William Dale Archerd

Serial Killer

William Dale Archerd – The Insulin Poisoner

William Dale Archerd was an American serial killer who used an unusually difficult-to-detect method of murder: deliberately induced insulin shock. Over a period stretching from 1947 to 1966, people close to Archerd suffered sudden medical collapses that were initially blamed on accidents, existing medical conditions, drug overdoses, or unexplained illnesses. It was only after investigators examined the deaths together that a disturbing pattern emerged. Archerd was ultimately convicted of three first-degree murders, while evidence concerning three additional deaths was introduced at his trial to demonstrate what prosecutors described as a common plan or method. The murders were particularly difficult to recognize because excessive insulin can cause severe hypoglycemia, depriving the brain of the glucose it needs to function. Victims may become confused, sweat heavily, suffer convulsions, lose consciousness, develop irreversible brain damage, and eventually die. During the years in which Archerd was committing his crimes, proving that insulin had deliberately been administered to a person who was not diabetic was extremely difficult. Archerd had firsthand knowledge of these effects because he had previously worked in a hospital where insulin shock therapy was used.

Early Life and Knowledge of Insulin

William Dale Archerd was born on May 5, 1912, in Dardanelle, Arkansas. Although he never became a physician, he developed an interest in medicine and found employment at Camarillo State Hospital in California. Between approximately 1939 and 1941, he worked as an attendant on a ward where insulin shock treatment was being used on psychiatric patients. Insulin coma therapy, which was once used in the treatment of schizophrenia, involved giving carefully controlled quantities of insulin to deliberately lower a patient's blood sugar and produce a state of shock or coma. Medical personnel had to watch patients closely and administer glucose to reverse the reaction. Through his work, Archerd learned what insulin shock looked like, how rapidly a person's condition could deteriorate, and how the resulting symptoms could resemble other serious medical emergencies. That knowledge later became central to the prosecution's case. Archerd understood that a victim suffering severe hypoglycemia could appear to have sustained a head injury, suffered a neurological crisis, overdosed on medication, or developed some other naturally occurring medical problem. Investigators eventually concluded that he repeatedly exploited that confusion.

A Pattern of Staged Accidents and Financial Schemes

Archerd's crimes were closely connected to deception. Several victims were allegedly persuaded to participate in staged accidents intended to produce insurance payments or help them escape other problems. The supposed accidents provided a convenient explanation when the victim later became unconscious. In other cases, Archerd was positioned to benefit financially from the death of a wife or relative. He was married seven times and frequently experienced financial problems. Prosecutors presented evidence showing that substantial amounts of money disappeared from the accounts of women with whom he was involved. Insurance policies, inheritances, guardianship funds, and other financial arrangements repeatedly appeared around the deaths investigated by authorities. Archerd's ability to appear calm and helpful also worked in his favor. For years, individual deaths seemed unrelated. Only when investigators compared medical records, witness statements, financial transactions, Archerd's knowledge of insulin, and his presence around the victims did the larger pattern become apparent. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Zella Archerd , Date of Death: 1956-07-25

Suspected Victims:

William Jones Jr. , Date of Death: 1947-10-12

Juanita Plum Archerd , Date of Death: 1958-03-13

Frank Stewart , Date of Death: 1960-03-17

William Dale Archerd - Wikipedia