Bessie
Folse Toups was investigated for the possible murders of one husband, a female
friend, a handyman and of crippling another husband in a murder attempt.
***
FULL
TEXT: Franklin, La. – Police charged Mrs. Bessie Folse
Toups, 44 year-old Berwick woman, Tuesday with murder of her second husband
and attempted murder of her third husband.
Mrs.
Toups, wife of Laurie Toups, 56, a druggist, was arrested Monday night, after a
six week investigation that started when doctors at Ochsner Foundation Hospital
in New Orleans found arsenic poisoning in Toups. Toups was reported bedridden
after a lengthy stay at the hospital.
After
the body of the woman's second husband, Octave J. Folse
Jr., was exhumed, Orleans Parish coroner Dr. Nicholas Chetta found arsenic
poisoning in his body.
Folse
died Nov. 16, 1959, three days after entering Franklin hospital. Officers
declined today to say how his death was classified at that time.
The
St. Mary Parish sheriff's office said the woman had been married three times
but that her first husband, who is still living, was not involved.
The woman
married Toups about 13 months ago.
She
is a native of Newnan, Ga., an Atlanta suburb. She drives a St. Mary Parish
school bus.
[“Women [sic] Held For Poisoning Two Husbands,” syndicated
(AP), Lake Charles American Press (La.), Mar. 14, 1962, p. 7]
***
***
FULL TEXT: Franklin, La. – Authorities today were expected
to reveal “startling new information” uncovered in a widening probe of the
background of a 44-year-old mother of two accused of the arsenic murder of one
husband and attempting to kill another spouse the same way.
Two investigators left this small south Louisiana town
Wednesday saying their probe was in “a new phase” and adding a new development
was not far from “breaking.”
Mrs. Ressie [sic] Folse Toups is charged with murdering her
second husband, Octave Folse, a teacher, and with the attempted murder of her
third husband, Laurie Ira Toups, 51, Toups, 51, a druggist.
Michael J. McNulty, assistant district attorney for St. Mary
Parish, said investigators have uncovered what he considers a “pretty good
motive.” He would not comment further.
Mrs. Folse, who drives a school bus, steadfastly has denied
the charges against her. She married Toups in December, 1960 – 13 months after
the death of her previous husband lives in Georgia.
Toups, a town alderman, is still partially paralyzed from
what doctors labeled arsenic poisoning. They said it was administered in small
doses for a long time.
The hospital report on Toups led the parish coroner to order
exhumation of the body of the second husband. Tests uncovered traces of arsenic.
Mrs. Toups’ sone by her first marriage, William Wright, 20,
visited his mother Wednesday. He said she was concerned about him and about her
10-year-old boy, Octave Folse Jr.
In a conference with Dist. Atty. Knowles Tucker, Mrs. Toups
intimated someone else must have administered the poison. It was not made
public if she gave any names but authorities have conceded they know
considerably more than is being released.
“If we didn’t have any more on this case than we released so
far, we’d be in bad shape,” one officer said.
The more recent investigating has centered around Mrs. Toups’
past. Neighbors, acquaintances, and Mr. Toups himself say they have only
limited information about the accused. She has been described as a reserved and
gentle woman.
[“New Developments Expected In Arsenic Murder Cases,”
Alexandria Daily Town Talk (La.), Mar. 15, 1962, p. 10]
***
FULL TEXT: Franklin – Officials exhumed another body Tuesday
in the continuing investigation of Mrs. Ressie [sic] Toups, the Berwick
housewife charged with murdering her second husband and attempting to murder
her third mate.
Two more bodies are expected to be exhumed this week,
possibly today.
Tuesday the body of Negro handyman Eddie Blunt of Berwick
was removed from a cemetery. He died this year after complaining of severe
stomach pains. His death was listed as due to natural causes.
Blunt worked for Mrs. Toups, who is charged with the arsenic
poisoning of her second husband and of administering arsenic to her third
husband.
The body of her second husband, Octave Folse, Jr., will be
re-exhumed. The first time his body was removed traces of arsenic poison were
found.
The body of Mrs. Leona Cutrone of Baton Rouge is also
scheduled to be exhumed from a Baton Rouge cemetery. She was a friend of Mrs.
Toups who also complained of severe stomach pains before dying in February.
[“Officials Exhume Body of Negro In Troups [sic], Probe,”
Shreveport Journal (La.), Jul. 18, 1962, p. 6A]
***
FULL TEXT: Franklin – The St. Mary Parish Grand Jury today
resumed consideration of the case of Mrs. Bessie Folse Toups, accused of
murdering her second husband and trying to kill her third.
Mrs. Toups has been charged with the murder, by arsenic
poisoning, of Octave J. Folse, Jr. who died in November of 1959. A charge of
attempting to murder her third husband, Laurie I. Toups, a 51-year-old Berwick
town alderman and druggist, has also been filed.
Toups was partially paralyzed from ingestion of arsenic in
small doses over a period of time last year, officials said.
Three bodies were recently exhumed in connection with the
case, one twice. An examination of Folse’s remains determined that the
42-year-old Patterson High school mathematics teacher died of arsenic
poisoning. This exhumation took place in March.
In mid-July the body of Mrs. Leona M. Cutrone was exhumed.
Formerly of Morgan City, she died in February, 1961 and was buried in Baton
Rouge. Authorities described her as “a friend of Mr. Toups.”
The body of Negro handyman Eddie Blunt of Berwick was
removed from a Berwick cemetery for examination. Blunt died in early 1962.
Also, Folse’s body was re-exhumed.
The results of the mid-July exhumations were not made
public.
The first Folse exhumation was performed when it was learned
that Laurie Toups was being treated at a New Orleans hospital for arsenic
poisoning.
[“Grand Jury Resumes Toups Case Hearing,” The Daily
Advertiser (Lafayette, La.), Sep. 4, 1962, p. 1]
***
FULL TEXT: Franklin, La., Sept. 5 – The St. Mary Parish grand jury today freed Mrs. Bessie Folse Toups, accused of the murder of her second husband and attempted murder of her third husband.
The grand jury returned no true bills on each of the two
charges against Mrs. Toups.
She was charged with the arsenic murder in 1959 of Octave J.
Folse, a school teacher who was her second husband, and the attempted murder
last winter of her third husband. Laurie L. Toups, a Berwick druggist and
former alderman.
Mrs. Toups’ first husband, named Wright, is alive and living
in Georgia.
She was arrested last March by the St. Mary Parish sheriff’s
office, which had investigated the case along with state police.
The case went before a grand jury last May but it reached no
verdict and put the matter over until this week’s grand jury term.
Mrs. Toups, who was free in $10,000 bond, had denied she was
guilty.
[“Mrs. Toups Released by Grand Jury,” The Shreveport Times
(La.), Sep. 6, 1962, p. 9A]
***
Dec.
1960 – Bessie marries Laurie Toups.
Feb.
1961 – Leona M. Cutrone, friend of Bessie dies; Baton Rouge.
Nov.
16, 1959 – Octave J. Folse Jr., husband #2, dies.
Early
1962 – Eddie Blunt, dies.
1962
– Laurie Ira Toups, 56, husband #3, poisoned, survived.
Mar.
12, 1962 – Bessie Toups (44) arrested.
May
26, 1962 – Bessie released on $10,000 bond.
1962 –
Husband #1, Wright, still living.
***
***
***
***
For links to other cases of woman who murdered 2 or more husbands (or paramours), see Black Widow Serial Killers.
***
[500-4/8/20; 969-11/5/21]
***
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