The Tragic and Horrifying Case of Roxana Druse

In 1884, Roxana Druse, a farmer's wife in Herkimer County, New York, killed her husband William Druse during a domestic dispute, with her son Frank and daughter Mary assisting in the murder and subsequent disposal of the body by burning it. The case, which involved a botched hanging execution that led to New York adopting the electric chair, resulted in Roxana's execution in 1887 and Mary's life sentence, while her son Frank and another son George testified against her. This case remains significant as the last woman ever hanged in New York State and the first woman hanged in central New York in 40 years.