Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we examine the chilling case of Jane Toppan, a Massachusetts nurse whose friendly demeanor earned her the nickname "Jolly Jane," masking her reality as one of America's most prolific serial killers,. Born Honora Kelley to an abusive father known as "Kelley the Crack," she was abandoned to an asylum as a child before becoming an indentured servant and eventually entering the medical field,.

We dive deep into Toppan's terrifying methodology, exploring how she treated patients as "guinea pigs" by experimenting with morphine and atropine dosages to observe their nervous systems. Listeners will learn about her disturbing sexual fetish, which involved climbing into bed with her victims and holding them close as they died, as well as her stated ambition "to have killed more people—helpless people—than any other man or woman who ever lived",.

From the murder of her foster sister to the poisoning of four members of the Davis family, we trace the spree that finally led to her capture in 1901,. Tune in to hear how Toppan confessed to 31 murders—though suspected of over 100—and why a jury ultimately found her not guilty by reason of insanity, committing her to an asylum for the rest of her life,.