The grim fate of Arthur Barnett, a White male infant from Peru, Indiana, came to light not at the time of his death on July 24, 1954, but over a year later due to a medical emergency involving his younger sibling. In October 1955, his mother, twenty-three-year-old Flora Maxine Barnett, was admitted to Dukes Memorial Hospital after giving birth to a premature son. The medical staff questioned her about her obstetrical history, prompting initial claims that her previous children had been given up for adoption. However, inconsistencies in her story led authorities to investigate further, unraveling a pattern of infanticide that had gone undetected in the small community for several years.
Under questioning by the Indiana State Police and local officials, Flora Barnett confessed to a series of killings involving her newborn children. She admitted that Arthur was born alive on that summer day in 1954 inside the home she shared with her uncle and aunt. According to her statement, she suffocated the newborn using a length of elastic tape shortly after his birth. Following the murder, she wrapped the infant's body in a towel and disposed of the remains by burning them on a trash pile near the residence. This same method had been used to kill and dispose of two other infant sons born to her in 1951 and 1953.
The investigation revealed that the father of all four children, including Arthur, was Flora’s own uncle, Ray Devirel Warren. Both Warren and his wife were taken into custody for questioning as the scandal broke. Flora maintained that neither her uncle nor her aunt was aware of the pregnancies or the subsequent murders, claiming she had concealed her condition and disposed of the bodies without their assistance or knowledge. While the aunt reportedly knew of the illicit relationship between Flora and Warren, authorities did not charge the couple with the murders, as Flora insisted she acted alone in the deaths and disposals.
Legal proceedings moved swiftly following her confession. A Miami County Grand Jury returned indictments against Flora for the murders of her three sons. She eventually entered a plea of guilty to second-degree murder specifically regarding the death of Arthur. In November 1955, the Miami Circuit Court judge sentenced her to life imprisonment for the crime. Following this sentencing, the prosecuting attorney moved to dismiss the other two indictments related to Arthur’s brothers, reasoning that the life sentence for Arthur's murder was sufficient punishment. The surviving fourth child remained hospitalized and was placed under state care.
