The Wicked Wardlaw Women & The Mysterious Death of Ocey Snead Episode #1 (of 2)
03/16/23 • 27 min
East Orange New Jersey was an affluent, tree-lined, mansion-filled community in 1909, populated by oil tycoons and Newark industrialists. In November of that year, its tranquility was suddenly shattered by a phone call to the police from Virginia Wardlaw, one of the three Wardlaw women (the Sisters in Black) who were well known in East Orange for their weird attire and strange behavior. That disturbing call resulted in a visit by the authorities to the Wardlaw home, where they discovered the body of a 19-year girl, Miss Ocey Snead, in an upstairs bathtub. Despite the protests of Virginia Wardlaw that this was an accident (or a possible suicide) the authorities felt otherwise. The investigation that followed and the evidence that surfaced painted a far different picture of how the three sisters treated the young girl in their care. Hardly the benevolent custodians they claimed to be, the sisters plotted to rob the young victim of her inheritance, her sanity, and her life. Join our host, G.W. Bailey, as we chronicle another true story from America’s criminal past—a tale of betrayal, gaslighting and murder.
East Orange New Jersey was an affluent, tree-lined, mansion-filled community in 1909, populated by oil tycoons and Newark industrialists. In November of that year, its tranquility was suddenly shattered by a phone call to the police from Virginia Wardlaw, one of the three Wardlaw women (the Sisters in Black) who were well known in East Orange for their weird attire and strange behavior. That disturbing call resulted in a visit by the authorities to the Wardlaw home, where they discovered the body of a 19-year girl, Miss Ocey Snead, in an upstairs bathtub. Despite the protests of Virginia Wardlaw that this was an accident (or a possible suicide) the authorities felt otherwise. The investigation that followed and the evidence that surfaced painted a far different picture of how the three sisters treated the young girl in their care. Hardly the benevolent custodians they claimed to be, the sisters plotted to rob the young victim of her inheritance, her sanity, and her life. Join our host, G.W. Bailey, as we chronicle another true story from America’s criminal past—a tale of betrayal, gaslighting and murder.
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The Wicked Wardlaw Women & The Mysterious Death of Ocey Snead — Trailer
Three sisters disturb the peace in East Orange New Jersey in 1909 when they take a 19-year-old girl hostage and imprison her in their hovel. Their plan for the girl (the daughter of one of the sisters) is diabolical: gaslight their victim into submission, gain control over her inheritance, and then starve her to death.
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The Wicked Wardlaw Women & The Mysterious Death of Ocey Snead Episode #2 (of 2)
Upon the discovery of the body of Ocey Snead, the three Wardlaw sisters are apprehended and indicted on first degree murder charges. The circumstances surrounding the girl’s passing are incriminating. The “women in black” all steadfastly maintain their innocence in a courtroom unnerved by the untimely death of Virginia Wardlaw (who starves herself in her jail cell) and the egomaniacal ravings of Caroline Martin during the proceedings. However, the trial takes a dramatic turn when a surprise witness, Albert Wardlaw – the sisters’ brother – takes the stand.
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