227: Lavinia Fisher
Reportedly the First Female Serial Killer in the United States
Born: 1793, South Carolina, United States of America
Died: 18 February 1820, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
Lavinia may have been from Charleston, South Carolina but that remains unclear.
What is known is that she lived six miles from Charleston with her husband and operated a bed and breakfast—called the Six Mile Wayfarer House.
Authorities began to notice a string of men disappearing and they had all been last seen at Six Mile.
It is believed she drugged the guests with tea and then she and her husband killed those same guests. Several bodies were found on the property, but she and her husband could not be definitely proven to be the killers and instead they were hung for robbing the guests which was still a capital offense.
Many argue and disagree over whether she was the first female serial killer in the United States or not for these reasons.
Today, her ghost reportedly haunts the old prison where she was kept before being put to death.
Her story was recounted in an episode of Travel Channel’s Monumental Mysteries entitled "Grand Central Occult; Superhero Surfer; Charleston Jail."
Badges Earned:
Find a Grave Marked
Located In My Personal Library:
Outlaw Women: America's Most Notorious Daughters, Wives, and Mothers by Robert Barr Smith
Sources:
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/sc-laviniafisher/
https://ghostcitytours.com/charleston/lavinia-fisher/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/119735321/lavinia-fisher