Question | Killer Answer | Total Answered | ||
| living with children | TRUE | 268 | ||
| kill at killers home | TRUE | 320 | ||
| kill at victims home | TRUE | 323 | ||
| suicide | FALSE | 225 | ||
| killed in prison | FALSE | 218 | ||
| xyy | FALSE | 81 | ||
| physically defect | FALSE | 300 | ||
| speach defect | FALSE | 300 | ||
| head injury | FALSE | 299 | ||
| psychologist | FALSE | 258 | ||
| forensic hospital | FALSE | 257 | ||
| previous crimes | FALSE | 367 | ||
| previous jail | FALSE | 352 | ||
| previous prision | FALSE | 336 | ||
| used weapon | FALSE | 453 | ||
| used gun | FALSE | 451 | ||
| rape | FALSE | 453 | ||
| torture | FALSE | 426 | ||
| stalk | FALSE | 418 | ||
| blindfold | FALSE | 363 | ||
| bound | FALSE | 406 | ||
| strangle | FALSE | 443 | ||
| sex with body | FALSE | 430 | ||
| mutilated | FALSE | 447 | ||
| ate part of body | FALSE | 451 | ||
| drank blood | FALSE | 442 | ||
| posed body | FALSE | 365 | ||
| totem body part | FALSE | 365 | ||
| totem personal item | FALSE | 354 | ||
| robbed | FALSE | 418 | ||
Books that Mention Bertha Gifford
Peter Vronsky
Female Serial Killers
Martin Lastrapes
Inside the Outside
S. Kay Murphy
Tainted Legacy
Larry Wilson
Chasing Shadows
David E. Harkins
Haunted Graveyards of the Ozarks
S. Kay Murphy
The Tainted Legacy of Bertha Gifford
Larry Wood
Wicked Women of Missouri
7 Books that mention Serial Killer
Bertha Gifford
| ISBN10 | Book Title | Author | Killers Mentioned | Killers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0425213900 | Female Serial Killers | Peter Vronsky | 30 Total Including Marybeth Tinning | 30 |
| 0615440290 | Inside the Outside | Martin Lastrapes | Bertha Gifford | 1 |
| 160563803x | Tainted Legacy | S. Kay Murphy | Bertha Gifford | 1 |
| 0979040191 | Chasing Shadows | Larry Wilson | Bertha Gifford | 1 |
| 1625840527 | Haunted Graveyards of the... | David E. Harkins | Bertha Gifford | 1 |
| 1530983487 | The Tainted Legacy of Ber... | S. Kay Murphy | Bertha Gifford | 1 |
| 162585739x | Wicked Women of Missouri | Larry Wood | Bertha Gifford | 1 |
Bertha Alice Williams Graham Gifford (October 1871 – August 20, 1951) was a farmwife in rural Catawissa, Missouri during the early 1900s who was accused of murdering three members of the local community and suspected in 15 additional deaths. Some consider her to be America's third female serial killer, behind Lydia Sherman and Jane Toppan.
External References
- Q253036 on www.wikidata.org, Retrieved on Feb 2, 2019.
- Bertha Gifford on en.wikipedia.org, Retrieved on Feb 2, 2019.
- Juan Ignacio Blanco, Bertha GIFFORD on murderpedia.org, Retrieved on Feb 2, 2019.
- 23 Nov 1928, Page 1 - Republican Tribune on newspapers.com, Retrieved on Feb 2, 2019.
Internal References
Bertha Gifford is included in the following pages on Killer.Cloud the Serial Killer Database
- #49 of 651[ Page 4 ] of serial killers sorted by Years Active
- #65 of 75[ Page 5 ] of Female Serial Killers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #196 of 651[ Page 14 ] of the A-Z List of Serial Killers
- #217 of 651[ Page 15 ] of serial killers sorted by Profile Completeness
- #300 of 327[ Page 20 ] of Serial Killers active in the United States
- #609 of 651[ Page 41 ] of serial killers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- Statistics:
- Serial Killers Statistics, charts Bertha Gifford is included in: Active Serial Killers by Country, Serial Killers By Gender, Sexual Preference, Active Serial Killers by Year and Statistical Boolean Questions.
- Years Active: