February 8th, 1932, Winnie Ruth Judd was sentenced to death for the murder of two of her friends. She spent some time in prison in Florence Arizona but never faced the gallows. Between escaping asylums, and dodging prison time, Winnie Ruth Judd is one of the most interesting criminals in Arizona’s History.
Winnie’s life
Winnie Ruth Judd was born in Darlington, Indiana in 1905. According to Arizona Memory Project, Winnie was the daughter of a methodist minister. When she was 19 years old, she married a man 22 years older than her named Dr. William C. Judd. The two of them settled in Los Angles, California after spending years moving around for work.
After settling down in LA, Winnie’s husband developed a substance abuse problem, and Winnie ended up with tuberculosis. In 1930 she packed up and moved to Phoenix, where she met Agnes Anne LeRoi and Hedvig Samuelson. These three young ladies became roommates, and all worked in the same clinic. Winnie moved into her own space less than a year later.
The Crime
On October 16, 1931, Winnie visited her friends Agnes and Hedvig for dinner and drinks. Supposedly, an argument broke out between the friends. No one knows what the argument was about: men, money, or popularity, but in the midst of it, a gun was brandished, and all three women were shot. Winnie was shot in her left hand, while the other two’s wounds were fatal.
Winnie received the nickname the “trunk murderess” for the way she dealt with the bodies. Instead of calling for help, Winnie stuffed her friend Agnes in a large suitcase. The other suitcases Winnie was too small for Hedvig, so she split her up between multiple suitcases.…