Cordelia Botkin
Once again I have chosen and “old” case that involves a murder that was said to have been committed by a woman. Unlike the case of The Cold Spring Murders in which I just posted, there is much more information on this case, especially the evidence again Cordelia Botkin. This case is notorious because it is said to have been the first case in which the United States Postal Service was used to commit murder. John Dunning married Mary Penington on February 12, 1891 in Dover Delaware. The Penington's were prestigious and wealth as her father served as Congressman. Within a short period the couple moved to the San Francisco area and they became parents. One strange thing about this case is I was never able to learn if their child was a boy or a girl as it always referred to the child as “the infant” or baby or simply their child. It has been said John Dunning would meet Cordelia Botkin sometime around 1892 or 1893 and they began a secret affair. Cordeli...