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Description
See any errors? Let us know!Lizzie Halliday: The Infamous Serial Killer
Early Life
Lizzie Halliday, born Eliza Margaret McNally around 1859 in County Antrim, Ireland, immigrated to the United States with her family at a young age. Her life was marked by a series of tumultuous marriages and criminal activities.Marriages and Early Crimes
Lizzie's first marriage was to Charles Hopkins in 1879, who died in 1881. She then married Artemus Brewer, who also died within a year. Her third husband, Hiram Parkinson, left her within their first year of marriage. Lizzie went on to marry George Smith, a war veteran, but fled after a failed attempt to poison him. She later married Charles Playstel, but vanished two weeks later.Criminal Activities
In 1888, Lizzie resurfaced in Philadelphia, where she was convicted of arson and sentenced to two years in prison. After her release, she became the housekeeper for Paul Halliday, a twice-widowed farmer in Burlingham, New York. They married, but their marriage was marred by Lizzie's sporadic "spells of insanity". Within two years, their house and barn burned down, and she was suspected of setting the fires. ...Read MoreVictims
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Confirmed Victims: (6)
Charles Hopkins , Date of Death: 1881 ...View 5 additional victims
Links to Additional Sources (13)
See any mistakes? Let us know!Killer's Details
Lizzie
Halliday
c. 1859 Antrim, Ireland
June 28, 1918 (aged 58–59)
Female
White
4-7
1890s
Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane
07/03/2025










