Nannie Doss: The Giggling Grandma Who Murdered Her Husbands

Chapter 1: The Girl Who Dreamed of Romance

The name Nannie Doss conjures a chilling paradox: a smiling, grandmotherly figure whose cheerful demeanor masked the heart of a calculating Serial Killer. Dubbed the "Giggling Grandma" by a shocked press corps, her story unfolds as a dark thread in American Crime History, a tale woven with misplaced dreams, Multiple Murders, and the insidious whisper of Arsenic Poisoning. How could a woman seemingly obsessed with finding true love become one of the nation's most notorious female murderers? The journey begins not with malice aforethought, but perhaps with the distorted lens through which a young girl viewed the world. Born Nancy Hazle in Blue Mountain, Alabama, her early life was far from the idyllic picture she craved. Dominated by a strict father who limited her social interactions and education, young Nancy found solace in the pages of romance magazines, developing an intense Romance Obsession that would shape her entire life. A possible head injury during childhood has been speculated upon, though its true impact on her later actions remains debated within Criminal Psychology. These formative years instilled in her a belief that marriage was the ultimate escape and fulfillment, a perfect union waiting just beyond the horizon. Yet, this idealized vision would tragically curdle, leading not to happiness, but to a string of Suspicious Deaths and a legacy defined by Murder. Her story serves as a stark reminder that evil can wear the most unexpected disguises, forever etching the Giggling Grandma into the annals of True Crime.

• 1.1 Introduction: The Paradox of the Giggling Killer

  
  

  The image is unforgettable: a plump, middle-aged woman, chuckling softly while detailing how she systematically killed her husbands. This was Nannie Doss, the woman the world would come to know as the Giggling Grandma. Her case captivated and horrified the nation in the mid-century crime era, presenting a stark contrast between her seemingly harmless appearance and her deadly actions. She wasn't a hardened criminal in the typical sense, but a woman who appeared to crave affection, yet resorted to Murder when reality inevitably disappointed her romantic fantasies. Understanding Nannie Doss requires peeling back the layers of her public persona to glimpse the darkness beneath. The central mystery wasn't just how she killed, but why a woman who claimed to be searching for love became such a prolific Serial Killer. Her cheerful facade was perhaps her most effective weapon, disarming suspicions and allowing her deadly pattern to continue for decades, a chilling chapter in True Crime.

• 1.2 Early Life in Blue Mountain, Alabama

  
  

  Born Nancy Hazle around 1905 in Blue Mountain, Alabama, Nannie's childhood was reportedly overshadowed by a controlling father, James Hazle. He harbored deep suspicions about modern life, keeping his children, including Nannie, largely isolated and working on the family farm instead of consistently attending school. This environment likely stunted her social development while simultaneously fueling her escapism through "lonely hearts" columns and romance stories. A specific incident often cited is a head injury Nannie sustained as a child when a train she was on stopped suddenly. While the long-term effects are purely speculative, some later examinations during the Nannie Doss Investigation pondered its potential influence on her behavior. Regardless, her limited exposure to the world outside of fictional romance likely cemented her unrealistic expectations of marriage, setting the stage for profound disappointment and a warped sense of entitlement in her quest for the "perfect" partner, contributing to the complex web of Nannie Doss Motives.

• 1.3 First Steps into Matrimony: Marriage to Charley Braggs

  
  

  At just 16, seeking escape from her restrictive home life, Nancy Hazle married Charley Braggs, whom she'd met working at a linen factory. They settled down and had four daughters within a few years. However, the romantic ideal quickly clashed with the harsh realities of marriage and motherhood, especially with Braggs' own mother moving in and adding to household tensions. Nannie felt trapped, overworked, and unloved – a far cry from the stories she adored. Tragedy struck twice between 1923 and 1927 when their two middle daughters died suddenly from what was suspected to be food poisoning. These Suspicious Deaths were never formally investigated at the time, but cast a long, dark shadow in retrospect. Overwhelmed and unhappy, Nannie eventually left Braggs in 1927, taking two of their daughters (one would later die), and the marriage officially ended in divorce in 1928. While she wouldn't confess to these deaths, this first failed marriage marked the beginning of a destructive cycle.

Chapter 2: A Pattern Begins: Husbands Two and Three

After the dissolution of her first marriage, Nannie Doss didn't abandon her quest for idyllic love; she simply refined her methods for finding potential partners. She turned increasingly to lonely hearts advertisements, becoming an early example of what some might term a Lonely Hearts Killer. This approach allowed her to craft a desirable persona on paper, attracting men who were perhaps just as eager for companionship. It was through these ads that she met her second husband, Robert Franklin Harrelson. They married quickly, but the pattern of disillusionment soon repeated. Nannie later claimed Harrelson was an abusive alcoholic, painting herself as the victim. Whether true or exaggerated, this narrative served her purpose. During this marriage, two of her grandchildren (children of her eldest daughter, Melvina) died under suspicious circumstances while in Nannie's care. Then, in 1945, Harrelson himself died. The official cause was vague, likely attributed to his reported drinking. Crucially, Nannie collected life insurance money. This established a chilling template: meet a man, marry him, grow dissatisfied, benefit financially from his death, often aided by the insidious effects of Arsenic Poisoning, which mimicked common illnesses. The death of Arlie Lanning, husband number three, would follow a distressingly similar path, solidifying Nannie's role as a potential Husband Killer and a figure of growing interest in the dark corners of True Crime.

• 2.1 Finding "Love" Again: Robert Franklin Harrelson

  
  

  Two months after divorcing Charley Braggs, Nannie found Robert "Frank" Harrelson through a lonely hearts ad in Jacksonville, Florida. They married in 1929. By Nannie’s later accounts, this marriage was also fraught with difficulty, alleging Harrelson was an alcoholic with a criminal record. The most disturbing events during this period involved Nannie's eldest daughter, Melvina. After Melvina gave birth, her newborn grandson died suspiciously while Nannie was ostensibly caring for him. A few years later, Melvina's second child, a granddaughter named Robert Lee Haynes, also died under Nannie’s watch. While Melvina harbored deep suspicions, proof was elusive. The marriage to Harrelson lasted 16 years until his death in 1945. Nannie claimed she poisoned his corn whiskey after he assaulted her upon returning from celebrating the end of World War II. Though she didn't confess this until much later, his death was not initially treated as a Murder. Importantly, Nannie collected on a Life Insurance Motive policy she had taken out on him.

• 2.2 Swift Courtship, Swift Death: Arlie Lanning

  
  

  Continuing her search via print, Nannie Doss connected with Arlie Lanning of Lexington, North Carolina, again through a lonely hearts column. Their courtship was brief, leading to marriage in 1947. Lanning seemed different – neighbors described him as quiet and kind. However, like those before him, Lanning soon fell ill with stomach problems and died what appeared to be a natural death related to heart failure in 1950. Once again, Nannie Doss was the grieving widow. And once again, there was insurance money. A further layer of suspicion arose shortly after Lanning's death: the house, which Lanning had willed to his sister, burned to the ground while Nannie was still residing there. Nannie collected the insurance money from the fire as well. The pattern was becoming clearer, though still undetected by authorities: marriage, illness, death, financial gain. This solidified her method, making her a classic example of a Black Widow Killer.

• 2.3 Arsenic: The Weapon of Choice

  
  

  The key to Nannie Doss’s deadly success lay in her weapon: arsenic. Commonly available in the mid-century crime era, particularly as the primary ingredient in Rat Poison and ant killer, it was easily obtained from local stores without raising eyebrows. Arsenic Poisoning offered several advantages for a clandestine killer like Nannie. Its symptoms – nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, confusion – closely mimic those of severe gastrointestinal illnesses or food poisoning. In an era before routine toxicological screening during autopsies, especially for seemingly natural deaths at home, arsenic often went undetected. Nannie could administer small doses over time, causing a gradual decline that looked like a natural sickness, or a larger dose for a quicker, more acute illness. This method allowed her to play the role of the caring wife nursing her ailing husband, all while orchestrating his Murder, making her a terrifyingly effective Female Poisoner.

Chapter 3: Escalation and Close Calls

By the early 1950s, Nannie Doss seemed almost emboldened, her pattern of marrying and burying becoming disturbingly routine. Her fourth husband, Richard L. Morton of Emporia, Kansas, met her, predictably, through the Diamond Circle lonely hearts club. They married in 1952. For a time, this union seemed potentially stable, but Nannie soon discovered Morton was having an affair. This betrayal likely sealed his fate. While Nannie initially left him, she returned shortly after, ostensibly to care for him when he fell ill. Within months, in May 1953, Richard Morton was dead. The cause was listed as natural, but the circumstances mirrored the fates of Harrelson and Lanning. The circle of Nannie Doss Victims, however, wasn't limited to husbands. Following Morton's death, Nannie moved in with her elderly mother, Louisa Hazle. Within a few short months, Louisa was also dead from severe stomach pains – another Suspicious Death conveniently occurring under Nannie's care. Looking back, investigators even began to question the earlier death of Nannie's own sister, Dovie, who had died while Nannie was visiting. The escalation was clear: anyone who became inconvenient, represented betrayal, or perhaps stood between Nannie and financial gain (like insurance or inheritance) seemed vulnerable. All the while, Nannie maintained her public persona as a cheerful, slightly unlucky widow, a mask that perfectly concealed the actions of a prolific Female Serial Killer and Female Poisoner.

• 3.1 Fourth Time's the Charm?: Richard L. Morton

  
  

  After Arlie Lanning's death and the convenient house fire, Nannie Doss joined the Diamond Circle Club, another lonely hearts organization, seeking husband number four. She found Richard L. Morton in Emporia, Kansas. They married in October 1952. Observers noted Morton didn't seem to drink heavily, unlike some of Nannie's previous spouses. However, Nannie soon discovered Morton was unfaithful. This perceived betrayal shattered her Romance Obsession once again. True to form, Morton soon suffered from mysterious stomach ailments. Nannie had reportedly come back to "care" for him after briefly leaving due to his affair. He succumbed to his illness just three months after Nannie’s mother died while visiting them – a point Nannie later confessed she found convenient as her mother had disapproved of Morton. Morton's death in May 1953 added another name to the growing, yet still officially unrecognized, list of potential Nannie Doss Victims, another instance pointing towards deliberate Murder.

• 3.2 Beyond Husbands: A Widening Circle of Victims?

  
  

  While Nannie Doss is primarily known as a Husband Killer, the pattern of Suspicious Deaths surrounding her suggests a broader scope. The deaths of two of her infant daughters with Charley Braggs raised early questions. Later, the deaths of her two young grandchildren while married to Robert Harrelson were deeply troubling, particularly to their mother, Melvina. The most blatant potential victim outside her marriages was Nannie’s own mother, Louisa Hazle. Louisa died in January 1953 while living with Nannie and Richard Morton, suffering from the familiar agonizing stomach pains shortly after Morton’s infidelity came to light. Nannie collected no insurance here, muddying the purely Life Insurance Motive theory and pointing towards other complex Nannie Doss Motives, perhaps control or elimination of perceived burdens. Even the death of Nannie’s sister, Dovie, years earlier while bedridden, came under retrospective scrutiny during the Nannie Doss Investigation, painting a picture of Multiple Murders extending beyond just spouses.

• 3.3 Nannie's Public Persona vs. Private Reality

  
  

  Central to Nannie Doss's ability to evade detection for so long was her carefully cultivated public image. Outwardly, she presented as a cheerful, somewhat simple, God-fearing woman who was just unlucky in love. Neighbors and acquaintances often described her as friendly, helpful, and quick with a laugh – the very picture of a harmless grandmotherly figure, which later earned her the moniker "Giggling Grandma." This persona was her shield. When husbands died, she played the grieving widow convincingly. Her signature giggle, which seemed so incongruous during her later Nannie Doss Confession, likely served as a disarming mechanism throughout her life, deflecting suspicion and making it hard for people to reconcile the pleasant woman they knew with the possibility of her being a cold-blooded Female Poisoner. This stark contrast between her outward appearance and the hidden reality of Murder makes her case a fascinating study in Criminal Psychology.

Chapter 4: The Final Husband and the Unraveling

The end of Nannie Doss's deadly spree began, ironically, with another attempt to fulfill her lifelong Romance Obsession. After Richard Morton’s death, she wasted little time, connecting with Samuel Doss of Tulsa, Oklahoma, through yet another lonely hearts correspondence. Samuel was different from her previous husbands – a devout, seemingly stable man who wasn't prone to the vices Nannie claimed plagued her earlier spouses. They married in June 1954. However, Samuel soon proved incompatible with Nannie's specific desires. He was frugal and disapproved of the romance magazines and stories she cherished. He placed restrictions on her life that chafed against her idealized vision of marriage. Predictably, Samuel Doss fell ill. He was admitted to the hospital with severe digestive issues, symptoms consistent with influenza or a similar ailment. He seemed to recover briefly after Nannie was restricted from bringing him food, but upon his return home, he rapidly declined after eating a prune cake Nannie had prepared. Samuel Doss died on October 5, 1954. This time, however, his death wouldn't be dismissed so easily. The attending physician, Dr. D. H. Crutchfield, harbored suspicions about the sudden death of his otherwise healthy patient, especially given Nannie's oddly calm demeanor and premature inquiries about life insurance. His decision to order an autopsy, despite Nannie’s initial reluctance, marked the beginning of the end for the Giggling Grandma and triggered the formal Nannie Doss Investigation.

• 4.1 Samuel Doss: The Last Victim

  
  

  Samuel Doss, a Nazarene Church member and highway engineer from Tulsa, Oklahoma, became Nannie Doss's fifth and final husband in June 1954. He seemed a respectable, if somewhat rigid, man. Nannie likely saw him as another chance at the perfect marriage she endlessly sought. However, Samuel's practical and religious nature clashed with Nannie’s desires. He disliked her romance novels, controlled the finances tightly, and reportedly insisted the television only be tuned to religious programming when he was home. This reality fell far short of Nannie's fantasy. Soon, Samuel developed severe stomach problems. After a 23-day hospital stay where he showed some improvement (likely because Nannie couldn't easily administer poison), he returned home. Nannie baked him his favorite prune cake, heavily laced with arsenic. His death on October 5, 1954, initially seemed like a relapse, but it would ultimately expose Nannie's decades of Murder and make Samuel Doss the last name on the list of Nannie Doss Victims.

• 4.2 A Doctor's Suspicion

  
  

  The unraveling of Nannie Doss’s murderous career hinged on the astute observations of one man: Dr. D. H. Crutchfield, the physician who treated Samuel Doss during his final illness in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dr. Crutchfield found Samuel's sudden death perplexing, especially since Samuel had appeared to be recovering while hospitalized away from Nannie's direct care. Furthermore, Nannie's behavior struck him as odd. She seemed overly calm for a grieving widow and was particularly insistent about collecting on two life insurance policies she had taken out on Samuel – policies he was reportedly unaware of. Driven by these inconsistencies and a gut feeling that something was deeply wrong, Dr. Crutchfield took the crucial step of ordering an autopsy, even suggesting potential poisoning. This decision pierced the veil of normalcy Nannie had maintained for so long and set the formal Nannie Doss Investigation into motion, ultimately exposing her as a Serial Killer.

• 4.3 The Arsenic Trail: Investigation and Exhumations

  
  

  Dr. Crutchfield's suspicions were horrifically confirmed. The autopsy performed on Samuel Doss revealed massive amounts of arsenic in his system – enough to kill him many times over. This definitive finding of Arsenic Poisoning immediately turned the focus onto his recent widow, Nannie Doss. The Tulsa police launched a full-scale Nannie Doss Investigation. As detectives delved into her past, they uncovered the shocking trail of deceased husbands stretching back decades through Alabama, North Carolina, and Kansas. The pattern was undeniable: short marriages often preceded by lonely hearts connections, followed by sudden illnesses and deaths, frequently accompanied by Life Insurance Motive payouts. Authorities in the relevant states were notified, and orders were given for the exhumation of husbands Arlie Lanning and Richard Morton. Toxicological tests on their remains also revealed lethal levels of arsenic, confirming they too were victims of Murder. The evidence against Nannie was becoming insurmountable.

• 4.4 Confession of the "Giggling Grandma"

  
  

  Faced with the irrefutable forensic evidence from the autopsies and exhumations, Nannie Doss was arrested. During interrogation, her cheerful facade began to crack, though not entirely. Initially denying involvement, she eventually gave a detailed Nannie Doss Confession, admitting to poisoning four of her five husbands: Harrelson, Lanning, Morton, and Samuel Doss. She claimed she hadn't poisoned her first husband, Charley Braggs, and due to lack of proof and statute of limitations, she was never charged in relation to his daughters' deaths either. It was during these confessions that her tendency to giggle while discussing the murders shocked investigators and the press, cementing her infamous nickname, the "Giggling Grandma." Her stated motive often circled back to her Romance Obsession – she killed them, she suggested, because they failed to live up to her romantic ideals, or because they were abusive, neglectful, or simply boring. The confessions painted a chilling picture of calculated Murder hidden behind smiles and chuckles.

Chapter 5: Justice, Legacy, and the Mind of Nannie Doss

The arrest and confession of Nannie Doss ignited a media firestorm. The image of the seemingly sweet, chuckling grandmother admitting to Multiple Murders was irresistible tabloid fodder. Dubbed the "Giggling Grandma," "Arsenic Annie," and the "Lonely Hearts Killer," her case became a sensation in mid-century crime reporting. The Nannie Doss Trial, held in Oklahoma for the Murder of Samuel Doss, was a public spectacle. Aware of the overwhelming evidence against her, particularly the confirmed Arsenic Poisoning and her own detailed Nannie Doss Confession, Nannie pleaded guilty on May 17, 1955. This plea was likely strategic, allowing her to avoid a potentially sensational trial and the death penalty, which Oklahoma had at the time. She was sentenced to Life Imprisonment, the maximum penalty allowed under her guilty plea. Other states with jurisdiction over her previous husbands' deaths declined to prosecute, given her life sentence. The question of Nannie Doss Motives continued to fascinate the public and experts in Criminal Psychology. Was it truly the elusive Romance Obsession she claimed, a warped search for a perfect love that inevitably soured? Or was the Life Insurance Motive the primary driver, masked by romantic justifications? Perhaps it was a complex mix, potentially influenced by personality disorders or the lingering effects of her childhood experiences and possible head injury. Her legacy remains a chilling study in deception, a cornerstone case in American Crime History exploring the dark capabilities hidden behind an ordinary facade, solidifying her place among infamous Female Serial Killers and the specific archetype of the Black Widow Killer.

• 5.1 Trial and Public Spectacle

  
  

  The Nannie Doss Trial for the Murder of Samuel Doss in Oklahoma was less a trial and more a formality leading to sentencing, given her confession. However, the preceding media coverage was intense. Newspapers across the country ran sensational headlines featuring nicknames like "Giggling Grandma," "Arsenic Annie," the "Lonely Hearts Killer," and the "Black Widow Killer." The public was fascinated by the incongruity of her appearance and her crimes. Nannie Doss herself seemed to enjoy the attention, often smiling and joking with reporters. Opting to plead guilty to Samuel Doss's murder, she effectively bypassed a lengthy trial process and the risk of execution. On May 17, 1955, she received her sentence: Life Imprisonment in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. Although suspected in possibly eleven deaths total (including husbands, relatives, and grandchildren), she was only ever convicted for the murder of Samuel Doss, as the life sentence rendered further prosecutions unnecessary by other states.

• 5.2 Unpacking the Motives: Love, Money, or Madness?

  
  

  Dissecting Nannie Doss Motives remains a complex exercise in Criminal Psychology. Nannie herself consistently pointed towards her lifelong Romance Obsession, claiming she killed husbands who failed to meet her idealized standards of love and partnership, or who were abusive or dull. "I was looking for the perfect mate, the real romance of life," she famously stated. However, the significant Life Insurance Motive cannot be ignored. Nannie methodically took out policies on her husbands, often without their knowledge, and collected payouts after their Suspicious Deaths. Was the talk of romance merely a cover for cold, calculated greed? Some speculate about personality disorders like narcissism or psychopathy, where a lack of empathy allows for such exploitation. Others ponder the impact of her difficult upbringing in Alabama or the potential effects of her childhood head injury. Ultimately, the truth likely lies in a tangled web of these factors: a desperate, distorted search for love intertwined with opportunism, resentment, and a chilling detachment from the value of human life, making her a unique case among Female Serial Killers.

• 5.3 Life in Prison and Death

  
  

  Sentenced to Life Imprisonment, Nannie Doss spent the remainder of her days at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Reports from her time incarcerated suggest she maintained her surprisingly cheerful disposition, becoming a popular figure among fellow inmates, often working in the prison laundry. She continued to correspond with people outside the prison, seemingly unfazed by her notoriety as the "Giggling Grandma." Her deadly past seemed almost compartmentalized from her day-to-day existence within the prison walls. Nannie Doss never regained her freedom. Her life sentence concluded not by parole, but by natural causes. She died from leukemia within the prison hospital on June 2, 1965, roughly ten years after her conviction for the Murder of Samuel Doss. She was buried in Oak Hill Memorial Park in McAlester, Oklahoma, closing the final chapter on one of American Crime History's most perplexing Female Serial Killers.

• 5.4 Enduring Legacy: The Paradox Revisited

  
  

  Nannie Doss holds a distinct place in the dark annals of True Crime. Her case continues to fascinate because it embodies the chilling paradox of evil disguised by normalcy. The "Giggling Grandma" moniker perfectly captures this dissonance. She wasn't a monstrous figure lurking in the shadows, but a seemingly ordinary woman driven by motives—Romance Obsession, financial gain (Life Insurance Motive)—that twisted into a deadly pattern of Arsenic Poisoning and Murder. As a prolific Female Serial Killer, often categorized as a Black Widow Killer or Female Poisoner, her story challenges stereotypes and forces a confrontation with the unsettling reality that profound darkness can exist behind a smile. The Nannie Doss Investigation and Nannie Doss Confession revealed a disturbing capability for deception. Her legacy serves as a potent case study in Criminal Psychology and remains a frequently revisited tale in American Crime History, reminding us that the most dangerous threats can sometimes come from the most unexpected sources.