True Crime Wife by Jess

The One With the Axes


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The Mysterious Case of Clementine Barnabet: True Crime, Cults, and conflicting Evidence. Discover the disturbing saga of Clementine Barnabet, a teenage girl accused of multiple murders in early 1900s Louisiana, amidst rumors of cult involvement, voodoo, and racial bias in justice. This episode explores the chaotic, often contradictory details surrounding her case and the chilling possibility of her being both a victim and a perpetrator.

In this episode:

  • The series of brutal family murders in Louisiana from 1909 to 1912
  • The social and racial context influencing the investigation and media portrayal
  • Clementine Barnabet's background, alleged confessions, and trial
  • The role of rumors, voodoo, and religious fanaticism in the case
  • Discrepancies and contradictions in evidence against Clementine and her family
  • The mysterious aftermath of her release from prison and her disappearance
  • How fear, prejudice, and chaos can distort the truth in criminal cases

:Resources & Links:

  • https://theconversation.com/revisiting-the-story-of-clementine-barnabet-a-black-woman-blamed-for-serial-murders-in-the-jim-crow-south-271298
  • https://countryroadsmagazine.com/art-and-culture/history/clementine-barnabet/
  • https://historicalparanormalpodcast.home.blog/2019/07/28/the-mulatto-murders/#:~:text=These%20murders%20occurred%20from%201911%2D1912%2C,mixed%20race%20community.%20Mulatto%20for
  • https://hrwg1991.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/proceedings_2012.pdf
  • https://www.nytimes.com/1912/04/03/archives/woman-confesses-killing-17-negroes-leader-of-church-of-sacrifice.html
  • Resume of Case (circa 1935), Clementine Barnabet, Federal Writer’s Project, Box 3-C-1, Folder 45, housed at Watson Library, Cammie G. Henry Research Center, Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Natchitoches, Louisiana. (a compilation of newspaper articles collected by Oseana Thibodeaux)

Connect with Jess:

This case leaves us pondering how racial bias, sensational media, and societal fears can cloud the pursuit of justice. Was Clementine truly a killer, or a scapegoat in a chaotic, prejudiced system? Either way, her story continues to haunt the pages of true crime history.

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True Crime Wife by JessBy Jessica Milliken