Proof of guilt : Barbara Graham and the politics of executing women in America

Barbara Graham Might Have Been A Diabolical Dame In A Hard-boiled Detective Story--beautiful, Sexy, And Deadly. Charged Alongside Two Male Friends In The Murder Of An Elderly Widow During A Botched Robbery Attempt, Bloody Babs Became The Third Woman Executed In California--after A 1953 Trial That Played Out Before Standing-room-only Crowds Captured The Imaginations Of Journalists, Filmmakers, And Death Penalty Opponents. Why, Kathleen A. Cairns Asks, Of All The Capital Cases In The Twentieth Century, Did Graham's Have Such Political Resonance And Staying Power? Leaving Aside The Question Of Guilt Or Innocence--debated To This Day--cairns Examines How Graham's Case Became A Touchstone In The Ongoing Debate Over Capital Punishment. While Prosecutors Positioned The Accused Woman As A Femme Fatale, The Media Came To Offer A Counternarrative For Graham's Life Highlighting Her Abusive And Lonely Beginnings. Cairns Shows How Graham's Case Became Crucial To The Abolitionists Of The Time, Who Used Instances Of Questionable Guilt To Raise Awareness Of The Arbitrary And Capricious Nature Of Death Penalty Prosecutions. Critical In Keeping Capital Punishment In The Forefront Of Public Consciousness Until Abolitionists Homed In On A Winning Strategy, Graham's Case Illustrates The Power Of Individual Stories To Shape Wider Perceptions And Ultimately Public Policies. "Barbara Graham might have been a diabolical dame in a hard-boiled detective story--beautiful, sexy, and deadly. Charged alongside two male friends in the murder of an elderly widow during a botched robbery attempt, "Bloody Babs" became the third woman executed in California--after a 1953 trial that played out before standing-room-only crowds and captured the imaginations of journalists, filmmakers, and death penalty opponents. Why, Kathleen A. Cairns asks, of all the capital cases in the twentieth century, did Graham's have such political resonance and staying power? Leaving aside the question of guilt or innocence -- debated to this day -- the author examines how Graham's case became a touchstone in the ongoing debate over capital punishment. While prosecutors positioned accused women as femme fatales, the media came to offer a counternarrative for Graham's life highlighting her abusive and lonely beginnings. Cairns shows how Graham's case became crucial to the abolitionists of the time, who used instances of questionable guilt to raise awareness of the arbitrary and capricious nature of death penalty prosecutions. Critical in keeping capital punishment in the forefront of public consciousness until abolitionists homed in on a winning strategy, her case illustrates the power of individual stories to shape wider perceptions and ultimately public policies"--Provided by publisher. " Proof of Guilt is a fascinating book that details the case of Barbara Graham and also explores the issue of the execution of women. Although the Graham case occurred decades ago, Cairns brings Barbara Graham back to life in this compelling narrative. The book sheds new light on the issue of the death penalty and dispels many myths and misconceptions surrounding it."-Gloria Killian, exonerée and coauthor of Full Circle: A True Story of Murder, Lies, and Vindication A Murder In Burbank -- A Life On The Lam -- A Femme Fatale On Trial -- Crime Doesn't Pay -- An Execution In California -- Executing Women In America -- I Want To Live! -- Due Process -- Abolishing The Death Penalty -- The Ultimate Penalty. Kathleen A. Cairns. Includes Bibliographical References.