Depending on the state, you can request copies or try to locate a birth certificate by contacting the local or state Health Department where the person died. feel that women should be treated more leniently in respect of the death With obituary, cemetary, and burial records, you can uncover details like: Time and location of death. Barbara got lots of media attention and was These videos are in no way faked, edited or meant to be misleading in anyway. Photo of Mrs. Harriett Henson Santo, wife of defendant Jack This is Case File 1 of our series Women Executed on Death Row. A call he spoke about so many years later. She was sent to the reformatory where her mother had also She had requested the blindfold so she wouldn't have to see Attorney Ward Sullivan confers with defendant Jack Santo while She also examines the ease with which police, prosecutors, reporters and others shape the public narrative. Finally, after a tortuous hour and a half, the near-hysterical prisoner entered the death chamber. charge of the execution and it was his job to strap her into the chair. old and thus Barbara was raised by neighbors and got little education. Barbara Graham, alongside Jack Santo and Emmitt Perkins, were all convicted of first-degree murder and handed death sentences for the robbery and murder. the answer? dubbed "Bloody Babs" by them. herself. Luckily for prosecutors, John True had no interest in pursuing crime as a career, and no qualms about telling the whole story, bloody detail by bloody detail, in exchange for immunity. Subsequently, John True became a witness for the state in exchange for immunity from prosecution. She was executed 14 years before Barbara Graham. Although Graham's story is largely forgotten today, Cairns said, she remains a powerful symbol of a woman marginalized by society, abused by the legal system and besmirched by the media. WHEN BARBARA GRAHAM died in San Quentin's gas chamber, she became the thirty-seventh woman executed in the United States in the twentieth century. Her mother was sent to a reformatory when she was only two years It was with a profound feeling of sadness, and an uneasy heart that loved ones and family members, as well as colleagues, and colleagues announced the sudden death of one of her beloved family members. Mrs. Mabel Monohan. She won an Oscar for the portrayal. a fellow "inmate" to give her an alibi. hello everyone today's video is on BARBARA GRAHAM, was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin Prison on the same day as two convicted accomplices, Jack Santo and Emmett Perkins, all of whom. "[13], Graham was convicted, while the informant was immediately released from jail, and her (informant's) sentence commuted to time served. As a teenager, she was promiscuous and in Her ex son-in-law was 74-year-old Luther B. Scherer (1879-1957), a multi-millionaire who was well known through his ownership of various gambling clubs in locations such as Palm Springs and casinos in Las Vegas. [6] It is supposed that Graham began working near the Oakland Army Base, Oakland Naval Supply Depot, and Alameda Naval Air Station. "In a situation like this you don't moan, you don't beg, On June 2, 1955 Barbara Graham was removed from Corona and transferred to San Quentin for execution her time was set for 10:00 a.m. Santo and Perkins were scheduled for a couple of hours later. Due to a last The gang thought their victim would be more likely to trust another woman. Death of Barbara Graham. It was also thought he had ties with a number of crime syndicates. They were involved in various nefarious activities. "The victim was a Burbank woman named Mable Monahan. Discover How Prohibition Influenced Modern-Day L.A. After hearing of what happened to Shorter, a man named William Upshaw, a convicted felon, stepped forward to testify before the grand jury. Once the door was open Monahan could be subdued, tied up and the house ransacked. "It's easier that way. This destroyed her credibility in court. penalty and it is difficult to see in the pursuit of justice any sensible Jordans carnival comes to town: House Judiciary Committee hearing on Manhattan crime was a silly sideshow, Discipline, please: The Civilian Complaint Review Board substantiates misconduct against the NYPDs chief of department, The unfair SALT cap must go: Limiting deduction of state and local taxes is an unjust penalty that must be repealed, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. in 1998 who was attractive while hardly any interest in the execution of. They will post details of the deceaseds funeral and other related ceremonies on the online platform of their choice. Born on 6/26/23, Graham might be celebrating her 85th birthday today if she hadn't been convicted. . This is the True Crime story about Barbara Graham. But if there was an earthly power who helped both raise him up and keep his . executed June 3, 1955. She started an affair with Perkins, who told her about a 64-year-old widow, Mabel Monohan, who was alleged to keep a large amount of cash in her home in Burbank. individually deny their guilt and blame the others but who is telling the It was believed using Graham was the only way Monohan would open her front door for them to gain entry. However, while the movie may have been fictionalized, there is still some doubt about Graham's guilt and the manner in which it was 'proved'.[21]. 0. Upon release from reform school, Hortense refused to allow Barbara to stay with her and ultimately this led to her being raised by extended family and neighbours. death row channel will delete any comment with such contentTHIS VIDEO, AND ALL THE OTHERS IN THIS CHANNEL, are based on publicly available information unless otherwise noted. in a cocktail bar but soon went back to prostitution to earn a living. With him she had a third child, named Tommy. to death. the night of the murder. She didn't go till 11:30. was a steel capsule painted pale green and containing two perforated metal It is notable that there was very moving. Susan Hayward signed on to play Graham. All of the men knew Monohan through Scherer however they were all released due to lack of evidence. According to Shorter and Trues testimony, Barbara Graham then handed a gun to Perkins and told him to knock her out. Wanger jumped at the chance to tell Graham's tragic story, bringing aboard director Robert Wise and screenwriters Don Mankiewicz and Nelson Gidding. By the time the baby reached the terrible 2's, Hortense herself had raised enough hell to be shipped off to the girls' reform school in Ventura. Only True, who turned state witness in exchange for immunity, could place her at the murder scene, and there were no weapons, fingerprints or other physical evidence linking her to the crime. final hours. However Shorter, once alone, purportedly called for help from a pay phone. A group of people go The grave site of Barbara Graham / Plot 80596700. surprisingly, was said to enjoy classical music but she also liked gambling and It is speculated that he had deep ties to various crime syndicates. She married Harry Kielhamer (19131993), a U.S. Coast Guardsman, in 1940, and enrolled in a business college and soon had her first two children. She also had two baby boys, which she left with the father, her first husband, when that marriage dissolved. Barbara Graham was asked to come along to get Monohan to open the door. Regardless, the cause of death was asphyxia due to strangulation. are those who maintain her innocence. gangster moll was Graham was born Barbara Elaine Ford in Oakland, California to young, unwed mother Hortense Ford from Santa Cruz, who earned her living through prostitution. They never found the safe, and fled empty-handed, somehow overlooking their victim's expensive jewelry. "Mother from hell, Hortense Wood, led to rise of Barbara 'Bloody Babs' Graham", "California, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1850-1941 [database on-line]. Her execution was originally scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on the 3rd of June, 1955. A former journalist, Cairns has dedicated her career as a historian to documenting women who defy society's expectations. Isaac John Gayo returns to LA, Ralph Yarl: 85-year-old man arrested in shooting of Missouri teen, Karen Bass addresses homeless crisis, port delays in LA City Address, What it takes to be 'middle class' in California. "Count to 10 after you hear the cyanide tablets drop, and then take a deep breath," one officer whispered to her. guards were present in the viewing area. 4 - bartender Henry Graham - in a Los Angeles gin mill. led from the holding cell blindfolded and strapped into one of the two chairs Barbara Graham was born in 1923 in Oakland, California. have to serve more than seven years - I want it the way it is. ", Barbara described herself as "paying The marriage was not a success and by 1941 she was divorced. Her wild ride ended in the gas chamber at San Quentin. Canon Barbara Graham: The funeral service of Rev. Barbaras body was claimed Years later, Barbara would tell a reporter that she was certain her mother didn't care whether she lived or died "as long as I didn't bother her.". 14 15. another attempt to live a decent life, she worked for a while as a nurse in Nevada. dubbed "Bloody, Two films were made about her both called after the prosecutor ", He would lower the lever that would cause the cyanide pellets to drop into a bowl of sulfuric acid under the chair. [1], Released from reform school in 1939, Graham tried to make a new start for herself. Her ex-son in law was none other than Luther B Scherer, a multi millionaire who was known for owning a number of gambling clubs in a variety of places. fourth gang member called John True went to the old lady's house and demanded After many failed appeals and on her execution day multiple stays of execution, Barabara Graham was taken to the death chamber. old and thus Barbara was raised by neighbors and got little education. defense. she hand it over to them. then special feature writer for the Los Angeles Herald-Express. It is often impossible to say who struck the fatal blow - should Nicknamed "Bloody Babs" by the press, Graham was the third woman in California to be executed by gas.[1]. Cause of death. Should we deem them all to be guilty and thus Babs' lives on Barbara Graham was a prostitute, drug addict, and a murderess who was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin in 1955 along with two accomplices. Image: Bloody Babs Says Goodbye to Tommy April 21, 2014. Shorter claimed that at this point he threw Perkins to the floor and convinced True to remove the gag because he noticed Monohan was having trouble breathing. pulled a pillow case over Barbara Graham died within minutes of inhaling the gas. she hand it over to them. Murderess. Through him, Barbara met his criminal friends Jack Santo and Emmett Perkins. One of the policemen who She was previously married to Henry Graham, Charles Oldman, Al Bushnell and Harry Kleman. The inmate, however, was working to reduce her own sentence, and the "friend", who offered to say he was with Graham the night of the murder, was a police officer. that it was gas chamber there in 1955. Birth information. [8] One rumor that was widely circulated amongst criminals and in local bars was that Scherer, due to his deep trust of Monohan, had left $100,000 ($1,044,292 value in 2022) cash stashed in a safe within the residence.[4][9]. witnessed her execution, Detective Ed Cassidy, told reporters afterwards that According to Cairns, the case against Graham was circumstantial. reason why they should be, at least in theory. She died on June 3, 1955 in San Quentin, California, USA. She was right. She died relatively easily unlike some gas granted - this time until. Barbara Graham was born on June 26, 1923 in Oakland, California, USA. Barbara described herself as "paying She was left strapped to the death chair for an hour and a half as the deadly fumes were sucked out. The press soon nicknamed Barbara Graham bloody babs. Once Monohan opened the door for Graham, Perkins, Santo and True came in behind her, followed later by Shorter. Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. Women in Compton and South Central Los Angeles were influential in the development of Hip Hop on the West Coast. To keep creating (1958) and I Want to Live (1983). Two films were made about her both called True, Barbara lost patience and began to pistol whip the old lady and then Unlike other crime dramas of the era, "I Want to Live!" The car with Barbara handcuffed in the backseat arrived at San Quentin in the wee hours of the morning. ", Putnam wouldn't intervene, but others tried says Pete Noyes. It was through Henry that Barbara Graham would meet his friends Jack Santo and Emmett the weasel Perkins, both of whom had criminal records. She served a five-year sentence for perjury as a false alibi witness for two petty criminals, and served her sentence at the California Women's State Prison at Tehachapi, California. And, Barbara Graham and the two meatheads she worked with they decided that he was probably laundering ill-gotten gains with Mable Monahan," said Retired KTTV Investigative Reporter Pete Noyes "So, they broke into her house. Upon release at age 21, Hortense refused to allow Graham to live with her. the Murderpedia project stay alive. However, this inmate was an informant and the friend a police officer; they recorded the whole conversation in which she admitted she was there. Perkins and Santo were soon arrested. Little did she know that Prow's friend was an uncover cop, and that her jailhouse sweetheart had betrayed her for a reduced sentence. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. plans and enthusiasm her husband. However, once they had all gone their separate ways, Shorter reportedly called for help from a pay phone, although the address he gave was wrong. The 1958 movie was based on real events. for immunity from prosecution and they were all three convicted and sentenced Perkins' business was illegal gambling, and soon Barbara was playing the role of "come-on girl," luring men from bars to Perkins' crooked gaming tables. You've gotta save my life.' was pronounced dead at 11.42 a.m. Barbara strained against the As a teenager, she was promiscuous and in Her unwed mother gave birth to a second daughter Claire Elizabeth. that tells the story through standards, original tunes, and dramatic interludes. Gram Parsons died on September 19, 1973, in room eight of the Joshua Tree Inn, near Joshua Tree National Park. ", Noyes added, "She was quivering and shaking to her death.". And, I went up to Norco. suit and brown pumps and had been allowed lipstick and earrings. His fight for life was international news until his execution in 1960. a familiar story?). Barbara Graham (center) is escorted away by Deputy Sheriff's after the prosecutor demanded the death penalty. huge interest in and protests over the execution of Karla Faye Tucker in Texas Barbara was innocent or guilty or partially guilty by virtue of being involved So, Monohan was only discovered two days later by her gardener. She prepared herself and dressed in a beige wool That changed on the night of March 9, 1953. On this date in 1955, Barbara Graham was gassed at California's San Quentin Prison, along with two confederates in the brutal murder of an elderly widow. crime. 1962) and only one other woman was executed in America between 1955 and 1984. Alford Autry Graham Sr. Obituary, Cause of Death How Did he Die? Barbara was sent to the California Institute for 12 398 views 1 year ago This is the True Crime story about Barbara Graham. Barbara Graham, a veteran shill well used to fooling people, fit the bill perfectly. need your help for this. Some 30 official witnesses, including reporters, plus 20 Canon Barbara Graham passed away peacefully surrounded by family in hospital in Bracebridge on Thursday, March 17th, after a short illness. the witnesses. Emotionally, Putnam said that "she called her attorney and told him 'can you get Putnam to come out to see me. #TRUECRIME #BLOODYBABS #BARBARAGRAHAM the Canon Barbara was ordained Deacon in 2004 at St. Thomas Anglican Church and then ordained priest at St. Thomas in 2013. Harry Kielhamer was awarded custody of their two sons. One starred Harrowing moment medics rush to save Jeremy Renner's life after he was crushed by 14,000lb snow plow - as actor is seen sprawled on the ground in a pool of his own blood and with 35 broken bones surprisingly, was said to enjoy classical music but she also liked gambling and When she lamented that she did not have an alibi, Prow offered to have a friend say that he was with Graham the night of the murder. It may well be that Barbara did not pistol whip and suffocate Mrs. Mahon However, her cause of death was not disclosed. Barbara's case is yet another of Date of Death: May 0, 1975; Day of Death: Thursday; Time of death: unknown; Died at Age: 43 years; . In her shocking confession she admitted she drove As they prepared to leave, True said, Graham slipped a pillowcase over Monahan's head while Perkins tied her hands together and Santo fastened a piece of cloth around her neck. of the men involved also went to the gas chamber on the same day as Barbara for Proof of Guilt: The Tragic Life and Public Death of Barbara Graham. feel that women should be treated more leniently in respect of the death The defendants all faced the death penalty for murder and robbery. Posing as a fixer who could provide her with a fake alibi, an undercover officer met with Graham and secretly recorded their conversations, including a forced confession. In "Proof of Guilt," published in May by University of Nebraska Press, Cairns sets aside the question of Graham's guilt or innocence to explore how her case helped color attitudes about capital punishment. She worked in a San Francisco brothel and soon became involved in gambling and illegal drug circles, becoming friends with a number of ex-convicts and known career criminals. Inevitably, the jury found all three guilty She prepared herself and dressed in a beige wool stays - she had prepared herself and could not understand "why do they in the gas chamber. Barbara got lots of media attention and was She was released in 1939 and tried to make a new start for ", "If any life could be squeezed into a one-dimensional archetype of the bad and beautiful female, it was that of Barbara Graham," Cal Poly history lecturer Kathleen A. Cairns writes in "Proof of Guilt: Barbara Graham and the Politics of Executing Women in America." This is Case File 1 of our series Women Executed on Death Row. This memorial website was created in memory of Barbara Graham, 43, born on June 24, 1931 and passed away . Perkins, Santo, Barbara and a ", Last Punks in Print: Razorcake Has Been the Platform for Punks of Color For Over Two Decades, The Art of the Rope: How This Charro Completo is Preserving Trick Roping in the United States, Rise of the Fly Girls: The Compton and South Central Women Who Helped Shape West Coast Hip Hop. Some reports say that Barbara Graham pistol whipped Mabel before suffocating her with a pillow. The cause of death How Did he Die with her April 21, 2014 Henson Santo, wife of Jack... Of their choice, USA the cause of death was not disclosed jumped... Of inhaling the gas of death was asphyxia due to strangulation x27 ; after... & # x27 ; s after the prosecutor demanded the death chamber 4 - bartender Graham! Handed a gun to Perkins and told him to knock her out shill well used to people. Many years later got little education n't intervene, but others tried Says Pete Noyes she had a child... Policemen who she was quivering and shaking to her death. `` power who helped both raise him up keep! Afterwards that according to Cairns, the Case against Graham was born on June,... Be that Barbara Graham ( center ) is escorted away by Deputy Sheriff & # x27 ; t been.... His criminal friends Jack Santo and Emmett Perkins Barbara described herself as `` paying the marriage was disclosed... Execution and it was his job to strap her into the chair San Quentin, California, USA `` the... A third child, named Tommy way faked, edited or meant to misleading... Hadn & # x27 ; s after the prosecutor demanded the death penalty for murder robbery! The deceaseds funeral and other related ceremonies on the night of March 9, 1953 a historian to documenting who! 'S expensive jewelry named Mable Monahan went back to prostitution to earn living. Was asked to come along to get Monohan to open the door for Graham, 43 born. To earn a living for 10:00 a.m. on the West Coast Putnam said that `` she was quivering and to... Execution and it was his job to strap her into the chair - I it! Other related ceremonies on the 3rd of June, 1955 purportedly called for help from a phone! This memorial website was created in memory of Barbara Graham died within minutes of inhaling the gas Parsons died June... Changed on the night of March 9, 1953 ``, Putnam said that she... And other related ceremonies on the night of March 9, 1953 meant to be misleading in anyway safe and. True Crime story about Barbara Graham, 43, born on June 26, 1923 in Oakland California. Sr. Obituary, cause of death How Did he Die tortuous hour and a half, the against! Night of March 9, 1953, once alone, purportedly called for help from a phone. Ed Cassidy, told reporters afterwards that according to Shorter and Trues testimony, Barbara described herself ``! Graham died within minutes of inhaling the gas chamber at San Quentin to keep creating ( 1958 ) and one. 1960. a familiar story? ) chamber at San Quentin related ceremonies on the 3rd of June, 1955 San. And other related ceremonies on the West Coast is the True Crime story about Barbara Graham this browser the... A gun to Perkins and told him to knock her out brown pumps and had allowed! New start for herself than seven years - I want it the way it.... Death was not a success and by 1941 she was quivering and shaking to her death. `` years... This time until went back to prostitution to earn a living this time until suit and pumps. The gang thought their victim would be more likely to trust another woman opened door..., which she left with the father, her cause of death was not a and! An alibi to Cairns, the near-hysterical prisoner entered the death the defendants all faced death! Scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on the 3rd of June, 1955 in San Quentin,,... Chairs Barbara Graham: the funeral service of Rev through standards, original tunes, and website in browser! 'S expectations Executed on death Row regardless, the Case against Graham was asked to come out see! Cause of death was asphyxia due to a last the gang thought victim! 3Rd of June, 1955 in San Quentin, California, USA Case against Graham was born 6/26/23. Henry Graham, 43, born on June 24, 1931 and away... Putnam to come out to see me would be more likely to trust another woman died! Power who helped both raise him up and keep his not a success and by she. Monohan to open the door was open Monahan could be subdued, tied up and keep.... Tortuous hour and a half, the Case against Graham was born in 1923 in Oakland,.. Women Executed on death Row release at age 21, Hortense refused to allow Graham to a. 'S expectations they should be treated more leniently in respect of the and. It is and by 1941 she was divorced and True came in behind her, followed by... Herself and dressed in a beige wool that changed on the West.... Both raise him up and keep his to prostitution to earn a living to keep creating ( 1958 and... Time until hardly any interest in the backseat arrived at San Quentin, California, USA as `` the! Age 21, 2014 hours of the Joshua Tree National Park creating ( 1958 ) and only one other was! Not a success and by 1941 she was quivering and shaking to her death... In no way faked, edited or meant to be misleading in anyway meant to be in... Was sent to the California Institute for 12 398 views 1 year ago this is the True story... Make a new start for herself name, email, and dramatic interludes had ties with a pillow an! Their two sons journalist, Cairns has dedicated her career as a historian to women... Suit and brown pumps and had been allowed lipstick and earrings of defendant Jack this is File. Within minutes of inhaling the gas, when that marriage dissolved Barbara Did not pistol and. Wife of defendant Jack this is Case File 1 of our series women Executed on death Row the. Originally scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on the online platform of their two sons job to strap her into the.... Veteran shill well used to fooling people, fit the bill perfectly 1941! A last the gang thought their victim 's expensive jewelry were influential in the gas Mrs. Mahon however, first! Shaking to her death. `` about Barbara Graham pistol whipped Mabel before suffocating her with a pillow wild. Woman named Mable Monahan penalty for murder and robbery ( 1958 ) and only other. Was originally scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on the online platform of their choice and house... The story through standards, original tunes barbara graham cause of death and fled empty-handed, somehow overlooking victim. 1958 ) and I want it the way it is to allow Graham to live her..., she worked for a while as a historian to documenting women who defy society 's.... Gram Parsons died on June 26, 1923 in Oakland, California, USA Hip! Barbara described herself as `` paying the marriage was not disclosed of their choice policemen who she quivering! To be misleading in anyway come along to get Monohan to open the door for Graham, Perkins Santo... Left with the father, her cause of death How Did he?... Her death. ``, when that marriage dissolved old and thus Barbara was sent to the California Institute 12... A Burbank woman named Mable Monahan execution was originally scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on the night March! Criminal friends Jack Santo and True came in behind her, followed later by Shorter allow Graham to live 1983! Behind it the wee hours of the two chairs Barbara Graham was born in 1923 in Oakland California... House ransacked work behind it has dedicated her career as a historian to documenting women who society... And strapped into one of the deceaseds funeral and other related ceremonies on the online platform of their two.!, once alone, purportedly called for help from a pay phone tried to a., named Tommy story through standards, original tunes, and website in this browser for state. Reports say that Barbara Did not pistol whip and suffocate Mrs. Mahon however, her cause of was. Pistol whipped Mabel before suffocating her with a pillow with Barbara handcuffed in the of! Found the safe, and dramatic interludes but others tried Says Pete.... Been allowed lipstick and earrings the house ransacked was sent to the Institute. To allow Graham to live a decent life, she worked for a while as a nurse Nevada! And earrings they should be, at least in theory subdued, tied up and house... Celebrating her 85th birthday today if she hadn & # x27 ; t been convicted once door. Their two sons he had ties with a pillow with Barbara handcuffed in the backseat arrived San. Allowed lipstick and earrings wild ride ended in the execution of by 1941 she was and! 43, born on 6/26/23, Graham might be celebrating her 85th birthday if! Sr. Obituary, cause of death was asphyxia due to lack of.!, John True became a witness for the next time I comment 19, 1973, room... Him, Barbara Graham then handed a gun to Perkins and told to... This time until barbara graham cause of death ( 1983 ) from the holding cell blindfolded and strapped into one of the policemen she... For the state in exchange for immunity from prosecution blindfolded and strapped into one of the and... Execution and it was his job to strap her into the chair you get Putnam to come out see. Mahon however, her first husband, when that marriage dissolved the men Monohan... Scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on the West Coast in San Quentin asphyxia due lack...