Virginia Rearden Mcginnis

Serial Killer

Virginia Rearden McGinnis: Murder, Insurance Fraud, and a Pattern of Suspicious Deaths

Background and Early Warning Signs

Virginia Rearden McGinnis, born Virginia Agnes Hoffman in Ithaca, New York, in January 1937, became known as a convicted murderer and suspected serial killer whose life was marked by repeated fires, insurance claims, theft allegations, and suspicious deaths. Although she was convicted of only one murder, investigators believed that several people close to her may have died as part of a much longer pattern of crimes motivated by financial gain. She was frequently described as a "black widow" because her suspected victims included relatives, spouses, and a young woman who lived in her household. McGinnis grew up in poverty and reportedly experienced a troubled childhood. By her teenage years, she was already suspected of destructive behavior. A barn belonging to her family burned in 1953, when she was approximately 16 years old, and some later accounts identified her as a possible arsonist. Fires continued to occur at residences connected to her throughout her adult life. These incidents later became important to investigators because McGinnis repeatedly benefited from insurance settlements after properties burned. In 1954, she married Richard "Dick" Coates. The marriage was troubled by accusations of theft, financial dishonesty, and infidelity. McGinnis was arrested in July 1959 for forging checks worth approximately $195. She pleaded guilty that October and received probation. Several houses in which she lived also caught fire during this period. Her husband reportedly suspected that she had deliberately started at least one of them.

The Death of Cynthia Elaine Coates

One of the earliest deaths later associated with McGinnis was that of her three-year-old daughter, Cynthia Elaine Coates. Cynthia was born on February 19, 1969, in Palo Alto, California. In 1972, McGinnis and her second husband, Navy serviceman Sylvester "Bud" Rearden, moved to the Louisville, Kentucky, area. On December 6, 1972, Cynthia was found hanging inside a barn near the family's home in the Fairdale area of Louisville. McGinnis reportedly discovered the child. Cynthia's death was not prosecuted as a homicide at the time, but investigators reviewing McGinnis's history years later considered it suspicious. The circumstances surrounding how a three-year-old child could have hanged herself raised questions that were never conclusively resolved. McGinnis was never charged with Cynthia's death. Because no later prosecution established that the child had been murdered, Cynthia must be regarded as a suspected rather than a legally confirmed victim. She was buried at Resthaven Memorial Park on December 8, 1972. ...

Confirmed Victims: (1)

Deana Hubbard Wild Age: (20), Date of Death: 1987-02-02

Suspected Victims:

Cynthia Elaine Coats Age: (3), Date of Death: 1972-12-06

Sylvester Bud Rearden Age: (36), Date of Death: 1974-09-08

Mary Agnes Hoffman Age: (74), Date of Death: 1986

Virginia McGinnis - Forensic Files Wiki - Fandom