A Reckoning in Mayberry

Part 5/1 Rose Marie Finds an Idea

Rose Marie came up with her plan to rid the world of a monster from a real-life news story from nearby Alamance County. The story was about a murderer whose story riveted the nation in the late 1980's. It was a story of a woman, an unassuming church goer, actually married to the reverend, who was not all she appeared to be. It was the story of evil living right next door. Her name was Blanche Taylor Moore.

Blanche was a cook known for her cakes and her pies and especially her banana puddings, all made out of love and her devotion to the Lord and her willingness to help others and provide comfort to those who were suffering. She especially liked to feed her men and fatten them up with the goodness from her kitchen, much like the witch in Hansel and Gretel. Hers is a cautionary tale of - be careful of those bearing gifts, no matter how delicious.

After the loss of her father, her first husband, a boyfriend, and the near death of her new husband, the Reverend Dwight Moore, it was discovered that Blanche had a fondness for adding an ingredient to her favorite recipes. When the good reverend was hospitalized for a mysterious illness, alert doctors ran a toxicology test and found that Rev. Moore had twenty times the normal amount of arsenic in his system. Amazingly, he survived, but when the SBI exhumed bodies and ran further tests, Blanche's father, first husband, and boyfriend were all determined to have died from arsenic poisoning.

How cold hearted was Blanche? Nurses testified she bought a banana pudding to the ICU, one for her man and a different one for the nursing staff.

Blanche's method of operation was arsenic, found in ant killer, that she asked at least one husband to purchase for her before she slipped it in his dinner.

Arsenic is a perfect weapon of murder because it is odorless and tasteless and can be stirred into a dish undetected. It is so perfect that it makes you wonder if maybe Blanche had other victims. And, if she had been more patient and not so greedy, could she have gone on for years? The answer to that question is - probably. And as easy as a middle aged lady made it look, it has probably happened before, many times over to unsuspecting victims. Murder goes undetected.

Rose Marie remembered the story of Blanche Taylor Moore. During the trial, Rose Marie and her friends, all famous cooks in their own right, had discussions about the crazy lady cook and her concoctions of death. They joked about dishes they took to gatherings and said things like: "This is Blanche's special recipe". They were no different than others who read the story at the time and thought twice about which dishes they were selecting at the family reunion: Who made those dishes and did they hold a grudge? Rose Marie and her friends followed the story until there was a trial, and Blanche was convicted of the death of her boyfriend and sentenced to death row where she still lives and waits today.

Rose Marie did not admire Blanche Taylor Moore, but she did respect that she came up with a way to kill someone. She had a method that was odorless and tasteless, though not painless. Well, Rose Marie hoped her Lord would forgive her for that part, but if she did not do something soon, more people would suffer. And, if the Lord was a fair and just God, then Charles deserved what he got. Amen.

Rose Marie had her plan. Time to make some goodies. Charles did love her banana pudding, but first she thought she would start with something simple, just to test the method.

There's nothing like a strong cup of coffee to start your morning off just right.

Author's Note: Blanche Taylor Moore is a real life murderess, you can read all about her on the internet. It does make you wonder, just how many murders out there go undetected?