206 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
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Description
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Waneta Ethel Hoyt: A Detailed Account of Her Crimes

Introduction

Waneta Ethel Hoyt, born on May 13, 1946, in Richford, New York, was an American serial killer who was convicted of killing all five of her biological children. Her crimes spanned from 1965 to 1971, and she was apprehended in 1994. Hoyt's case is a tragic and disturbing example of maternal filicide, where a mother kills her own children.

Early Life and Marriage

Waneta Ethel Nixon married Tim Hoyt on January 11, 1964. The couple went on to have seven children, five of whom were biological, one permanently adopted, and one temporarily adopted. All five of her biological children died before they turned 29 months old.

Crimes and Victims

Hoyt's crimes were initially believed to be cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). However, in 1994, she confessed to suffocating her children. The details of her crimes are as follows:
  • Eric Hoyt (October 17, 1964 – January 26, 1965): Eric was the first child of Waneta and Tim Hoyt. He died at the age of three months.
  • James Hoyt (May 31, 1966 – September 26, 1968): James was the second child. He died at the age of two years and four months.
  • Julie Hoyt (July 19, 1968 – September 5, 1968): Julie was the third child. She died at the age of one month and seventeen days.
  • Molly Hoyt (March 18, 1970 – June 5, 1970): Molly was the fourth child. She died at the age of two months and eighteen days.
  • Noah Hoyt (May 9, 1971 – July 28, 1971): Noah was the fifth child. He died at the age of two months and nineteen days.
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Victims
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Confirmed Victims: (5)
  • Eric Hoyt , Date of Death: 1965-01-26
  •     ...View 4 additional victims
    Links to Additional Sources (4)
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    Killer's Details

    Waneta Ethel

    Hoyt

    May 13, 1946 Richford, New York, United States

    August 13, 1998 (aged 52) Bedford, New York, United States

    Pancreatic cancer

    Female

    White

    Life imprisonment

    5

    1965 - 1971

    New York

    1994

    07/03/2025