Betty Neumar
Encyclopedia
Betty Neumar was an American woman charged with arranging the murder of her fourth husband, Harold Gentry, who died in 1986. Al Gentry, brother of Neumar's fourth husband Harold, had urged police to investigate his death for 22 years, prior to her arrest in 2007. Following this arrest, and learning of the fact that Neumar had had five husbands in total who had all died, the case generated much media interest in the United States, who dubbed Neumar the 'Black Widow
'. On June 13, 2011 Betty Neumar died in a Louisiana hospital of an undisclosed illness.
to Odis and Elizabeth Walden Johnson. She graduated from South Point High School in 1949.
She was married five times:
Mr. Neumar's cause of death
was listed as sepsis
, ischemic bowel, and ileus
- symptoms that could point to death by arsenic
poison
ing. Additional reasons his death were considered suspicious came from Neumar's son, John Neumar, Jr., who told authorities he was not informed of the death until reading about it in a newspaper. When he contacted the widow
about his father, he was told that he had already been cremated despite having previously bought a burial plot
.
Investigators are taking a closer look at the deaths of her other husbands, three of whom had been shot dead.
Neumar was extradited to Albemarle, North Carolina
in June 2008, a month after her arrest. She was charged with the murder of her fourth husband, Harold Gentry, by North Carolina officials after receiving a tip pointing to her involvement. The indictment alleges that Neumar "sought out a former police officer and her neighbor to kill her husband in the months before his death", with the motive allegedly being his $20,000 life insurance policy.
To date (July 16, 2008), the deaths of four of her five dead husbands are being reinvestigated, as well as the death of her first child, Gary Flynn, whose 1985 death was ruled as suicide.
Neumar was released in October 2008 on a $300,000 bail bond
.
Charged with three counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder, as of May 2009 Neumar remained free on bond while she waited for the trial. Investigators had the ashes of her fifth husband John Neumar seized, and analysed for traces of arsenic
. The results were negative. As of November 2009, no trial date had been set.
television documentary, Black Widow Granny?, first aired on BBC One
on 3 November 2009. The film featured interviews with friends and relatives, as well as an interview with Neumar, who had otherwise avoided the media.
hospital of an undisclosed illness. Police stated that they would look into her death.
Black Widow
Black widow is a common name of some spiders in the genus Latrodectus.Black Widow may also refer to:-Fiction:* Black Widow: A Novel, a 1981 novel by Christina Crawford...
'. On June 13, 2011 Betty Neumar died in a Louisiana hospital of an undisclosed illness.
Husbands
Betty Johnson was born in November 1931 in Ironton, OhioIronton, Ohio
Ironton is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Lawrence County. The municipality is located in southern Ohio along the Ohio River. The population was 11,211 at the 2000 census. Ironton is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the...
to Odis and Elizabeth Walden Johnson. She graduated from South Point High School in 1949.
She was married five times:
- Clarence Malone (1950–1952) remarried twice after the couple split and died November 27, 1970 in Medina, OhioMedina, OhioIn the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males...
; - James Flynn (? – 1955) was shot dead on a pier in New York in 1955;
- Richard Sills (? –1965) died from an allegedly self-inflicted gunshot wound sustained during an argument the couple was having in a closed room in their Big Coppitt Key, FloridaBig Coppitt Key, FloridaBig Coppitt Key is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, on an island of the same name in the lower Florida Keys. The CDP also includes the neighboring islands of Geiger Key and Shark Key. As of the 2000 census, it had a total population of 2,595. ...
home; - Thomas Harold Gentry (1968–1986) was found dead in the couple's Norwood, North CarolinaNorwood, North CarolinaNorwood is a town in Stanly County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,216 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Norwood is located at ....
home, shot multiple times; and - John Neumar (1991–2007) was found dead from apparent natural causes.
Mr. Neumar's cause of death
Cause of Death
Cause of Death is a 1990 album by American death metal band Obituary. Cause of Death is considered a classic album in the history of death metal. The artwork was done by artist Michael Whelan...
was listed as sepsis
Sepsis
Sepsis is a potentially deadly medical condition that is characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state and the presence of a known or suspected infection. The body may develop this inflammatory response by the immune system to microbes in the blood, urine, lungs, skin, or other tissues...
, ischemic bowel, and ileus
Ileus
Ileus is a disruption of the normal propulsive ability of the gastrointestinal tract.Ileus is commonly defined simply as bowel obstruction. However, authoritative sources define it as decreased motor activity of the GI tract due to non-mechanical causes...
- symptoms that could point to death by arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ing. Additional reasons his death were considered suspicious came from Neumar's son, John Neumar, Jr., who told authorities he was not informed of the death until reading about it in a newspaper. When he contacted the widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
about his father, he was told that he had already been cremated despite having previously bought a burial plot
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
.
Investigation
In May 2008 Neumar was charged with hiring a hit man to kill her husband.Investigators are taking a closer look at the deaths of her other husbands, three of whom had been shot dead.
Neumar was extradited to Albemarle, North Carolina
Albemarle, North Carolina
Albemarle is the county seat of Stanly County, North Carolina. The population was 15,680 at the 2000 census. It is governed by Mayor Elbert L. "Whit" Whitley, Jr...
in June 2008, a month after her arrest. She was charged with the murder of her fourth husband, Harold Gentry, by North Carolina officials after receiving a tip pointing to her involvement. The indictment alleges that Neumar "sought out a former police officer and her neighbor to kill her husband in the months before his death", with the motive allegedly being his $20,000 life insurance policy.
To date (July 16, 2008), the deaths of four of her five dead husbands are being reinvestigated, as well as the death of her first child, Gary Flynn, whose 1985 death was ruled as suicide.
Neumar was released in October 2008 on a $300,000 bail bond
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
.
Charged with three counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder, as of May 2009 Neumar remained free on bond while she waited for the trial. Investigators had the ashes of her fifth husband John Neumar seized, and analysed for traces of arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
. The results were negative. As of November 2009, no trial date had been set.
BBC documentary
The case of Betty Neumar was the subject of a BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television documentary, Black Widow Granny?, first aired on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 3 November 2009. The film featured interviews with friends and relatives, as well as an interview with Neumar, who had otherwise avoided the media.
Death
On June 13, 2011 Betty Neumar died in a LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
hospital of an undisclosed illness. Police stated that they would look into her death.