Edith Maxwell (April 24, 1914 – May 2, 1979) was a

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

n schoolteacher who, at the age of 21, was convicted of murdering her father in rural

Appalachia Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...

, triggering a nationwide media sensation. On July 20, 1935, the young teacher spent the evening with friends at "the Little Ritz" in Wise, Virginia. When she returned home late at night in

Pound, Virginia Pound is a town in Wise County, Virginia, Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was recorded as 1,037 in the 2010 United States Census. History The Pound area was explored in 1751 by Christopher Gist, and it is traditionally sai ...

, she had an argument with Trigg Maxwell, her coal miner father. Trigg attempted to whip his daughter for staying out late. According to Edith Maxwell, during the fight, she hit her father with a high heeled shoe, accidentally killing him. Other accounts asserted various alternate scenarios, including that she hit her father with an iron skillet, that he fell and banged his head on a butcher's block, or even that he had had a stroke and died. Edith was found guilty in November 1935, and when that decision was overturned, a second trial later found her guilty of murder and she was sentenced to 25 years in jail. Edith's mother, Ann, was originally jointly charged with her for Trigg's death, however after Edith's first trial, the states attorney decided to not go forward for lack of sufficient evidence for a first-degree conviction. Under Virginia law at that time, once Edith was convicted, Ann could not be charged with accessory after the fact as the law didn't allow prosecution of parents. The case became a national sensation, since recent movies at the time, including '' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' and the best selling novel of the same name, made rural Appalachia exotic to the rest of America, with tales of family abuse, moonshining and family feuds. She became known as Appalachia's "slipper slayer"Hatfield, Sharon. ''Never Seen the Moon: The Trials of Edith Maxwell''. Urbana, Ill: University of Illinois Press, 2009. and a

cause célèbre A ( , ; pl. ''causes célèbres'', pronounced like the singular) is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning, and heated public debate. The term is sometimes used positively for celebrated legal cases for th ...

, and even

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

appealed for her release. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' raised funds for her legal defense. In 1937, Hollywood created a movie loosely based on her story, '' Mountain Justice'', which fictionalized her account by adding new elements to the story, including the heroine narrowly avoiding being lynched by the townsfolk. The governor of Virginia,

James Hubert Price James Hubert Price (September 7, 1878November 22, 1943) was an American politician who was elected 53rd Governor of Virginia in 1937, during the Great Depression and became known as the Commonwealth's "New Deal Governor." Over the opposition of ...

, pardoned her in 1941. After her release from prison, she left Virginia and changed her name to Ann Grayson, settling in

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, where she died in 1979.

References

Bibliography

* "Accused Killer, Media Darling." Miller, Suzanne
Discover: History & Heritage
2016. * Best, Gary Dean
Witch Hunt in Wise County: The Persecution of Edith Maxwell
Westport, Conn: Praeger, 1994. * Hatfield, Sharon
Never Seen the Moon: The Trials of Edith Maxwell
Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2005. * Staples, Abram P., and Joseph L. Jr Kelly
Edith Maxwell Vs. Commonwealth of Virginia: Brief on Behalf of the Commonwealth
Staunton, Va: The Court, 1930.
The Trial of Edith Maxwell, Wise County, Virginia, 1935: Court Transcript of Actual Trial
Wise, VA: Wise County Historical Society, 2000.

External links

"Mountain Justice (1937)
IMDB movie data base * 1914 births 1979 deaths 20th-century American murderers People from Pound, Virginia American female murderers American people convicted of murder Criminals from Virginia Patricides {{US-crime-bio-stub People convicted of murder by Virginia Recipients of gubernatorial pardons in Virginia