Blanche Taylor Moore's fiancé had 20 times the lethal dose of arsenic in his body — the most ever found in a living person at the hospital — yet he survived, and she's now 93 and still on death row.
Morbid
Blanche Taylor Moore's fiancé had 20 times the lethal dose of arsenic in his body — the most ever found in a living person at the hospital — yet he survived, and she's now 93 and still on death row.
TL;DR
Morbid's conclusion to the Blanche Taylor Moore story follows the North Carolina SBI investigation that finally unraveled a decade-long arsenic poisoning spree. After Blanche's fiancé Reverend Dwight Moore nearly died and a young hospital intern ordered a toxicology screening, doctors discovered arsenic levels 20 times the lethal dose in his body — the most ever found in a living human at the hospital [1] — Ash Kelley "Investigators got a warrant to dig up Raymond Reed's body from Pine Hill Cemetery, and the results were damning: arsenic in his liver, brai…" 58:40 . Exhumations of her husband James Taylor and boyfriend Raymond Reed confirmed arsenic poisoning in both. Blanche was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death; at 93, she remains the oldest woman — and likely the oldest person — on death row in the US [2] — Ash Kelley "30+ years on death row with no execution: Since Blanche Taylor Moore's death sentence was handed down more than 30 years ago, her appeals a…" 1:07:34 .
Part 2 of the Blanche Taylor Moore story: how the NC SBI investigation, triggered by a young hospital intern's toxicology order, uncovered that Blanche had been slowly poisoning her fiancé Dwight Moore with arsenic at 20 times the lethal dose. Exhumations of her husband and long-term boyfriend confirmed arsenic in both. Convicted of first-degree murder in 1990 and sentenced to death, Blanche — now 93 — remains the oldest woman on death row in the US.
The episode kicks off with sponsor reads for Southern New Hampshire University, State Farm insurance, and Tostitos before the hosts' unscripted intro takes over. Ash and Alaina riff about their Wendy's order, IBS, heartburn, and a mysterious 'task' that Ash refuses to name — a running joke that produces genuine laughter. The casual, warm banter is a deliberate counterweight to the darkness of the case they're about to discuss, and it gives listeners a chance to settle in before things get heavy.
Ash brings listeners up to speed on Part 1: Blanche's long-term boyfriend Raymond Reed died suddenly, initially attributed to Guillain-Barré syndrome; her husband James Taylor had also passed under circumstances blamed on heart problems; and her father died under strange but uninvestigated circumstances. None of these deaths triggered suspicion at the time. Ash frames what's coming by reminding the audience that Blanche is now the oldest woman on death row, and that the episode will track how she finally got caught — comparing it, with glee, to the TV show The Pit.
After the Kroger lawsuit settled for about $100,000 post-fees, Blanche briefly had breathing room — until her cancer diagnosis and reconstruction surgery chewed through her funds. She extracted money from Raymond Reed's estate under the false premise that his will split things three ways, when in fact it named her only as executor. When his sons Stevie and Ray finally reviewed the documents, Blanche lost her temper and cut ties. As her money ran dry, she accelerated her push to marry Dwight — conveniently, right after Dwight disclosed every detail of his life insurance and retirement package to her, while she revealed nothing about her own finances.
Just as the fall wedding date approaches, Dwight starts experiencing symptoms that have no obvious explanation: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, a skin rash, and tingling in his hands — symptoms that mirror what Raymond Reed experienced before his death. His doctor diagnoses shingles. When he and Blanche share a meal and only Dwight gets violently ill, the food-poisoning theory collapses. He vomits blood, the wedding is pushed back, and yet doctors keep sending him home. Ash underscores how doctors in this period were overwhelmed and underfunded — a systemic failure that allowed Blanche's poisoning to continue unchecked for months.
Dwight is admitted to hospital and X-rays reveal a significant mass in his intestines. Surgeons open him up and find nothing — not even a blockage — just inflammation. His intestines are physically removed and inspected end-to-end. A second mass appears in a different location on follow-up scans, and a second surgery produces the same baffling result: nothing. [1] — Ash Kelley "Pooled arsenic in Dwight Moore's intestines looked exactly like a solid mass on X-rays because arsenic is a heavy metal X-rays can't penetr…" 49:47 Meanwhile, Blanche grows progressively less present and less caring, and Dwight's family starts to wonder if the engagement is over. Dwight, ever optimistic, attributes her distance to personality rather than malice. Ash and Alaina note with dark irony that Dwight consistently recovered fastest during the stretches when Blanche wasn't around.
After a brief trip to New Jersey for his son's new baby — the 'honeymoon' — Dwight is struck mid-lunch with violent nausea that ends with him projectile vomiting across the kitchen and collapsing face-down on the floor. [1] — Ash Kelley "Dwight projectile vomited so hard across the kitchen that vomit hit the far wall, then collapsed face-down on the floor. Blanche never stop…" 37:33 Throughout the entire ordeal, Blanche does not stop talking about home renovations: curtains, blinds, paint. Even as she helps him off the floor and walks him to the bedroom, she is narrating her remodeling plans. Ash calls her 'evil' for being so removed; Alaina says the capacity to watch prolonged suffering and feel nothing is inhuman in a way she cannot comprehend. The hosts observe that this cruelty is particularly brutal because it unfolds slowly, over months, in intimate domestic settings.
Over a brutal two-day stretch, Dwight is sent home from two separate hospital emergency rooms — despite his symptoms worsening, the medications doing nothing, and him begging to be admitted. One doctor explicitly tells him he doesn't have time to do the referral paperwork. Only on the fourth visit does an attending finally admit him to the ICU. Ash and Alaina respond with audible frustration and pivot to a broader critique of US healthcare: overworked, underfunded doctors who can't provide the level of care patients need, and a system that, they note, probably still fails people the same way today.
Ash delivers personal endorsements for GoodRx — describing her own habit of checking the app before every pharmacy visit — and BetterHelp, reflecting on her own struggles with people-pleasing and the stigma around seeking mental health support. The BetterHelp read is notably candid and personal, fitting naturally into the episode's tone.
Dr. David Wands, young and eager to prove himself on a difficult case, is assigned to Dwight Moore in the ICU. He interviews Blanche, who offers the weed-killer alibi while simultaneously agreeing to collect all the pesticides from home. The moment she mentions gardening, Wands privately orders a complete toxicology panel. Dwight moves into an isolation unit with a sitter — no one can be left alone with him, because someone in his circle is trying to kill him. Wands and his supervisors try to contact police, who don't respond for days, so they escalate to the State Bureau of Investigation. Ash and Alaina note with satisfaction that Wands represents the kind of motivated, detail-oriented doctor who changes outcomes.
On May 13th, Dwight's toxicology results arrive and they are staggering: arsenic at 20 times the lethal dose, the highest ever found in a living person in the hospital's history — enough to kill a large mammal, according to the author Ash cites. [1] — Ash Kelley "Dr. David Wands ordered a toxicology panel on a hunch, and the results stunned the entire lab: Dwight Moore had arsenic at 20 times the let…" 48:15 The lab was so shocked they triple-checked. Suddenly everything makes sense: arsenic is a heavy metal that appears opaque on X-rays, so the 'bowel obstruction' was actually pooled arsenic, which had worked through Dwight's system by the time surgeons cut him open each time. Dr. Wands confronts Dwight, who insists it must have been the weed killer — but the doctor explains that no household chemical contains that concentration, and the pattern of exposure stretches back almost a year.
Agents Dave McDougall and Phil Ayers systematically interview everyone connected to Dwight. Blanche offers a series of ever-changing explanations — the weed killer, a garden towel she wiped her face on, tainted grapes before the ferry trip — each dismissed as medically implausible by doctors. The more investigators dig, the more theatrical Blanche becomes: fighting with ICU nurses, accusing hospital staff of administering the poison, and demanding to be left alone with her husband. Meanwhile, when Dwight mentions Raymond Reed died of Guillain-Barré syndrome, Agent McDougall's ears perk up — he has a family member with the condition and knows it's rarely fatal. That personal knowledge triggers a deeper look at Blanche's entire past, revealing that two other people in her life — her father and a former coworker — also died under suspicious circumstances.
With a court warrant, investigators exhume Raymond Reed's body from Pine Hill Cemetery and find arsenic distributed through six organs — liver, brain, kidneys, muscles, bones, and stomach — at levels the medical examiner describes as within the range of potential lethality. [1] — Ash Kelley "Investigators got a warrant to dig up Raymond Reed's body from Pine Hill Cemetery, and the results were damning: arsenic in his liver, brai…" 58:40 A superior court judge orders the exhumation of James Taylor's body next, and the results are similarly damning: elevated arsenic and a medical examiner's conclusion that Taylor died from arsenic poisoning, not the heart disease that had been cited at the time of his death. [2] — Ash Kelley "James Taylor died of arsenic poisoning: The medical examiner concluded that Blanche's husband James Taylor died as a result of arsenic pois…" 59:38 The bodies of Blanche's father P.D. Kaiser and her former mother-in-law are also exhumed; both show elevated arsenic but not at provably lethal levels. On July 18, 1989, Blanche Taylor Moore is arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.
The news of Blanche's arrest creates a media frenzy. Her daughter Vanessa publicly defends her. Her sister-in-law calls it a puzzle. But a member of Dwight's family offers a more nuanced take: Blanche initially projected intelligence and thoughtfulness, but over time it became clear she lied constantly — until no one was sure what was true. Dwight himself, recovering enough to speak to the press by August 1989, expresses compassion for what Blanche will have to go through, tells reporters he has sorrow for her, and says he hopes to visit her in jail. When asked about divorce, he says now doesn't seem like the right time — prompting Alaina to note, with some incredulity, that now seems like an excellent time.
By October 1990, Blanche's defense attorney Mitchell McIntyre is projecting total confidence, framing his client as a brave, devout woman from hard beginnings who spoke out against workplace abuse. Prosecutor Warren Sparrow frames the trial in his opening remarks as being about secrecy, pride, and a woman who took on the power of life and death. Over several weeks, the prosecution calls dozens of witnesses: doctors, nurses, Raymond's sons, and Dwight himself, who describes both the agony of his poisoning and Blanche's attempt to cut his hair while he lay on a ventilator. [1] — Ash Kelley "While Dwight Moore lay on a ventilator, barely able to lift his hands off the bed, Blanche insisted on cutting his hair. She knew arsenic s…" 1:03:10 Blanche takes the stand and delivers more than two and a half hours of testimony marked by long rambling answers, visible anger, and at one point yelling at the assistant prosecutor — all of which leaves jurors visibly disengaged. Her defense hinges on a supposed confession letter from a man named Garvin Thomas, which prosecutors argue Blanche wrote herself.
The jury deliberates for just a few hours before returning a guilty verdict on November 14, 1990. When the verdict is read, Blanche whispers 'I can't believe it' to her lawyer. [1] — Ash Kelley "Oldest woman on death row, age 93: As of the episode's recording, Blanche Taylor Moore is 93 years old and the oldest woman — and likely th…" 1:08:09 Two days later, the jury recommends the death penalty; Blanche closes her eyes and says 'Oh God.' The judge sets an execution date of January 18, 1991 — a date that has never come. More than 30 years of appeals and motions have kept the sentence in legal limbo. As of recording, Blanche Taylor Moore is 93 years old, an inmate at the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women, and the oldest woman — and likely the oldest person — on death row in the United States. Dwight Moore, reflecting on the verdict, observes that in her own distorted way, it was easier for Blanche to kill than end a relationship.
Ash and Alaina share a final moment imagining Blanche talking about curtains while Dwight lay on the floor, agreeing it reveals someone with nothing inside. Alaina brings a fun fact from BBC Science Focus: scientists have observed orcas wearing dead fish as hats and dolphins playing catch with pufferfish and octopuses, behaviour nobody can explain. The hosts riff on the terrifying intelligence of orcas before wrapping up. Sponsor reads for Angie (home contractor platform) and Taboola's Realize performance advertising platform close the episode, followed by the sign-off: 'Keep it weird — maybe so weird that you wear your enemy as a hat. Just don't kill him.'
Chapter 2 · 06:01
Ash brings listeners up to speed on Part 1: Blanche's long-term boyfriend Raymond Reed died suddenly, initially attributed to Guillain-Barré syndrome; her husband James Taylor had also passed under circumstances blamed on heart problems; and her father died under strange but uninvestigated circumstances. None of these deaths triggered suspicion at the time. Ash frames what's coming by reminding the audience that Blanche is now the oldest woman on death row, and that the episode will track how she finally got caught — comparing it, with glee, to the TV show The Pit.
After legal fees, Blanche Taylor Moore's settlement with Kroger left her with approximately $100,000, temporarily solving her money problems.
Chapter 3 · 08:00
After the Kroger lawsuit settled for about $100,000 post-fees, Blanche briefly had breathing room — until her cancer diagnosis and reconstruction surgery chewed through her funds. She extracted money from Raymond Reed's estate under the false premise that his will split things three ways, when in fact it named her only as executor. When his sons Stevie and Ray finally reviewed the documents, Blanche lost her temper and cut ties. As her money ran dry, she accelerated her push to marry Dwight — conveniently, right after Dwight disclosed every detail of his life insurance and retirement package to her, while she revealed nothing about her own finances.
By the time Blanche started pushing to marry Dwight, her Kroger settlement was almost gone and she'd already swindled money from her dead boyfriend's estate. Dwight handed her every detail of his life insurance and retirement package before realizing she had shared nothing about her own finances.
Chapter 5 · 26:00
Dwight is admitted to hospital and X-rays reveal a significant mass in his intestines. Surgeons open him up and find nothing — not even a blockage — just inflammation. His intestines are physically removed and inspected end-to-end. A second mass appears in a different location on follow-up scans, and a second surgery produces the same baffling result: nothing. [1] — Ash Kelley "Pooled arsenic in Dwight Moore's intestines looked exactly like a solid mass on X-rays because arsenic is a heavy metal X-rays can't penetr…" 49:47 Meanwhile, Blanche grows progressively less present and less caring, and Dwight's family starts to wonder if the engagement is over. Dwight, ever optimistic, attributes her distance to personality rather than malice. Ash and Alaina note with dark irony that Dwight consistently recovered fastest during the stretches when Blanche wasn't around.
Dwight Moore's EKG results appeared to be the profile of a much older person who had suffered years of heart problems, despite him never smoking, drinking excessively, or having a prior cardiac history.
Doctors told Dwight there was a mass but had no explanation for it. Before anyone called for next of kin or a specialist, Blanche was on the phone telling his sisters the mass was cancerous. It matched a pattern: she had a habit of calling time of death before emergency services.
Dwight Moore underwent two surgeries in which his intestines were fully removed and inspected, with surgeons finding nothing both times because the arsenic had already moved through his system.
Chapter 6 · 34:15
After a brief trip to New Jersey for his son's new baby — the 'honeymoon' — Dwight is struck mid-lunch with violent nausea that ends with him projectile vomiting across the kitchen and collapsing face-down on the floor. [1] — Ash Kelley "Dwight projectile vomited so hard across the kitchen that vomit hit the far wall, then collapsed face-down on the floor. Blanche never stop…" 37:33 Throughout the entire ordeal, Blanche does not stop talking about home renovations: curtains, blinds, paint. Even as she helps him off the floor and walks him to the bedroom, she is narrating her remodeling plans. Ash calls her 'evil' for being so removed; Alaina says the capacity to watch prolonged suffering and feel nothing is inhuman in a way she cannot comprehend. The hosts observe that this cruelty is particularly brutal because it unfolds slowly, over months, in intimate domestic settings.
Dwight Moore's mysterious illness always seemed to improve when he was away from Blanche — at his sister's house, during hospital stays without her. His family read it as a failing relationship. He chalked it up to her personality. Neither had yet considered she was the source.
Dwight projectile vomited so hard across the kitchen that vomit hit the far wall, then collapsed face-down on the floor. Blanche never stopped talking about hanging curtains. She just kept planning home renovations while her husband lay there in agony — a glimpse into a mind with zero human empathy.
Chapter 7 · 40:10
Over a brutal two-day stretch, Dwight is sent home from two separate hospital emergency rooms — despite his symptoms worsening, the medications doing nothing, and him begging to be admitted. One doctor explicitly tells him he doesn't have time to do the referral paperwork. Only on the fourth visit does an attending finally admit him to the ICU. Ash and Alaina respond with audible frustration and pivot to a broader critique of US healthcare: overworked, underfunded doctors who can't provide the level of care patients need, and a system that, they note, probably still fails people the same way today.
Every ER that saw Dwight Moore sent him home with meds. Dr. David Wands, a third-year cardiology fellow eager to prove himself, was the first to order a toxicology screen — and the first to isolate the cause that baffled veteran doctors for months. Sometimes the young hungry doctor is exactly who you want.
Chapter 9 · 45:05
Dr. David Wands, young and eager to prove himself on a difficult case, is assigned to Dwight Moore in the ICU. He interviews Blanche, who offers the weed-killer alibi while simultaneously agreeing to collect all the pesticides from home. The moment she mentions gardening, Wands privately orders a complete toxicology panel. Dwight moves into an isolation unit with a sitter — no one can be left alone with him, because someone in his circle is trying to kill him. Wands and his supervisors try to contact police, who don't respond for days, so they escalate to the State Bureau of Investigation. Ash and Alaina note with satisfaction that Wands represents the kind of motivated, detail-oriented doctor who changes outcomes.
Dr. David Wands ordered a toxicology panel on a hunch, and the results stunned the entire lab: Dwight Moore had arsenic at 20 times the lethal dose in his body — the most ever found in a living human in the hospital's history. The lab triple-checked the results. They couldn't believe it either.
Chapter 10 · 48:20
On May 13th, Dwight's toxicology results arrive and they are staggering: arsenic at 20 times the lethal dose, the highest ever found in a living person in the hospital's history — enough to kill a large mammal, according to the author Ash cites. [1] — Ash Kelley "Dr. David Wands ordered a toxicology panel on a hunch, and the results stunned the entire lab: Dwight Moore had arsenic at 20 times the let…" 48:15 The lab was so shocked they triple-checked. Suddenly everything makes sense: arsenic is a heavy metal that appears opaque on X-rays, so the 'bowel obstruction' was actually pooled arsenic, which had worked through Dwight's system by the time surgeons cut him open each time. Dr. Wands confronts Dwight, who insists it must have been the weed killer — but the doctor explains that no household chemical contains that concentration, and the pattern of exposure stretches back almost a year.
Claims made here
Dwight Moore's toxicology results showed arsenic at 20 times the lethal dose — the most ever found in any living human being in the history of UNC hospital.
Arsenic, being a heavy metal, appears as a solid mass on X-rays because X-rays cannot penetrate it, explaining why doctors misidentified pooled arsenic in Dwight Moore's intestines as a bowel obstruction.
Arsenic works through a person's system within days, meaning it would have been undetectable by the time follow-up surgery was performed.
Dwight Moore's toxicology results showed arsenic levels 20 times the lethal dose, the most ever found in any living person in the history of UNC hospital.
Pooled arsenic in Dwight Moore's intestines looked exactly like a solid mass on X-rays because arsenic is a heavy metal X-rays can't penetrate. Surgeons opened him up twice, pulled out his entire intestines, and found nothing — because by surgery day, the arsenic had already worked through his system.
Pooled arsenic in Dwight Moore's intestines appeared as a solid mass on X-rays because arsenic is a heavy metal that X-rays cannot penetrate, leading to two unnecessary surgeries.
Chapter 11 · 51:00
Agents Dave McDougall and Phil Ayers systematically interview everyone connected to Dwight. Blanche offers a series of ever-changing explanations — the weed killer, a garden towel she wiped her face on, tainted grapes before the ferry trip — each dismissed as medically implausible by doctors. The more investigators dig, the more theatrical Blanche becomes: fighting with ICU nurses, accusing hospital staff of administering the poison, and demanding to be left alone with her husband. Meanwhile, when Dwight mentions Raymond Reed died of Guillain-Barré syndrome, Agent McDougall's ears perk up — he has a family member with the condition and knows it's rarely fatal. That personal knowledge triggers a deeper look at Blanche's entire past, revealing that two other people in her life — her father and a former coworker — also died under suspicious circumstances.
Claims made here
Guillain-Barré syndrome is rarely fatal and is usually manageable with the right treatment.
Raymond Reed died of what Blanche called Guillain-Barré syndrome. Most investigators would have nodded and moved on. But Agent McDougall had a family member with the condition and knew it's rarely fatal with proper treatment. That personal knowledge turned a passing detail into the thread that unraveled everything.
Chapter 12 · 58:40
With a court warrant, investigators exhume Raymond Reed's body from Pine Hill Cemetery and find arsenic distributed through six organs — liver, brain, kidneys, muscles, bones, and stomach — at levels the medical examiner describes as within the range of potential lethality. [1] — Ash Kelley "Investigators got a warrant to dig up Raymond Reed's body from Pine Hill Cemetery, and the results were damning: arsenic in his liver, brai…" 58:40 A superior court judge orders the exhumation of James Taylor's body next, and the results are similarly damning: elevated arsenic and a medical examiner's conclusion that Taylor died from arsenic poisoning, not the heart disease that had been cited at the time of his death. [2] — Ash Kelley "James Taylor died of arsenic poisoning: The medical examiner concluded that Blanche's husband James Taylor died as a result of arsenic pois…" 59:38 The bodies of Blanche's father P.D. Kaiser and her former mother-in-law are also exhumed; both show elevated arsenic but not at provably lethal levels. On July 18, 1989, Blanche Taylor Moore is arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.
Claims made here
The medical examiner found arsenic in Raymond Reed's liver, brain, kidneys, muscles, bones, and stomach at levels the examiner described as within the range of potential lethality.
The medical examiner concluded that James Taylor died as a result of arsenic poisoning, not his known underlying heart disease.
Blanche Taylor Moore was charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder and 1 count of assault with a deadly weapon following the investigation.
Investigators got a warrant to dig up Raymond Reed's body from Pine Hill Cemetery, and the results were damning: arsenic in his liver, brain, kidneys, muscles, bones, and stomach — at levels the medical examiner described as within the range of potential lethality. Blanche's past had literally been unearthed.
When Raymond Reed's body was exhumed from Pine Hill Cemetery, the medical examiner found arsenic in his liver, brain, kidneys, muscles, bones, and stomach at levels within the range of potential lethality.
The medical examiner concluded that Blanche's husband James Taylor died as a result of arsenic poisoning, despite his known underlying heart disease previously being cited as the cause.
Blanche's arrest on July 18, 1989 sent shockwaves through her community. Neighbors described her as a sweet, devout Christian woman. Her own daughter flatly rejected the accusations. But those who knew Blanche closely had already started to notice she lied about everything — they just couldn't say what was and wasn't true.
Blanche Taylor Moore was arrested on July 18, 1989, charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder and 1 count of assault with a deadly weapon.
Chapter 13 · 1:00:32
The news of Blanche's arrest creates a media frenzy. Her daughter Vanessa publicly defends her. Her sister-in-law calls it a puzzle. But a member of Dwight's family offers a more nuanced take: Blanche initially projected intelligence and thoughtfulness, but over time it became clear she lied constantly — until no one was sure what was true. Dwight himself, recovering enough to speak to the press by August 1989, expresses compassion for what Blanche will have to go through, tells reporters he has sorrow for her, and says he hopes to visit her in jail. When asked about divorce, he says now doesn't seem like the right time — prompting Alaina to note, with some incredulity, that now seems like an excellent time.
The exhumed bodies of Blanche's father P.D. Kaiser and her former mother-in-law Isla Taylor both showed elevated arsenic levels, though insufficient to definitively determine cause of death.
Chapter 14 · 1:02:30
By October 1990, Blanche's defense attorney Mitchell McIntyre is projecting total confidence, framing his client as a brave, devout woman from hard beginnings who spoke out against workplace abuse. Prosecutor Warren Sparrow frames the trial in his opening remarks as being about secrecy, pride, and a woman who took on the power of life and death. Over several weeks, the prosecution calls dozens of witnesses: doctors, nurses, Raymond's sons, and Dwight himself, who describes both the agony of his poisoning and Blanche's attempt to cut his hair while he lay on a ventilator. [1] — Ash Kelley "While Dwight Moore lay on a ventilator, barely able to lift his hands off the bed, Blanche insisted on cutting his hair. She knew arsenic s…" 1:03:10 Blanche takes the stand and delivers more than two and a half hours of testimony marked by long rambling answers, visible anger, and at one point yelling at the assistant prosecutor — all of which leaves jurors visibly disengaged. Her defense hinges on a supposed confession letter from a man named Garvin Thomas, which prosecutors argue Blanche wrote herself.
Claims made here
Arsenic can remain detectable in a person's hair long after they die.
Blanche Taylor Moore was sentenced to death on November 16, 1990, with an execution date set for January 18, 1991, which has never been carried out due to appeals.
While Dwight Moore lay on a ventilator, barely able to lift his hands off the bed, Blanche insisted on cutting his hair. She knew arsenic stays detectable in hair long after death — and she was trying to destroy the evidence before anyone thought to test it.
While Dwight Moore was on a ventilator in the ICU barely able to lift his hands, Blanche insisted on cutting his hair — because arsenic can be detected in hair long after death.
Blanche's entire defense rested on a letter of confession from a man named Garvin Thomas, claiming he killed Raymond Reed. The prosecution argued there was no such person — and that Blanche had written the letter herself. It didn't work.
On November 14, 1990, after just a few hours of deliberation, the jury found Blanche Taylor Moore guilty of first-degree murder of Raymond Reed.
Chapter 15 · 1:06:00
The jury deliberates for just a few hours before returning a guilty verdict on November 14, 1990. When the verdict is read, Blanche whispers 'I can't believe it' to her lawyer. [1] — Ash Kelley "Oldest woman on death row, age 93: As of the episode's recording, Blanche Taylor Moore is 93 years old and the oldest woman — and likely th…" 1:08:09 Two days later, the jury recommends the death penalty; Blanche closes her eyes and says 'Oh God.' The judge sets an execution date of January 18, 1991 — a date that has never come. More than 30 years of appeals and motions have kept the sentence in legal limbo. As of recording, Blanche Taylor Moore is 93 years old, an inmate at the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women, and the oldest woman — and likely the oldest person — on death row in the United States. Dwight Moore, reflecting on the verdict, observes that in her own distorted way, it was easier for Blanche to kill than end a relationship.
Claims made here
As of the episode's recording, Blanche Taylor Moore is 93 years old and the oldest woman — and likely the oldest person — on death row in the United States.
Since Blanche Taylor Moore's death sentence was handed down more than 30 years ago, her appeals and motions have repeatedly delayed her execution.
As of the episode's recording, Blanche Taylor Moore is 93 years old and the oldest woman — and likely the oldest person — on death row in the United States.
No indexed bits in this chapter.
Dr. David Wands ordered a toxicology panel on a hunch, and the results stunned the entire lab: Dwight Moore had arsenic at 20 times the lethal dose in his body — the most ever found in a living human in the hospital's history. The lab triple-checked the results. They couldn't believe it either.
Dwight projectile vomited so hard across the kitchen that vomit hit the far wall, then collapsed face-down on the floor. Blanche never stopped talking about hanging curtains. She just kept planning home renovations while her husband lay there in agony — a glimpse into a mind with zero human empathy.
While Dwight Moore lay on a ventilator, barely able to lift his hands off the bed, Blanche insisted on cutting his hair. She knew arsenic stays detectable in hair long after death — and she was trying to destroy the evidence before anyone thought to test it.
This episode
The subject of the episode — a North Carolina woman convicted of first-degree murder via arsenic poisoning, now the oldest woman on death row in the US at age 93.
Blanche's fiancé and later husband, who nearly died from arsenic poisoning and whose hospitalization triggered the investigation that unraveled her crimes.
Blanche's long-term boyfriend who died of what was ruled Guillain-Barré syndrome; exhumation revealed arsenic in his organs, leading to Blanche's first murder conviction.
A third-year cardiology fellow at UNC who ordered the toxicology screen that discovered 20 times the lethal dose of arsenic in Dwight Moore and effectively broke the case.
Blanche's husband who died of what was originally attributed to heart disease; autopsy after exhumation found arsenic and the medical examiner concluded he died of arsenic poisoning.
The prosecutor in Blanche Taylor Moore's 1990 murder trial whose opening and closing arguments centered on the scientific evidence of arsenic poisoning.
One of the two SBI agents assigned to investigate Dwight Moore's poisoning; his personal familiarity with Guillain-Barré syndrome flagged Raymond Reed's death as suspicious.
Blanche Taylor Moore's defense lawyer who maintained her innocence and attempted to portray her as a long-suffering Christian woman at trial.
The grocery chain Blanche sued for workplace harassment, ultimately settling for approximately $100,000 after legal fees.
The state agency whose investigators Dave McDougall and Phil Ayers took on the case after the local police department failed to respond to doctors' reports of suspected poisoning.
The academic medical center where Dr. David Wands worked and where Dwight Moore was finally admitted to the ICU and correctly diagnosed.
The prison in North Carolina where Blanche Taylor Moore has remained incarcerated on death row since her conviction in 1990.
The state where Blanche Taylor Moore committed her crimes, was investigated, tried, and remains incarcerated on death row.
The cemetery where Raymond Reed was buried and from which his body was exhumed for forensic examination revealing arsenic in his organs.
Stats
This episode
Factual claims made this episode, and whether a source was named.
Dwight Moore's toxicology results showed arsenic at 20 times the lethal dose — the most ever found in any living human being in the history of UNC hospital.
Arsenic, being a heavy metal, appears as a solid mass on X-rays because X-rays cannot penetrate it, explaining why doctors misidentified pooled arsenic in Dwight Moore's intestines as a bowel obstruction.
Arsenic works through a person's system within days, meaning it would have been undetectable by the time follow-up surgery was performed.
The medical examiner found arsenic in Raymond Reed's liver, brain, kidneys, muscles, bones, and stomach at levels the examiner described as within the range of potential lethality.
The medical examiner concluded that James Taylor died as a result of arsenic poisoning, not his known underlying heart disease.
Arsenic can remain detectable in a person's hair long after they die.
Guillain-Barré syndrome is rarely fatal and is usually manageable with the right treatment.
Prior to the 1980s and 1990s, a physical examination and blood test were required to obtain a marriage license in some US states, to rule out syphilis and infectious diseases.
Blanche Taylor Moore was sentenced to death on November 16, 1990, with an execution date set for January 18, 1991, which has never been carried out due to appeals.
As of the episode's recording, Blanche Taylor Moore is 93 years old and the oldest woman — and likely the oldest person — on death row in the United States.
Blanche Taylor Moore was charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder and 1 count of assault with a deadly weapon following the investigation.
Scientists have observed orcas wearing dead fish as hats and dolphins playing catch with pufferfish and octopuses, though no one knows why.
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