Death Sentence: The True Story of Velma Barfield's Life, Crimes, and Punishment
by Jerry Bledsoe
On This Page
Description
A shocking true story of a double life undone by murder. When North Carolina farmer Stuart Taylor died after a sudden illness, his 46-year-old fiancée Velma Barfield, was overcome with grief. Taylor's family grieved with her-until the autopsy revealed traces of arsenic poisoning. Turned over to the authorities by her own son, Velma stunned her family with more revelations. This wasn't the first time the born-again Christian and devout Sunday school teacher had committed cold-blooded murder. show more Tried by the 'world's deadliest prosecutor,' and sentenced to death, Velma turned her life around and gained worldwide attention. With chilling precision, New York Times bestselling author Bledsoe probes Velma's stark descent into madness. From her harrowing childhood to the shocking crimes that incited a national debate over the death penalty, to the dark, final moments of her execution-broadcast live on CNN-Velma Barfield's riveting life of crime and punishment, revenge and redemption is true crime reporting at its most gripping and profound. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
This book was well researched and well written. I can't say just why I didn't care for it. I guess I couldn't relate to anyone in the story.
Still I would recommend Bledsoe's work to anyone who enjoys true crime books.
Still I would recommend Bledsoe's work to anyone who enjoys true crime books.
Another book I did not register on GR apparently.
I gave it a 9 out of 10 on Bookcrossing and on Thursday, March 22, 2007 I wrote about this book:
9 out of 10
Well I see I forgot to write a journal entry.
I completed this book on January 31st and really enjoyed it.
What a story. very well written.
Highly recommend
I gave it a 9 out of 10 on Bookcrossing and on Thursday, March 22, 2007 I wrote about this book:
9 out of 10
Well I see I forgot to write a journal entry.
I completed this book on January 31st and really enjoyed it.
What a story. very well written.
Highly recommend
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Books Read in 2005
174 works; 7 members
Author Information
17+ Works 1,048 Members
Jerry Bledsoe was born July 14, 1941, in Danville, Virginia. Bledsoe is a newspaperman. He writes true crime stories as well as humor columns. He has won several awards, including the National Headliners Award (1969) and the Young Newspaperman Award from the International Newspaper Promotion Association (1971). As a writer Beldsoe focuses on North show more Carolina's land and people. Some of his titles include Some Funny Things Happened on the Way Back to the Land (1976), Visitin' with Carolina People (1980), and Blood Games: A True Account of Family Murder (1991). Blue Horizons: Faces and Places from a Bicycle Journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway was published in 1993. Before He Wakes: A True Story of Money, Marriage, Sex and Murder appeared in 1994. Bledsoe lives in Ashboro, North Carolina. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Awards
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Death Sentence: The True Story of Velma Barfield's Life, Crimes, and Punishment
- Original publication date
- 1999
- People/Characters
- Velma Barfield
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, Politics and Government, History
- DDC/MDS
- 364.15 — Society, government, & culture Social problems and social services Crime Criminal offenses Offenses against the person
- LCC
- HV6248 .B26 .B56 — Social sciences Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Criminal classes
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 107
- Popularity
- 302,323
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.32)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 2
