Raymond's Guillain-Barré misdiagnosis
Raymond Reed was misdiagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome when his symptoms — numbness, burning, blistering rash — were consistent with arsenic poisoning.
Snapshot · Morbid
Blanche Taylor Moore, The Oldest Woman on Death Row (Part 1)
Explore episode
Jun 29, 2026
Where this was said
Raymond Reed's Fatal Illness
At 1:03:04 · chapter starts 1:02:10
The stress of sensing he is losing Blanche to another man begins to manifest physically for Raymond Reed — or so it seems. In spring 1986, a painful blistering rash appears on his skin; his doctor diagnoses shingles. But despite medication and rest, Raymond keeps deteriorating. By April he is hospitalized with significant numbness in his arms and legs and severe burning stomach discomfort. Specialists cycle through diagnoses and eventually settle on Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that destroys the muscle system. Ash notes pointedly that Guillain-Barré's symptoms look a great deal like poisoning — but no one has any reason to suspect foul play. Blanche visits him frequently in the hospital and appears publicly distraught. Raymond dies in early October 1986, five months after his first symptoms.
Raymond's Desperate Florida Trip
Raymond Reed paid for everything, complimented Blanche endlessly, and doted on her morning to night on a Florida vacation hoping to rekindle their romance. She told her psychiatrist afterward that she just felt guilty having to tell him not to come over.
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