Early Life and Trauma
Born on November 4th, 1905, in Alabama, Nancy “Nannie” Hazel’s childhood was marked by hardship and control. Growing up in an underprivileged family with one brother and three sisters, she received minimal education as their controlling father forced them to work long hours on the family farm. Social interactions, especially with boys, were strictly forbidden, and the girls were prohibited from wearing makeup or attractive clothing.
A pivotal moment occurred when seven-year-old Nannie suffered a head injury while riding a train. She would later attribute her depression, severe headaches, and daily blackouts to this traumatic incident. This early trauma, combined with her restrictive upbringing, would foreshadow the dark path ahead.
First Marriage: The Beginning of a Pattern
At just 16 years old, Nannie married Charlie Braggs, a coworker from her factory job, after a brief four-month courtship. What should have been a fresh start quickly turned sour. The couple’s living situation was complicated by Charlie’s possessive mother, who moved in with them. Between 1923 and 1927, Nannie gave birth to four daughters, but happiness remained elusive.
To cope with her unhappy marriage, Nannie turned to heavy drinking and smoking. The situation deteriorated further when Charlie began having affairs. In 1927, tragedy struck – two of their daughters died from suspected food poisoning. Suspiciously, Nannie’s grief seemed brief as she collected the children’s life insurance money. Charlie, fearing for his life, fled with their eldest daughter, leaving only their newborn behind. The marriage ended in divorce in 1928.
The Pattern Emerges: A Trail of Death
What followed was a chilling series of marriages and mysterious deaths:
Robert Frank Harrelson (1929-1945)
- Met through romantic poetry exchanges
- The marriage lasted 16 years despite his alcoholism and violent tendencies
- Died after consuming poisoned whiskey following a violent assault on Nannie
Arley Lanning (1947-1950)
- Met through magazine dating columns
- Died of apparent “heart failure” after flu-like symptoms
- The house mysteriously burned down after his death
- Mother-in-law died unexpectedly during Nannie’s visit
Richard L. Morton (1952-1953)
- Found through the Diamond Circle Club dating agency
- Nannie’s mother died mysteriously after moving in
- Morton died three months after his mother-in-law
Samuel Doss (1953-1954)
- A conservative, religious man
- Survived first poisoning attempt but died after hospital release
- His death finally raised medical suspicions
The Shocking Truth Revealed
In October 1954, authorities finally caught up with Nannie Doss. An autopsy of Samuel Doss revealed lethal levels of arsenic, leading to her arrest. On May 17th, 1955, Nannie confessed to 11 murders, including:
- Her infant grandson
- Her mother
- Four husbands
- Multiple mothers-in-law
Perhaps most disturbing was her demeanor – she giggled throughout her confession, showing no remorse for her crimes, earning her the nickname “The Giggling Grandmother.”
Read more: Roberta Elder: Black Female Serial Killer
Justice and Legacy
Despite the severity of her crimes, Nannie Doss escaped the death penalty, receiving a life sentence instead. She died of leukemia on June 2nd, 1965, at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary hospital, aged 59.
Her case remains one of the most chilling examples of a female serial killer in American history, particularly notable for her methodology of targeting family members and her seemingly cheerful demeanor when discussing her crimes.
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