Velma Barfield
First woman executed after death penalty reinstatement
Margie Velma Barfield (September 29, 1932 – November 2, 1984) was an American woman executed by lethal injection, becoming the first woman executed in the United States after the reinstatement of capital punishment in 1976. Born in South Carolina and raised in poverty, Barfield had a troubled life marked by addiction to prescription medications and alcohol. She was convicted of the murder of Stuart Taylor, an elderly widower, and confessed to poisoning him and several others with arsenic. Barfield claimed responsibility for up to 11 deaths, though not all were officially confirmed. Her case raised significant questions about capital punishment, particularly regarding women, mental illness, and poverty. Despite her confessions and convictions, Barfield became a controversial figure, with some viewing her execution as just punishment and others seeing it as a tragedy reflecting systemic failures in mental health and poverty assistance. In her final years before execution, Barfield converted to Christianity and received religious counsel. Her case remains significant in American criminal justice history and debates about the death penalty. The execution of Margie Velma Barfield marked a turning point in American penal policy regarding female offenders and sparked ongoing discussion about justice, redemption, and capital punishment.
Notable Person
American
1932
1984
Thinking about the name
Velma
American origin
“A classic American name rising to prominence in the early 20th century, Velma has a warm, approachable charm that feels both vintage and timeless. The name carries associations with strength and sensibility, famously borne by Velma Kelly in Chicago, and it retains a retro-chic appeal for parents seeking nostalgia with substance.”