Bertha Gifford

Bertha Alice Graham

  Active for 20 years
(1909-1928) in United States

3

CONFIRMED
VICTIMS

17

POSSIBLE
VICTIMS
Jump to:
  1. Summary
  2. Serial Killer Profile
  3. Serial Killer Type
  4. General Information
  5. Characteristics
  6. Childhood
  7. Cognitive Ability
  8. Incarceration
  9. Death
  10. 5 Timeline Events
  11. Serial Killers Active During Spree
  12. Boolean Statistical Questions
  13. 7 Books About Bertha Gifford
  14. 4 External References
  15. 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 completeness

Bertha 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
ANSWERED
Serial 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

Book: Female Serial Killers (mentions serial killer Bertha Gifford)
Peter Vronsky
Female Serial Killers
Book: Inside the Outside (mentions serial killer Bertha Gifford)
Martin Lastrapes
Inside the Outside
Book: Tainted Legacy (mentions serial killer Bertha Gifford)
S. Kay Murphy
Tainted Legacy
Book: Chasing Shadows (mentions serial killer Bertha Gifford)
Larry Wilson
Chasing Shadows
Book: Haunted Graveyards of the Ozarks (mentions serial killer Bertha Gifford)
David E. Harkins
Haunted Graveyards of the Ozarks
Book: The Tainted Legacy of Bertha Giffor... (mentions serial killer Bertha Gifford)
S. Kay Murphy
The Tainted Legacy of Bertha Gifford
Book: Wicked Women of Missouri (mentions serial killer Bertha Gifford)
Larry Wood
Wicked Women of Missouri

7 Books that mention Serial Killer
Bertha Gifford

ISBN10 Book Title Killers
0425213900 Female Serial Killers 30
0615440290 Inside the Outside 1
160563803x Tainted Legacy 1
0979040191 Chasing Shadows 1
1625840527 Haunted Graveyards of the... 1
1530983487 The Tainted Legacy of Ber... 1
162585739x Wicked Women of Missouri 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.

Wikipedia
External References
  1. Q253036 on www.wikidata.org, Retrieved on Feb 2, 2019.
  2. Bertha Gifford on en.wikipedia.org, Retrieved on Feb 2, 2019.
  3. Juan Ignacio Blanco, Bertha GIFFORD on murderpedia.org, Retrieved on Feb 2, 2019.
  4. 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

  1. #49 of 651[ Page 4 ] of serial killers sorted by Years Active
  2. #65 of 75[ Page 5 ] of Female Serial Killers sorted by Confirmed Victims
  3. #196 of 651[ Page 14 ] of the A-Z List of Serial Killers
  4. #217 of 651[ Page 15 ] of serial killers sorted by Profile Completeness
  5. #300 of 327[ Page 20 ] of Serial Killers active in the United States
  6. #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: