Hattie Blackburn Stone

Serial Killer

Hattie Blackburn Stone: The Havre de Grace Family Poisoner

Overview

Hattie Blackburn Stone was a Maryland woman convicted of murdering her teenage son in 1929 and suspected of poisoning three other members of her household. The deaths unfolded over approximately five years in Havre de Grace, a small community in Harford County. Each victim belonged to Hattie's immediate family, and several died after suffering sudden stomach distress, violent convulsions, or other symptoms later associated with poisoning. Stone was not convicted of every death attributed to her. Her only murder conviction concerned her 15-year-old son, George Stone, whose body reportedly contained strychnine. Nevertheless, investigators and relatives believed that George's death was the final act in a longer sequence that included Hattie's mother-in-law, her older son, and her husband. The case became especially disturbing because Stone occupied trusted roles within the community. She was described as a nurse and midwife who had helped deliver local children. She also reportedly taught Sunday school. Behind that respectable public image, prosecutors portrayed a woman who poisoned members of her family for insurance money, access to savings, and freedom from domestic responsibilities.

Early Life and Family

Hattie was born Hattie Blackburn in Maryland, probably during the late 1880s or early 1890s. Surviving accounts differ concerning her exact birth year. Her parents were identified as John A. Blackburn and Margaret Blackburn. She spent much of her childhood around Angel Hill Cemetery near Havre de Grace, where a member of her family worked as a cemetery sexton or superintendent. In 1910, Hattie married Edward Arthur Stone. The couple settled in Havre de Grace and had two sons. Edgar Ellsworth Stone was born on April 23, 1909, and George S. Stone was born on January 26, 1914. Edward worked while Hattie maintained the household and developed a local reputation as a caregiver. Edward's widowed mother, Mary "Emma" Johnston Stone, eventually lived with the family. By the beginning of the 1920s, the Stone household included Hattie, Edward, their two sons, and Edward's mother. Within the next several years, every one of those family members except Hattie would be dead. ...

Confirmed Victims: (2)

George S. Stone Age: (15), Date of Death: 1929-06-04

Suspected Victims:

Mary "Emma" Johnston Stone , Date of Death: 1924-01-08

Edward Arthur Stone , Date of Death: 1928-01-30

S2E2: Hattie Blackburn Stone: The Family Serial Killer - The ... - iHeart