Death Sentence: The True Story of Velma Barfield's Life, Crimes, and Punishment

By Jerry Bledsoe

Book Overview

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 fianc e 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. 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.

"A painfully intimate, moving story about the life and death of the only woman executed in the U.S. between 1962-1998... explores a facet of human behavior that defies easy definitions or easy answers... with graceful writing and thorough reporting, it makes the reader look hard at something dark and sad in the human soul... breathes new life into the true crime genre." --Raleigh News & Observer

"Bledsoe has written a detailed account of Barfield's troubled life and motives...holds the reader's interest with a true story that reads like a novel." --Library Journal

"Undertakes to answer the questions about the justice system and the motives that drive women to kill." --Washington Post Book World

"An extraordinary piece of writing... the most chilling description of a legal execution that we are ever likely to get." --Asheville Citizen Times

"Substantial... focused and intensive... genuinely instructive." --The Spectator

"Bledsoe has been long known as one of the most prodigiously talented reporters and writers in the country." --Tom French

"Taut and engrossing on the nature of justice and the death penalty as well as on guilt and responsibility." --Booklist

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1626819548
• ISBN13: 9781626819542
• Release Date: May 2014
• Publisher: Diversion Publishing Corp.
• Length: 348 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

5 Stars ⭐️

One of the best books Mr Bledsoe has written. I couldn’t put it down and will keep it to read again in the future. Kept my interest all the way through. Highly recommend it as a good true crime read.

Never got bored with it....

This was a very well written book. I never got bored with it at any point in it. Bledsoe is one of the few top-notch true-crime writers, & this book proves it. Buy & read it; you will not regret the money spent on it. I sure didn't!

Death Sentence

First I would like to say that Jerry Bledsoe did a excellent job putting this book together. This book is about Velma Barfied, a woman punished with the death penalty for posining her victims with arsenic, starting when she was young leading up to her death. Velmas final faith in God, the victims fellings of loss, betrayal and pain, Velmas familys issues of deceit, of denial, guilt, memories of happy times and sad, and pain along with Velmas friends of old and new whom stood beside her till her final breath are all bits and pieces of this heart-wrenching true story.I really can't say I am for or against the death penalty, I'm not sure anyone really knows until you are the victim of a murdered family/friend or on the other side and a family/friend of the murderer... no-one wants a loved one to die in any way. And this book showed both sides I felt for Velmas family and friends and I also felt for the victims of such horrible deaths. This is the first novel of a true life nature that I have read, and some how it all seems so unreal... When I first found out what Velma did I was appalled, and I am still appalled and do not aprove of her actions, but then my heart started opening up to her family - if they could forgive her for murdering there mother/grandmother/greatgrandmother and her childrens father and still stand behind her - it broke my heart.This is a novel of great controversy, there aren't any easy answers in my eyes, we forget that theirs always victims on both sides - but this was by far well written book.

kept my interest!

I really liked reading this book. It kept my interest throughout the whole story. I read it in just a few days, it told a very interesting story. I truly believe that Velma's problems were because of her life and what had happened to her. I thought seeing how it affected her family and portrayed them as victims was riveting. I really felt for her son and daughter and of course her victims families. After reading it I did not think of Velma as monster which most cold-blooded killers are but as a victim of life. Read it you won't be sorry!

The other side of an exectuion

This book was a page turner. I was amazed that someone could write this book and tell a story that was had so many variables. I felt that I completely understood the pain & confusion of this family. The last few chapters were captivating. I feel like I was in the cell with her going to her execution. I see another side of the death penalty. It may not change anyones mind about their beliefs but it will challenge your belief system and it will stay with you a long time if not always.

Engrossing and captivating!

This book was great from start to finish. I have read almost every true crime book out but this is the only one that ever made me cry. The story of Velma Barfield's children nad the pain imposed upon them is heartwrentching. The story of her life is interesting and haunting. I have many mixed feelings about capital punishment now that I have read what it does to those left behind. This book will keep you up long into the night. I can not wait until Jerry Bledsoe's next work!

Compelling!

As an avid true crime reader for many, many years, Bledsoe's compelling story of Velma Barfield's crimes, trial and the wrenching days and hours before execution, was one of the best I've ever read. Never has a true crime story had me in tears. As an proponent of the death penalty, I was very moved by Bledsoe's moving account of the countdown to execution. It is written so vividly, one feels they are there, experiencing the various emotions displayed by Velma's family, prison staff, friends, etc. This is a must for true crime readers!