Episode 5: Sister Amy’s Murder Factory: Amy Archer Gilligan, feat. M. William Phelps
Bestselling true crime author M. William Phelps comes onto the podcast to tell us the story of Amy Archer Gilligan, a turn-of-the-century serial killer who disguised her sociopathic tendencies under a kind, neighborly facade. Her lemonade was laced with arsenic, and her convalescent home was not a place where anyone could get better. Phelps’ book on Amy is called The Devil’s Rooming House. Also discussed: hot tub horrors, female criminals’ skyrocketing brutality (eek), and an amazing undercover lady cop named Zola.
Sources:
Dangerous Ground: My Friendship with a Serial Killer by M. William Phelps
The Devil's Rooming House: The True Story of America's Deadliest Female Serial Killer by M. William Phelps
Also mentioned: my piece on religion + serial killing: “Murderers and the Children of God”
Music: