Bloody Marys

I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DO THIS, GUYS. COME ON. YOU GUYS, RELAX. IT IS JUST A SILLY PRANK. Girl: I DON'T KNOW. I'VE BEEN READING SOME PRETTY SCARY STUFF ON THE INTERNET ABOUT BLOODY -- DON'T... [BLOWS] SAY IT YET. WE HAVE TO SAY IT THREE TIMES TOGETHER. OKAY. Narrator: LEGEND HAS IT BLOODY MARY WAS A RUTHLESS KILLER... All: BLOODY MARY. BLOODY MARY. Narrator: ...WHOSE SOUL CAN BE SUMMONED BY A SIMPLE RITUAL... All: BLOODY MARY. Narrator: ...THAT UNLEASHES A VENGEFUL SPIRIT. [ GASPS ] AND NO ONE KNOWS WHERE SHE'LL STRIKE NEXT. FROM VICTORIAN ENGLAND... SHE WAS STILL ALIVE WHEN HER THROAT WAS CUT. Narrator: ...TO THE TURN OF THE CENTURY... SHE HAD NO QUALMS ABOUT JUST SLAMMING A HATCHET AGAINST THE SIDE OF HER FACE. Narrator: ...TO THE GREAT DEPRESSION. MARY FRANCES SAYS, "HERE, DRINK. IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER." YOU NEED TO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! Narrator: THESE ARE THE STORIES OF THE MOST BRUTAL WOMEN NAMED MARY... WOULD YOU LIKE SOME CANDY? ...WHEN THE MYTH BECOMES REALITY. -- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS THE YEAR IS 1908. 26-YEAR-OLD MARY FARMER MARVELS AT HER NEWFOUND PROSPERITY. THE BRUTAL CRIME THIS MARY HAS COMMITTED IS EVERY NEIGHBOR'S WORST NIGHTMARE. BROWNVILLE, NEW YORK. JAMES AND MARY FARMER HAVE JUST MOVED TO THIS SMALL, SLEEPY TOWN IN UPSTATE NEW YORK SHORTLY AFTER TYING THE KNOT. Gooley: MARY WAS FIVE MONTHS PREGNANT AT THE TIME. THEY LOOKED AROUND FOR DIFFERENT PROPERTIES THEY COULD POSSIBLY PURCHASE, BUT THEY REALLY DIDN'T HAVE THE MEANS BECAUSE JIM DIDN'T WORK STEADILY AND HE WAS KNOWN TO DRINK FROM TIME TO TIME. Narrator: 44-YEAR-OLD JAMES AND HIS YOUNG BRIDE ARE PENNILESS AND ARE FORCED TO SETTLE ON RENTING SPACE IN A DILAPIDATED OLD TAVERN. Gooley: IT WAS A VERY BEAT-UP APPEARANCE -- PEELING PAINT, BROKEN WINDOWS, THE YARD WAS DIRT, AND THERE WAS GENERALLY GARBAGE STREWN ABOUT THE YARD. NEXT DOOR TO THEM IS WHERE PATSY AND SARAH BRENNAN LIVED. THE BRENNANS HAD A PERFECTLY TRIMMED YARD, THE HOUSE WAS PAINTED, EVERYTHING WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. JAMES, GET UP. THE BRENNANS ARE HERE. [ GRUNTS ] THIS IS MY HUSBAND, JAMES. Narrator: ALTHOUGH THE BRENNANS ARE FAR BETTER OFF THAN THE FARMERS, THE TWO COUPLES BECOME GOOD FRIENDS. WHEN ARE YOU DUE? FIVE MONTHS. WELL, YOU'RE PROBABLY THROUGH THE WORST OF IT RIGHT NOW. MUCH OLDER THAN MARY AND ONCE A YOUNG MOTHER HERSELF, SARAH TAKES THIS SEEMINGLY NAIVE WOMAN WITH CHILD UNDER HER CARE. BUT RATHER THAN BE GRACIOUS FOR SARAH'S KINDNESS, MARY COVETS HER NEIGHBOR'S EVERY POSSESSION. MARY APPEARED TO BE MOTIVATED MAINLY BY THE FACT THAT SHE NEVER HAD WHAT SHE WANTED IN LIFE. SHE WANTED SOMETHING NICE, AND OTHER PEOPLE HAD NICE THINGS AROUND HER. Narrator: BEHIND HER INNOCENT SMILE, MARY FARMER IS DEVISING A BRUTAL SCHEME. SHE DEVELOPED A REALLY EVIL PLAN. SARAH, DO YOU HAVE ANY MILK FOR THE BABY? Narrator: IT'S OCTOBER 1907, AND MARY'S BABY IS NOW 7 MONTHS OLD. FOR WEEKS, MARY HAS BEEN SCOPING OUT THE BRENNANS' HOME UNTIL ONE DAY, WHILE VISITING HER UNSUSPECTING FRIEND, SHE PUTS HER PLAN IN MOTION BY STEALING THE BRENNAN'S PROPERTY DEED. SO, SHE TOOK THE DEEDS TO A LAWYER WHO DIDN'T KNOW HER, AND SHE PRESENTED HERSELF AS SARAH BRENNAN. Narrator: ACTING AS SARAH, SHE CONVINCES THE LAWYER TO TRANSFER THE DEED OVER TO HER HUSBAND, JAMES FARMER. THAT NIGHT, SHE TELLS JAMES THAT SHE BOUGHT THE BRENNANS' PROPERTY LEGITIMATELY FROM SARAH... HOW DID YOU DO THIS? I PAID FOR IT. ...WHO MARY SAYS IS PLANNING TO ABANDON BOTH HER HUSBAND, PATSY, AND THEIR LIFE IN BROWNVILLE. NOW THERE'S ONLY ONE THING LEFT FOR MARY TO DO TO COMPLETE HER TWISTED PLAN. SHE WAITS FOR THE PERFECT MOMENT TO MAKE SARAH DISAPPEAR. [ KNOCK ON DOOR ] IS THAT YOU, SARAH? Sarah: YES, IT'S ME, MARY. COME ON IN. ON APRIL 23, 1908, SARAH BRENNAN KNOCKS ON THE FARMERS' DOOR AROUND 9:30 A.M. ARE YOU READY, MARY? I'M READY. YOU DON'T LOOK QUITE READY. Gooley: THERE WAS A HATCHET IN THE HOUSE, AND SHE APPEARS TO HAVE WAITED UNTIL THE OPPORTUNITY CAME UP WHERE MRS. BRENNAN WAS DISTRACTED... [ GASPS ] AAAAH! ...AND THEN SHE TOOK THE HATCHET AND STRUCK HER IN THE HEAD. Narrator: KNOWING THAT SHE COULD SURELY NOT GET SARAH'S BLOODY CORPSE OUT OF THE HOUSE WITHOUT BEING SEEN, MARY EYES AN OLD, EMPTY TRUNK WHICH SHE THINKS WILL BE HER TICKET TO GETTING AWAY WITH ***. HER NEW LIFE IS NOW WITHIN REACH. Gooley: AND WHAT MARY ACTUALLY DID WAS SHE VISITED JIM AT THE WORK SITE AND TOLD HIM TO GO SEE PATSY, TELL HIM THAT SARAH HAS GONE AWAY, SHE DOESN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIM ANYMORE. Narrator: USING THE FORGED DEED AS PROOF, THE FARMERS EVICT PATSY AND TAKE OVER THE BRENNANS' METICULOUS HOME. I BOUGHT THIS HOUSE FAIR AND SQUARE! THIS IS MY HOUSE. GO! GET OUT! AND MARY WOULD HAVE SUCCEEDED HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR PATSY'S TENACITY AND INABILITY TO BELIEVE THE FARMERS' FARFETCHED STORY. PATSY BRENNAN CONVINCES THE POLICE TO INVESTIGATE THE FARMERS. AS POLICE POKE AROUND, THEY NOTICE A SUSPICIOUS TRUNK TUCKED AWAY IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE. WELL, WHAT'S IN THERE? IT'S MARY'S. FRAGILES. WELL, LET'S OPEN IT UP. Narrator: JAMES FARMER UNWITTINGLY EXPOSES HIS WIFE'S HORRIFIC SECRET. BREAK THE DAMN THING OPEN. [ FLIES BUZZING ] [ GASPS ] Gooley: AND THEY SAW PART OF A LEG, AND THEN THEY REALIZED WITH THE SMELL COMING OUT THAT THIS WAS HUMAN REMAINS. MARY. Narrator: MARY FARMER CONFESSES TO THE *** OF SARAH BRENNAN. SHE'S THE SECOND WOMAN IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK TO BE PLACED ON DEATH ROW. SHE USED PEOPLE, AND SHE USED THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO HER, WHICH, TO ME, MAKES IT EVEN WORSE. AND SHE BECAME THIS WOMAN'S BEST FRIEND, AND THIS WOMAN BECAME HER BEST FRIEND AND CARED FOR HER CHILD, AND YET SHE HAD NO QUALMS ABOUT JUST SLAMMING A HATCHET AGAINST THE SIDE OF HER FACE. AAH! Narrator: THE YOUNG MURDERESS WALKS TO THE ELECTRIC CHAIR NEARLY ONE YEAR AFTER MURDERING HER NEIGHBOR, STONE-FACED, CLUTCHING A CRUCIFIX. All: BLOODY MARY. Narrator: COMING UP, A MARY THAT LIKES TO KEEP HER FRIENDS CLOSE AND HER ENEMIES CLOSER... MARY FRANCES TRIES TO NURSE HER THROUGH IT, OR AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT THE FAMILY THINKS. Narrator: ...WHEN "BLOODY MARYS" CONTINUES. Narrator: WHILE MARY FARMER CAREFULLY PLOTTED HER MURDEROUS PLAN, ANOTHER MARY LASHES OUT IN DEADLY WAYS WHEN SHE FEELS THREATENED. THE YEAR IS 1935, AND 36-YEAR-OLD HOUSEWIFE AND MOTHER OF TWO MARY FRANCES CREIGHTON RUNS A TIGHT SHIP IN HER BALDWIN, LONG ISLAND, HOME. SHE SEEMS TO BE A VERY CONTROLLING PERSONALITY WHO WOULD JUST TAKE WHAT SHE WANTED AND DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE MUCH ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES. Narrator: SO WHEN A FORBIDDEN LOVE TRIANGLE TRIGGERS CHAOS UNDER HER VERY OWN ROOF, THIS MARY WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO TAKE BACK CONTROL. MARY FRANCES AND JOHN CREIGHTON HAVE BEEN LIVING IN LONG ISLAND FOR 10 YEARS. ORIGINALLY FROM NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THEY'VE SETTLED WELL INTO THIS TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY OF WORLD WAR I VETERANS. BUT THE GOOD TIMES ARE ABOUT TO COME TO AN END. IN THE EARLY '30s, IT'S THE GREAT DEPRESSION, AND THEY'RE NOT DOING THAT WELL. HELLO, MARY FRANCES. ADA. Narrator: WITH MONEY TIGHT, THE CREIGHTONS ARE FORCED TO TAKE IN BOARDERS TO MAKE ENDS MEET. HELLO, MARY FRANCES. THEY INVITE IN ANOTHER FAMILY, THE APPLEGATES. EVERETT APPLEGATE IS A FRIEND OF JOHN'S BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH WORLD WAR I VETERANS. Narrator: QUARTERS ARE CRAMPED IN THE SMALL BUNGALOW. Blackwell: THERE ARE TWO BEDROOMS -- THE CREIGHTONS IN ONE, THE APPLEGATES IN THE OTHER -- AND THE CHILDREN LIVE IN THE ATTIC. HOME, SWEET HOME. YES, IT IS. Narrator: ADA APPLEGATE SUFFERS BAD HEALTH AND IS MOSTLY BEDRIDDEN. ON THE SURFACE, THE TWO FAMILIES LIVE TOGETHER HARMONIOUSLY... HELLO, EVERYBODY. ...MAKING DO WITH THE TOUGH LIVING SITUATION. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. ISN'T IT TIME FOR BED? BUT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, DANGEROUS LIAISONS WITH DEADLY CONSEQUENCES ARE STIRRING. AT SOME POINT IN EARLY 1935, MARY FRANCES AND EVERETT START HAVING AN AFFAIR. Narrator: THE DECEPTION DOESN'T END THERE. STILL UNSATISFIED, EVERETT ALSO HAS HIS EYES FIXED ON ANOTHER ONE OF HIS FEMALE HOUSEMATES -- THE CREIGHTONS' 15-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, RUTH. Blackwell: EVERETT VERY MUCH ENJOYS THE CLOSENESS WITH RUTH. HE FINDS HER VERY ATTRACTIVE, AND IT ISN'T LONG BEFORE HE'S SLEEPING WITH HER, TOO. Narrator: AS THE SORDID AFFAIR BETWEEN EVERETT AND RUTH BECOMES MORE BRAZEN, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO HIDE THEIR AFFECTIONS. IT'S OKAY. Blackwell: IT ISN'T TOO LONG BEFORE MARY FRANCES REALIZES THAT EVERETT ISN'T REALLY SO MUCH INTERESTED IN HER AS HE IS IN HER DAUGHTER. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HE'S SLEEPING WITH THIS DAUGHTER IN THE SAME BED AS HIS WIFE. SHE MUST BE SHOCKED BY THIS, BUT HER REACTION ISN'T PROBABLY WHAT WE WOULD ASSUME. COFFEE? Blackwell: IT ISN'T SO MUCH THAT SHE WANTS THEM TO CALL IT OFF... I ONLY BROUGHT ONE CUP. Blackwell: ...AS SHE WANTS THEM TO GET MARRIED SO THAT RUTH WON'T GET PREGNANT AND HAVE AN ILLEGITIMATE CHILD. IT MUST HAVE BEEN THAT MARY FRANCES FELT LIKE SHE WAS LOSING CONTROL OF THIS HOUSEHOLD. Narrator: AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE FOR MARY FRANCES, WHEN ADA APPLEGATE GETS FED UP WITH HER HUSBAND'S INFIDELITIES, SHE FIGHTS BACK. ADA IS A VERY FRUSTRATED WOMAN. SHE KNOWS HER HUSBAND DOESN'T LOVE HER OR WANT TO BE INTIMATE WITH HER. IT NEEDS TO STOP. WHAT NEEDS TO STOP? I KNOW. SHE DROPS HINTS THAT SHE KNOWS ALL ABOUT MARY FRANCES' PAST IN NEW JERSEY AND THAT SHE'S GONNA START TALKING ABOUT IT. Narrator: IN AN ATTEMPT TO PUT AN END TO HER HUSBAND'S AFFAIRS WITH THE CREIGHTON WOMEN, ADA APPLEGATE CONFRONTS MARY FRANCES ABOUT HER DARK PAST. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN NEW JERSEY. AND THIS BLOODY MARY HAS NEVER RESPONDED WELL TO THREATS. YOU NEED TO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS NOW! Blackwell: MARY FRANCES GROWS UP IN NEW JERSEY. HER PARENTS DIE WHEN SHE'S IN HER EARLY TEENS, AND FAMILY FRIENDS BASICALLY ADOPT HER AND HER BROTHER. Narrator: MARY FRANCES AND HER YOUNGER BROTHER, RAYMOND, WERE CARED FOR BY ANNA AND WALTER CREIGHTON. THEIR SON JOHN WAS CLOSE IN AGE TO MARY FRANCES. MARY FRANCES. THE TWO TEENAGERS FORMED A SOLID BOND WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO MARRIAGE. A FEW YEARS LATER, AFTER JOHN'S RETURN FROM THE WAR, THE NEWLYWEDS AND MARY FRANCES' YOUNGER BROTHER WERE ALL LIVING TOGETHER UNDER JOHN'S PARENTS' ROOF. Anna: MARY FRANCES, YOU SPEND SO MUCH TIME IN THE KITCHEN. BECAUSE YOU DON'T. Blackwell: SO THIS MAKES THE HOUSE CROWDED, AND IT'S A SITUATION THAT'S RIPE FOR TROUBLE. WELL, SOMEONE HAS TO COOK. BADLY, I'M AFRAID. MARY FRANCES IS A RATHER CONTROLLING SORT, AND JOHN'S PARENTS AREN'T REALLY THE TYPE TO GIVE IN. IT'S TIME FOR YOUR COFFEE. EXCUSE ME. Narrator: AFTER MONTHS OF A CONTINUING BATTLE OF WILLS AND FLYING ACCUSATIONS BETWEEN MARY FRANCES AND JOHN'S MOTHER, THE HOUSE FELL EERILY SILENT... WE RAN OUT OF SUGAR. THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING. ...WHEN JOHN'S MOTHER IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY ILL. MARY FRANCES TRIES TO NURSE HER THROUGH IT, OR AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT THE FAMILY THINKS. Narrator: THE MORE TIME MARY FRANCES SPENT WITH HER MOTHER-IN-LAW, THE SICKER SHE GOT, UNTIL SHE FINALLY DIED. BUT THE HORROR IN THE CREIGHTONS' NEWARK HOME WAS JUST BEGINNING. FIRST, THE GRIEVING WIDOWER, WALTER, AND THEN, JUST OVER A YEAR LATER, MARY FRANCES' OWN LITTLE BROTHER ALL DIED FROM THE SAME MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS. I GUESS YOU COULD SAY TWO TIMES IS A COINCIDENCE, THREE TIMES, NOT SO MUCH. Narrator: A POLICE-MANDATED AUTOPSY FOUND LETHAL LEVELS OF ARSENIC IN RAYMOND'S BODY, AND HIS DEATH WAS RULED A HOMICIDE. THE PRIME SUSPECT -- HIS BIG SISTER, MARY FRANCES. Blackwell: WHEN HER BROTHER DIES, SHE INHERITS A PORTION OF THE ESTATE OF HER PARENTS, AS WELL AS A $1,000 LIFE-INSURANCE PAYOUT. Narrator: A SMALL FORTUNE IN THE 1920s, AND THIS PROMPTED POLICE TO TAKE A SECOND LOOK INTO THE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR BOTH ANNA AND WALTER CREIGHTON. SHE ALSO BENEFITS BECAUSE THEY'RE DEAD AND THEY LEAVE A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL ESTATE TO JOHN. [ GAVEL BANGS ] Narrator: THE INVESTIGATORS' HUNCH WAS RIGHT. TESTS PROVED THAT ANNA CREIGHTON ALSO DIED FROM ARSENIC POISONING. MARY FRANCES WAS CHARGED WITH *** AND STOOD TRIAL FOR THE KILLINGS OF BOTH HER BROTHER, RAYMOND, AND HER MOTHER-IN-LAW. WITH THE EVIDENCE BEING HIGHLY CIRCUMSTANTIAL, SHE WAS ACQUITTED ON BOTH COUNTS. HER HUSBAND, JOHN, STOOD BY HER SIDE THROUGH IT ALL AND ALWAYS BELIEVED IN HIS WIFE'S INNOCENCE. BUT IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION, MARY FRANCES WAS CONSIDERED A DANGEROUS CRIMINAL. Blackwell: THE HEADLINES CALLED HER BORGIA, AFTER THE RENAISSANCE FAMILY THAT WAS INFAMOUS FOR MURDERING THEIR RIVALS BY POISON. Narrator: AND SO THE CREIGHTONS SKIPPED TOWN AND EVENTUALLY SETTLED IN BALDWIN, LONG ISLAND, TO START AGAIN. NOW, 12 YEARS LATER, THE LIFE MARY FRANCES HAS CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED IS STARTING TO UNRAVEL. IT NEEDS TO STOP. YOU NEED TO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. AND SHE FINDS HER NERVES BEING TESTED IN YET ANOTHER BATTLE FOR CONTROL. COMING UP, MARY FRANCES METHODICALLY CHOOSES HER NEXT VICTIM. IT'S A REALLY STRANGE MOTIVE FOR ***. Narrator: AND THEN A VOYAGE BACK TO VICTORIAN ENGLAND TO MEET OUR BLOODIEST MARY OF ALL. Hopton: THE BLOWS CRUSHED BITS OF HER SKULL INTO HER BRAIN. Narrator: IT'S SEPTEMBER 1935 IN BALDWIN, LONG ISLAND. MARY FRANCES CREIGHTON HAS JUST LEARNED OF THE ILLICIT LOVE AFFAIR GOING ON BETWEEN THE MAN SHE'S SLEEPING WITH, EVERETT APPLEGATE, AND HER OWN 15-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER. Blackwell: MARY FRANCES FELT LIKE SHE WAS LOSING CONTROL OF THIS HOUSEHOLD. SHE HAS A LOVER WHO IS MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN HER OWN DAUGHTER THAN IN HER. Narrator: SHE FEARS NEWS OF THE ***, AS WELL AS DISTURBING SECRETS FROM HER PAST, ARE BECOMING PUBLIC. Blackwell: THE NEIGHBORS MUST HAVE KNOWN WHAT WAS GOING ON. THERE'S A LOT OF GOSSIP THAT'S BEING SPREAD BY ADA, A LOT OF COMPLAINING. EVERETT AND RUTH ARE GETTING VERY FAMILIAR WITH EACH OTHER IN THE BACKYARD. Narrator: THIS SADISTIC MARY IS HELL-BENT ON SALVAGING HER FAMILY'S REPUTATION. EVERETT, IT'S GOT TO BE NOW. WHAT HAS TO BE NOW? ADA. ...SOMEONE HAS TO BE ELIMINATED FROM THE EQUATION. Blackwell: IT'S A REALLY STRANGE MOTIVE FOR ***. SHE DECIDES TO DO AWAY WITH ADA APPLEGATE... ...NOT THE MAN WHO'S SLEEPING WITH HER TEENAGE DAUGHTER... YOU HAVE TO DO IT NOW, EVERETT. ...BUT THE WOMAN WHO'S COMPLAINING ABOUT IT. Narrator: WITH ADA OUT OF THE PICTURE, EVERETT WOULD BE FREE TO MARRY RUTH AND MARY FRANCES' CHARADE AS A HAPPY HOMEMAKER WOULD BE PRESERVED. IN SEPTEMBER OF 1935, MARY FRANCES PURCHASES HER WEAPON OF CHOICE. Blackwell: SHE CHOOSES A HOUSEHOLD POISON THAT'S FAIRLY COMMON AT THE TIME CALLED ROUGH ON RATS. Narrator: THAT VERY NIGHT, MARY FRANCES' DEADLY VENDETTA BEGINS WITH THE FIRST DOSE. Blackwell: ADA FALLS SICK. SHE COMPLAINS OF TERRIBLE STOMACH PAINS, SHE'S VOMITING. Narrator: OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL DAYS, MARY FRANCES GRADUALLY UPS THE DOSES UNTIL ADA APPLEGATE'S FINAL, LETHAL DRINK. ADA, DEAR, I'VE WHIPPED YOU UP SOME EGGNOG. IT'S GONNA MAKE YOU FEEL ALL BETTER. ADA IS LYING THERE IN AGONY, AND MARY FRANCES INSISTS, "OH, YOU HAVE TO DRINK THIS EGGNOG." ADA'S EVEN PROTESTING, SO MARY FRANCES GIVES IT TO HER THROUGH A STRAW AND SAYS, "HERE. DRINK. IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER." SHE TRULY DETERIORATES AT THAT POINT. AND SHE DIES IN UTTER AGONY. Narrator: ADA'S DOCTOR BELIEVES SHE HAS DIED OF A HEART ATTACK, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE BLACK-EYED BORGIA HAS GOTTEN AWAY WITH ***. THAT IS, UNTIL A NEIGHBOR COMES FORWARD. Blackwell: AS THE FUNERAL WAS BEING PREPARED, SOMEBODY SENT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT A THICK FILE OF NEWS CLIPPINGS, AND THEY WERE ALL ABOUT THE POISONING *** TRIALS FROM 12 YEARS BEFORE. Narrator: MARY FRANCES IS ASKED TO COME IN TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS FOR QUESTIONING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. YOU ARE AWARE THAT WE DO KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU WERE LIVING IN NEW JERSEY. YES, I LIVED IN NEW JERSEY FOR AWHILE, TOOK CARE OF PEOPLE. WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF THE AUTOPSY. EVENTUALLY, THE MURDERESS CRACKS. HOW DID YOU KILL HER? I DID IT FOR MY DAUGHTER. SHE TELLS THEM, "YES, I POISONED HER." YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN MY HOUSE. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT EVERETT DOES. SHE SAYS LATER THAT SHE CONSPIRED WITH EVERETT TO DO THIS. IT WAS IN EVERETT'S INTEREST ALSO TO GET RID OF ADA BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE WITH RUTH WITHOUT ANYONE ELSE IN THE WAY. Narrator: BOTH MARY FRANCES AND EVERETT ARE CONVICTED OF *** IN THE FIRST DEGREE AND GIVEN A SENTENCE OF DEATH. AFTER POSSIBLY MURDERING UP TO FOUR PEOPLE, ON JULY 16, 1936, WHILE WEARING A PINK SILK KIMONO, MARY FRANCES CREIGHTON'S DEADLY REIGN COMES TO AN END. Blackwell: SHE WAS TAKEN TO THE ELECTRIC CHAIR IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN UNCONSCIOUS STATE. SHE HAD TO BE LIFTED INTO THE CHAIR, AND SHE DIDN'T SAY A WORD. [ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ] All: BLOODY MARY. Narrator: NOT ALL BLOODY MARYS ARE MOTIVATED BY OBSESSIVE CONTROL. THIS MARY IS QUITE CONTRARY. IT IS HER HEART THAT ULTIMATELY LEADS TO HER DEMISE. VICTORIAN ENGLAND, 1890. THE RESIDENTS OF WHITECHAPEL ARE STILL ON EDGE FROM THE HORRORS LEFT BEHIND FROM THE GRUESOME KILLINGS OF JACK THE RIPPER. ON OCTOBER 24th, ANOTHER BODY SURFACES ON THE GRITTY STREETS OF LONDON. WHILE SOME OF THE PRESS ARE QUICK TO LABEL THE HOMICIDE A JACK THE RIPPER KILLING, POLICE ARE CLOSING IN ON A VERY DIFFERENT PRIME SUSPECT -- BEAUTIFUL AND REFINED 24-YEAR-OLD MARY PEARCEY. MARY PEARCEY IS A KEPT WOMAN IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND. THE REVOLVING DOOR OF MEN IN AND OUT OF HER FLAT ALLOWS HER TO BE INDEPENDENT AND SELF-SUFFICIENT, A WOMAN WELL BEFORE HER TIME. SHE WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING BEAUTIFUL AND LADYLIKE, AND THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOVED TO WALK BY THESE HOUSES BECAUSE SHE WAS ALWAYS SITTING IN THE FRONT PARLOR READING A NOVELETTE. [ KNOCK ON DOOR ] Narrator: BUT THERE IS ONE MAN IN HER LIFE, FRANK HOGG, TO WHOM SHE HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY DEVOTED. PLEASE, COME IN. THEIR ROMANCE BEGAN WHEN THEY FIRST MET A COUPLE YEARS EARLIER. SO KIND OF YOU TO COME ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE. MM. THE ATTRACTION BETWEEN THEM IS INSTANT, IT IS EXPLOSIVE, AND IT WILL BE HER UNDOING. Narrator: MARY GETS ON QUITE WELL AS A FULL-TIME MISTRESS. THAT IS, UNTIL HER BELOVED FRANK COMES TO HER WITH SOME VERY UNSETTLING NEWS. OH, I DID SOMETHING AWFUL. I MADE A HUGE MISTAKE. WHAT'S WRONG? PHOEBE'S WITH CHILD, AND IT'S MY FAULT. THIS IS ALL MY FAULT. A WOMAN NAMED PHOEBE IS PREGNANT WITH HIS CHILD. HE WANTS TO FLEE THE COUNTRY, AND IF HE CAN'T FLEE THE COUNTRY, THEN HE WANTS TO COMMIT SUICIDE. BUT WHAT HE DOES NOT WANT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, IS TO MARRY PHOEBE AND HAVE THIS CHILD WITH HER. LISTEN TO ME. YOU'RE GOING TO MARRY THIS WOMAN, AND YOU WILL RAISE THIS CHILD. NO. NO, NO. IF I MARRY HER, I CAN'T BE WITH YOU. THAT'S -- THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. NOT NECESSARILY. AND IT WAS MARY THAT CONVINCED HIM TO GET MARRIED AND TO HAVE THE BABY. Narrator: FRANK HEEDS MARY'S ADVICE AND MARRIES PHOEBE. HE ALSO ACCEPTS HIS MISTRESS'S INVITATION TO BEFRIEND HIS YOUNG BRIDE. BUT SHORTLY AFTER THE BABY IS BORN, PHOEBE FALLS ILL, AND IT IS MARY WHO OFFERS TO CARE FOR HER AND BABY TIGGY WHILE SHE RECOVERS. JUST REST, DARLING. I'LL TAKE CARE OF TIGGY. ARE YOU SURE? YES, I'M SURE, I'M SURE. AND AT ABOUT THIS SAME TIME, SOMETHING HAPPENS, AND IT CAUSES A RUPTURE IN THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN MARY AND PHOEBE, AND NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THAT IS. Narrator: MARY IS ABRUPTLY BANISHED FROM THE HOGGS' HOME. AND FRANK GROWS DESPERATE WITHOUT HIS MISTRESS ALWAYS BY HIS SIDE. FRANK, I'M REALLY HUNGRY. COULD YOU PLEASE GET ME SOMETHING TO EAT? YOU'LL BE FINE IN MORNING. MARY CAN'T BEAR SEEING FRANK LIVING IN SUCH MISERY BUT ALSO KNOWS HE WILL NEVER LEAVE HIS WIFE AND CHILD. MONTHS PASS, AND YOUNG MARY BECOMES OBSESSED WITH GETTING BACK IN GOOD GRACES WITH HER LOVER'S WIFE, PHOEBE, WHO HAS BEEN IGNORING HER ATTEMPTS TO RECONCILE. SHE STARTED TO NURSE SOME SUSPICIONS ABOUT MARY'S INTENTIONS AS A FRIEND AND WHY SHE WAS CONSTANTLY TRYING TO INVOLVE HER IN HER LIFE. Narrator: BUT MARY REFUSES TO GIVE UP. SHE PAYS A BOY A PENNY TO GO DELIVER A NOTE, AND IT SAYS, "BRING OUR LITTLE DARLING. COME 'ROUND FOR TEA. DON'T FAIL." Narrator: ALTHOUGH PHOEBE HAS MADE IT KNOWN THAT SHE DOESN'T TRUST MARY, SHE BEGRUDGINGLY ACCEPTS THE INVITATION. Hopton: PHOEBE ARRIVES WITH TIGGY IN THE BASSINET SOMETIME AROUND 3:30 TO 4:00. YOU HAVEN'T BEEN RETURNING ANY OF MY LETTERS. NO, I HAVEN'T. WELL, WHY NOT? DON'T ACT SO SURPRISED, MARY. I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING. THEY'RE HAVING TEA. THEY GET INTO AN ARGUMENT. DON'T BE A FOOL, MARY. I KNOW. YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONVERSATION. YOU CAN'T JUST GET UP AND LEAVE. I BELIEVE I CAN! [ BABY CRYING ] [ SCOFFS ] Narrator: MARY PEARCEY IS PUSHED TO THE LIMIT. AND IN A FIT AND JUST FRENZY OF ANGER, MARY TAKES THE POKER AND BLUDGEONS PHOEBE HOGG UNCONSCIOUS. THE BLOWS TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD -- THEY WERE VERY DEEP. AND ONE OF THEM CRUSHED BITS OF HER SKULL INTO HER BRAIN, BUT THIS DIDN'T KILL HER. [ BABY CRYING ] TIGGY, SHH. THE WORST PART OF THIS IS THAT TIGGY'S WATCHING ALL OF THIS. SHE CAN SEE IT, AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT MAKES HER CRY OUT. Narrator: TO SILENCE THE BABY, MARY DOES THE UNTHINKABLE. Hopton: SHE GOES TO THE BABY, WHO SHE HAS CARED FOR AND STROLLED AND LOVED, AND SHE SUFFOCATES HER. SHE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET RID OF THIS PROBLEM. AND THE PROBLEM LAY BLEEDING ON HER KITCHEN FLOOR. All: BLOODY MARY... Narrator: STILL TO COME, THIS MARY HAS A DISTURBING PLAN NOT MEANT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT SHE WAS STILL ALIVE WHEN HER THROAT WAS CUT. Narrator: ON OCTOBER 24, 1890, IN VICTORIAN LONDON, A MEETING FOR AFTERNOON TEA BETWEEN TWO ESTRANGED FRIENDS ERUPTS INTO A RAGE OF VIOLENCE. 24-YEAR-OLD MARY PEARCEY SNAPS AND BLUDGEONS HER LOVER'S WIFE, PHOEBE HOGG. IN A PANIC, SHE THEN SUFFOCATES PHOEBE'S BABY, TIGGY. NOW THIS BLOODY MARY MUST FINISH THE HORRIFYING JOB THAT SHE STARTED. THE PRAM WAS THERE, AND IT WAS A RELATIVELY LARGE PRAM. Narrator: SHE GRABS A KNIFE FROM HER DRAWER... AND VIOLENTLY SLASHES PHOEBE'S NECK FROM EAR TO EAR, NEARLY DECAPITATING THE UNCONSCIOUS WOMAN. THE FORENSIC EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT SHE WAS STILL ALIVE WHEN HER THROAT WAS CUT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO BLOOD LEFT IN THE BODY. Narrator: DEATH IS INSTANTLY DELIVERED TO THE HELPLESS MOTHER. SHE HAD TO DOUBLE THE BODY AND MAKE IT SMALLER SO IT WOULD FIT IN THE PRAM. Narrator: MARY STUFFS THE BODIES OF BOTH MOTHER AND CHILD INTO THE CARRIAGE AND THEN GETS STRAIGHT TO WORK TO ELIMINATE ANY EVIDENCE OF HER BRUTAL CRIMES. Hopton: THE BLOOD AT THE SCENE WOULD HAVE BEEN IMMENSE AND EVERYWHERE. Narrator: THE KILLER SETS OUT INTO THE NIGHT AND DISPOSES OF HER VICTIMS MILES FROM HER HOME. WHEN THE BODIES ARE DISCOVERED AND LATER IDENTIFIED, POLICE GO TO THE HOGG RESIDENCE TO QUESTION PHOEBE'S HUSBAND, FRANK, AND SEARCH THE PREMISES FOR CLUES. AND WHEN THEY DO, THEY FIND A LATCHKEY THAT DOESN'T WORK IN ANY OF THE DOORS, AND SO THEY ASK, "WHERE DOES THIS LATCHKEY WORK?" AND HE SAYS... THAT'S THE KEY TO MY LOVER'S FLAT -- MARY PEARCEY. FEEL FREE TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND, OFFICER. Narrator: WITHIN HOURS, DETECTIVES SEARCH MARY'S BLOODSTAINED FLAT. Hopton: THEY SEE EVIDENCE OF BLOOD VIRTUALLY EVERYWHERE. Narrator: FINDING OVERWHELMING PROOF OF THE MOST GRUESOME ***, THE INCREDULOUS DETECTIVE ASKS MARY FOR AN EXPLANATION... WOULD THIS BE BLOOD? AND SHE SITS DOWN AND IS EITHER WHISTLING OR SHE'S PLAYING AT THE PIANO, AND SHE SAYS... I WAS KILLING MICE. I WAS JUST -- I WAS JUST KILLING MICE. MISS PEARCEY, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST. Narrator: ...WHICH WILL LEAD TO THE CONVICTION OF MARY PEARCEY. SHE IS SENTENCED TO HANG ON DECEMBER 23, 1890. AS SHE WAS WALKING TO THE EXECUTION SHED, THE EXECUTIONER SAID THAT SHE WAS THE PRETTIEST WOMAN HE'D EVER HANGED AND THAT SHE WAS RESOLUTE IN HER SENTENCE AND DIDN'T MAKE A WHIMPER AS THE FLOOR OPENED AND SHE WAS HUNG BY THE NECK. All: BLOODY MARY. BLOODY MARY. Narrator: SHE'S DANGEROUSLY CONTROLLING... AND GREEDY... RUTHLESSLY ROMANTIC... YET SOMETIMES BLOODY MARY'S CRIMES ARE JUST PURE EVIL. THE SUMMER OF 1968. SCOTSWOOD IS A SMALL, ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED BRITISH SUBURB OF NEWCASTLE, WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS EACH OTHER. OR SO THEY THINK. LIFE IN SCOTSWOOD IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN ONE SUMMER AFTERNOON WHEN YOUNG BRIAN HOWE GOES MISSING. PANIC SETS IN. Scott: EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FOR BRIAN. Narrator: SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE BOY DISAPPEARS, THE BODY IS FOUND IN AN INDUSTRIAL WASTELAND ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN. HE WAS COVERED WITH THESE FLOWERS AND THESE SORT OF WEEDS. Narrator: BEFORE ANY CRIME-SCENE INFORMATION IS LEAKED, POLICE ACT QUICKLY. THE POLICE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. IS THIS AN ADULT THAT'S LURING KIDS AWAY? BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY KIDS AROUND, THEY'RE THE BEST WITNESSES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY QUESTION ALL THE KIDS, AND TWO STAND OUT. ...THIS BOY, BRIAN HOWE. Narrator: ONE IS 13-YEAR-OLD NORMA. THE OTHER IS 11-YEAR-OLD MARY. AND SHE SAYS, "OH, YEAH, I SAW BRIAN PLAYING WITH THIS OTHER KID." HE EVEN HAD A PAIR OF BROKEN SCISSORS. THE BOY HAD BROKEN SCISSORS? Narrator: SOMETHING ABOUT THE GIRLS' BEHAVIOR BOTHERS THE DETECTIVES. PERHAPS THEY WITNESSED SOMETHING THEY'RE AFRAID TO SHARE. RELUCTANTLY, THE AUTHORITIES RELEASE THE GIRLS. HAD THEY KNOWN MORE ABOUT YOUNG MARY, THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE LET HER OUT OF THEIR SIGHT. [ BABY CRYING ] IN 1957, 17-YEAR-OLD BETTIE BELL GAVE BIRTH TO A LITTLE GIRL SHE NAMED MARY. Scott: MARY BELL WAS BORN TO A WOMAN WHO EITHER DIDN'T KNOW WHO THE FATHER WAS OR WOULDN'T SAY WHO THE FATHER WAS. SHE LOOKED DOWN AT THIS BABY THAT WAS PUT INTO HER ARMS AND SAID, "GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME." Narrator: AND THINGS ONLY GOT WORSE AS THE CHILD GREW OLDER. BETTIE BELL WAS KNOWN AROUND TOWN AS A ***. SHE WOULD BE GONE FOR TWO, THREE WEEKS AT A TIME TO DO WORK OUTSIDE OF THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH LOCAL CLIENTS. OKAY. SHE WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE SPECIALIZED IN S&M ACTIVITIES. SHE WAS KNOWN TO USE WHIPS, CHAINS. IT'S ALLEGED THAT FOR AN EXTRA PRICE, SHE PROBABLY INVOLVED HER DAUGHTER IN HER ACTIVITIES. Narrator: THE ABUSE PURPORTEDLY CONTINUED, YET NO ONE WAS EITHER WILLING OR ABLE TO RESCUE THE YOUNG GIRL. SOON ENOUGH, A MONSTER WAS BORN. MARY WASN'T VERY GOOD AT MAKING FRIENDS. AND AS A CHILD WHO DIDN'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS, SHE'D MAKE CONTACT WITH OTHER KIDS IN THE ONLY WAY THAT SHE KNEW HOW, WHICH WAS BY BEING A BULLY. WHEN OTHER KIDS SAW MARY APPROACHING THE PLAYGROUND, THEY WOULD SCATTER. Narrator: AT 10 YEARS OLD, IN THE SPRING OF 1968, MARY FINALLY MAKES A REAL FRIEND -- 13-YEAR-OLD NEIGHBORHOOD GIRL, NORMA. Scott: THEY BECAME BEST FRIENDS PRIMARILY BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH SORT OF OUTSIDERS. THE OTHER KIDS WOULDN'T PLAY WITH EITHER NORMA, WHO WAS SORT OF CONSIDERED A LITTLE SLOW, OR MARY, WHO WAS CONSIDERED A BULLY. Narrator: NORMA PROVES TO BE MARY'S IDEAL PARTNER IN CRIME. Scott: MARY BELL WAS EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT, AND SHE COULD BE VERY MANIPULATIVE. GO TRY TO CLIMB THAT TREE. SHE WAS ABLE TO MANIPULATE NORMA VERY, VERY EASILY. GOOD JOB, NORMA. I FOUND SOMETHING YOU'RE GOOD AT. NORMA LOOKED UP TO MARY. THE TWO WERE QUITE A TEAM. Narrator: BOLSTERED BY HER NEW FRIEND, MARY BEGINS TO TERRORIZE THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN. YOU SHOULD PUT SOME MORE INTO IT. SOME BELIEVE THAT THE TRAUMATIC EVENTS OF HER YOUNG LIFE LED HER TO ACT OUT IN A DRAMATIC CRY FOR ATTENTION. NORMA, I WOULD SLAP YOU, BUT THAT WOULD BE ANIMAL ABUSE. Scott: MARY LIKES TO HURT THINGS WEAKER THAN HERSELF, PROBABLY BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY KIND OF THING THAT SHE CAN HURT. Narrator: IN LATE MAY, IN AN AREA OF TOWN CALLED "RAT ALLEY," WHERE THE CHILDREN ROAM THROUGH WRECKAGE, MARY SPOTS HER FIRST VICTIM. ON ONE SPRING DAY, MARY IS OUT AND ABOUT PLAYING ON THE STREET JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER KIDS ARE. SHE COMES ACROSS A BOY NAMED MARTIN BROWN, WHO'S 4 YEARS OLD. WOULD YOU LIKE SOME CANDY? YES, PLEASE. SHE LEADS HIM TO AN ABANDONED BUILDING BY PROMISING HIM SOME CANDY. THE TWO WALK UPSTAIRS. Narrator: THE SITUATION IS RIPE FOR MARY TO COME OF AGE... AS A KILLER. SHE WRAPS HER HANDS AROUND HIS THROAT. Narrator: COMING UP, A MURDERESS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT. THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A CONFESSION THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT. Narrator: 10-YEAR-OLD MARY BELL HAS HAD AN ATROCIOUS UPBRINGING, LEADING HER TO ACT OUT IN TERRIFYING WAYS. SHE BEGAN BY MENACING THE YOUNGER CHILDREN OF HER NORTHERN ENGLAND TOWN, BUT NOW THIS BLOODY MARY IS ABOUT TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. Scott: SHE LEADS HIM TO AN ABANDONED BUILDING. MARY WRAPS HER HANDS AROUND HIS THROAT, AND SHE BEGINS TO CHOKE HIM. AND SHE DOES NOT STOP UNTIL HE STOPS BREATHING. SHE LEAVES HIM ON THE FLOOR, NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE WINDOW, LYING THERE. Narrator: SOON, TEENAGERS PLAYING IN THE DEBRIS SEE THE LIFELESS BODY AND ALERT NEARBY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS TO GET HELP. Scott: HE'S FOUND WITH JUST A TRICKLE OF SALIVA AND A LITTLE BIT OF BLOOD COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH. Narrator: IT APPEARS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. Scott: WHEN MARTIN BROWN IS FOUND, THERE'S AN EMPTY BOTTLE OF ASPIRIN NEARBY. Narrator: BUT MOST BELIEVE THAT THE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS OF RAT ALLEY ARE TO BLAME. THE NEXT DAY, MARY CELEBRATES HER 11th BIRTHDAY. SHE AND NORMA BREAK INTO THE LOCAL NURSERY SCHOOL AND THROW THEMSELVES A PARTY. Scott: THEY RANSACK THE PLACE. THEY KNOCK SUPPLIES OFF THE WALL. ONE OF THEM APPARENTLY PEES ON THE GROUND. BUT THEY ALSO LEAVE BEHIND FOUR NOTES. AND THE NOTES SAY THINGS LIKE "WE KILLED MARTIN BROWN, AND I *** SO THAT I MAY COME BACK." ON MONDAY MORNING, THE TEACHERS ARRIVE AT THIS NURSERY SCHOOL IN THE AREA, OPEN UP THE BUILDING. "WE MURDERED MARTIN BROWN." Scott: BUT THEY SAY MAYBE IT'S JUST SOME CHILDREN ACTING OUT, GETTING INTO TROUBLE. Narrator: BECAUSE THIS ISN'T THE FIRST BREAK-IN, THE SCHOOL PUTS IN AN ALARM. THE POLICE DISMISS THE NOTES AS A PRANK. THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A CONFESSION OF A KILLER THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT. Narrator: THE SAME DAY AS THE DISCOVERY OF THE BREAK-IN, MARY ALSO HAS A LITTLE SHOW-AND-TELL AT HER OWN SCHOOL. MARY DRAWS IN HER NOTEBOOK A PICTURE OF A LITTLE BOY, WHO, AS SHE PUT IT, "JUST LAID DOWN AND DIED." Narrator: IN HER JOURNAL, SHE DESCRIBES THE SCENE OF MARTIN BROWN'S DEATH IN HARROWING DETAIL. Scott: AND THE TEACHER DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, KIDS ARE CURIOUS ABOUT DEATH. I MEAN, AFTER ALL, A LITTLE BOY DIED IN THEIR COMMUNITY. Narrator: MARY'S NEED FOR ATTENTION IS APPARENTLY NOT BEING MET, SO THE GIRLS GO BACK TO THE NURSERY SCHOOL FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF MAYHEM. [ ALARM BLARES ] Scott: THE ALARM GOES OFF. WHEN POLICE ARRIVE, THEY FIND MARY AND NORMA THERE. Narrator: THE GIRLS ARE ARRESTED AND WILL HAVE TO APPEAR IN JUVENILE COURT AT A FUTURE DATE. IN THE MEANTIME, THEY ARE RELEASED TO THEIR PARENTS. JUST OVER TWO MONTHS LATER, ON AUGUST 7, 1968, THE TOWN OF SCOTSWOOD GATHERS TO MOURN THE DEATH OF BRIAN HOWE, THE YOUNG BOY WHO HAD BEEN BRUTALLY KILLED. Scott: AT BRIAN HOWE'S FUNERAL, THE INVESTIGATORS ARE THERE, AND THEY'RE WATCHING EVERYBODY. THEY SEE A LITTLE GIRL WHO'S JUST BESIDE HERSELF, RUBBING HER HANDS TOGETHER, SMILING, GIGGLING. [ LAUGHING ] Scott: THEY TAKE A LOOK AT HER AND GO, "OKAY. "THIS IS MARY BELL. "THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. WE GOT TO BRING HER IN RIGHT NOW." Narrator: MARY IS ARRESTED AND QUESTIONED REPEATEDLY BY POLICE. IF YOU KNOW ANY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SITUATION, YOU NEED TO TELL ME NOW. WELL... IN THE END, THE YOUNG GIRL GIVES POLICE DETAILS OF THE CRIME THAT ONLY SOMEONE PRESENT WOULD KNOW. SHE TELLS THEM IN CHILLING DETAIL EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. FINE. IF YOU MUST KNOW... MARY AND NORMA ARE OUT ON THE STREET. THEY SEE BRIAN HOWE PLAYING UNSUPERVISED, LIKE THEY ALL DO IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. SURE. WOULD YOU LIKE SOME CANDY? THEY TELL HIM THAT "IF YOU WANT SOME CANDY, COME WITH US. WE'LL GET YOU SOME CANDY." WATCH OUT, BRIAN. YOU DON'T WANT TO GET HURT. AND THEY FIND A VERY ISOLATED SECTION BETWEEN TWO CONCRETE BLOCKS, AND SHE SAYS, "OKAY. YOU HAVE TO LIE DOWN IF YOU WANT THE CANDY." SO BRIAN, WHO OBVIOUSLY WANTS CANDY, LIES DOWN. MARY GETS ON TOP OF HIM AND WRAPS ONE HAND AROUND HIS NECK AND WITH THE OTHER HAND HOLDS HIS NOSE CLOSED. Narrator: MARY SUFFOCATES BRIAN TO DEATH. BUT EVEN AFTER HE'S DEAD, SHE WANTS THE VIOLENCE TO CONTINUE. MARY GOES TO HER HOUSE AND COMES BACK WITH A RAZOR AND A PAIR OF SCISSORS THAT ARE KIND OF BROKEN. MARY BEGINS TO CUT BRIAN'S HAIR AND ALSO PUNCTURES HIS LEG, BUT THAT'S NOT ALL. THIS TIME, SHE REALLY DOES WANT CREDIT. IN FACT, SHE WANTS TO SIGN HER WORK, SO TO SPEAK. MARY CUTS AN "M" ONTO BRIAN'S BELLY, USING A RAZOR, THE SCISSORS, OR BOTH. Narrator: ANOTHER BLOODY MARY HAS LEFT HER MARK. Detective: A BOY HAS DIED. BRIAN HOWE HAD NO MOTHER, SO HE WON'T BE MISSED. YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME? WHAT AM I GONNA SAY? AFTER HER ARREST FOR THE *** OF BRIAN, WHEN HER TEACHER COMES FORWARD WITH HER INCRIMINATING NOTEBOOK, MARY FINALLY GETS CREDIT FOR THE DEATH OF MARTIN BROWN. MARY AND NORMA ARE BOTH CHARGED WITH ***. THEY WILL STAND TRIAL AS ADULTS. NORMA IS FOUND NOT GUILTY IN EITHER DEATH BUT WILL SERVE PROBATION FOR THE NURSERY SCHOOL BREAK-IN. MARY IS CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER AND DEEMED A PSYCHOPATH. ALTHOUGH SENTENCED TO LIFE, SHE IS RELEASED AT AGE 23 BACK INTO THE WORLD. MARY BELL IS OUT THERE TODAY. SHE'S LIVING UNDER AN ASSUMED IDENTITY, A DIFFERENT NAME. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS. WE DON'T KNOW WHO SHE IS. SHE COULD BE ANYBODY. All: BLOODY MARY. BLOODY MARY. BLOODY MARY. [ THUNDER CRASHES ] SEE, GUYS? I TOLD YOU. NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN. IT'S JUST A SILLY PRANK. [ HISSING ]