Death Sentence: The True Story of Velma Barfield's Life, Crimes, and Execution

by Jerry Bledsoe

A haunting true story that resonates with today's headlines, Death Sentence takes us inside the life of a multiple killer - and the only woman to be executed in the United States from 1962 until 1998. On February 3, 1978, North Carolina farmer Stuart Taylor was rushed to the hospital. His forty-six-year-old fiancee, Velma Barfield, a devout Sunday school teacher, held vigil at his bedside. But prayers couldn't save him. An autopsy revealed that arsenic had killed him. To those who knew her, Velma was a devoted mother and grandmother, a sweet and selfless caregiver. But her life was a fragile web of lies that unraveled with alarming speed, exposing a deeply disturbed woman addicted to prescription drugs, driven to bouts of suicidal despair. And murder. Turned over to the police by her son, Velma stunned her family by admitting to having murdered four people over the course of ten years - including her own mother. But there were secrets she held back... secrets not known until now

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

371 pages, Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 1998

About the author

Jerry Bledsoe is the author of "The New York Times "#1 bestseller "Bitter Blood, "and others. He has written for "Esquire, The New York Times, "and many other publications. He lives in North Carolina and Virginia.

Reviews

[Forgetfulone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story about the first woman executed in the U. S. since the ban was lifted in 1976. Velma Barfield (also known as Margie) was a woman convicted of the murder of her fiance' Stuart Taylor in North Carolina in 1978 by poisoning him with arsenic.

This book chronicles her horrific childhood, her descent into drug abuse, and her "redemption" through Christianity, which, of course, occured after her conviction. Velma was only convicted of one murder, but she confessed to at least six, including her own mother. She claimed she only wanted to make her fiance' sick (with ant poison), but she did not lift a finger to help any of the people she killed. She watched 4 of them die a painful and agonizing death.

This story is extremely thorough in its details, but I feel the author spends too much time on Velma's day-to-day life once she is in prison. I got tired of reading what she had for breakfast, what she read, who she talked to, what songs she sang, who she received letters from (including the Rev. Billy Graham and his wife), and every little detail about her days. The narrative makes it obvious that the author is opposed to the death penalty rather than telling the story from a neutral viewpoint. Admittedly, it made me examine my views on the issue, and I am still unsure. After all, a jury determined her punishment according to North Carolina law at the time.

While on death row, "Miss Margie," also know as "Death Row Granny" touched many lives in a positive way, but I had a difficult time feeling empathy due to the terrible crimes she committed. I don't think the author focused enough on her victims. Her children were also victims, and the story does discuss how these events affected them. It was her son who turned her in. She was, in the end, executed by lethal injection in 1984 at the age of 52. She was the first woman in the U.S. executed by lethal injection. Another woman would not be executed in the U.S. until 1998.

If you're interested in true crime, female serial killers, the debate over the death penalty, and you have time for a rather long book, then you might like to read this one.

[Jeanine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fascinating book at first; throughout the trial, appeals and execution. It then became an ongoing, preachy sermon while extolling the virtues of this wonderful woman, a SERIAL KILLER that poisoned to death four people including her own mother! The victims are barely mentioned. This women tore apart her victim's family's lives including her own children's. Turned my stomach.

[Theresa Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book i thoroughly enjoyed reading this book it kept me interested until the last page.Well written and an enjoyable read i am looking forward to reading more books by Jerry Bledsoe.

[Noah Goodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been edited down by about half

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. I truly believe that Velma was a changed person while in prison but that doesn’t erase her earlier brutal crimes. Great true crime read!