There were two more murders, 15 miles away.

When police arrived, they found the telephones and electricity lines.

We have a weird homicide.

A scene described by one investigator as reminiscent of a weird...

We know now that women are more than capable of killing.

But centuries ago, that wasn't fathomable. On May 16, 1878, a woman who

broke the mold died in prison after shocking the world with her crimes. So if you like your coffee

hot but your bones chilled, sit back and start your day with a morning cup of murder.

Before I begin, I need to mention something.

The names and dates in this story change slightly depending on what source was used.

What you are about to hear is a compilation of what is most frequently reported.

Lydia Danbury was born on December 24, 1824 in Burlington, New Jersey, and orphaned as a child after her mother passed away, was raised by her uncle, John Clege.

At the age of 16, she began working as a tailor, living with her brother in New Brunswick,

and at the age of 17, she met what would be her first husband,

Edward Strz, through a Methodist church. At the time, Edward was a widowed blacksmith with

six children of his own. Moving to New York City with her new family, Lydia and Edward added

eight more children to the mix. And with more mouths to feed and bodies to clothes,

he got a second job as a New York City police officer, but just a few years later, was charged with cowardice during a hotel robbery and was let go.

Edward found himself sinking deeply into a depressive state and refused to leave the

apartment or even his bed. Lydia, now in charge of the family all in her own, decided to put him

out of his misery, and in 1864, went to the drugstore to get some rat poison. Stirring a thimble full of arsenic into his oatmeal,

after several agonizing hours, throat burning, abdominal pains, diarrhea, and convulsions,

...