Podcast
Morbid
The book details the life and trial of Nellie May Madison, the first woman to be sentenced to death in California. The book delves into the many trials and tribulations she endured, including her tumultuous marriages and the accusations against her for the murder of her husband.
According to historian Kathleen Carnes, who I'm going to reference a lot here, she is like so well-rounded on this one particular, I'm sure on many stories, but specifically on this story.
— Episode: Episode 592: Nellie May Madison: Califor...
Episode: Episode 592: Nellie May Madison: California’s Firs...
The book details the life and trial of Nellie May Madison, the first woman to be sentenced to death in California. The book delves into the many trials and tribulations she endured, including her tumultuous marriages and the accusations against her for the murder of her husband.
According to historian Kathleen Carnes, who I'm going to reference a lot here, she is like so well-rounded on this one particular, I'm sure on many stories, but specifically on this story.
She said brothers worked as a cowboy and Nellie was an expert horseback rider, so she could have met him at a local rodeo, but in truth, no one knew how the two came to meet.
Karnes noted a moment following her arrest in 1934 when a reporter asked to describe her adolescence and Nellie said it was unhappy.
She was outraged, but her outrage was quickly replaced by shock when Eric lashed out at her, claiming that he'd only been with her in order to access the inheritance from her mother.
He alleged that their marriage, quote unquote, was a stunt that he arranged in which he got a friend in Salt Lake City to play the role of a minister, to make Nelly think that their marriage was official.